When is Nhost the better choice?

You want a full backend for a small app, not just a database or key-value layer. You need auth, OAuth sign-in, storage, and serverless functions in one free plan. You want to deploy with Git-based CI/CD and manage infrastructure as code from the start. You are prototyping one project and need enough included features to avoid assembling multiple tools.

When is Upstash the better choice?

You specifically need a Redis-compatible or HTTP-based data service for caching, sessions, queues, or lookup data. Your workload is command-heavy and you want to scale on usage rather than move to a full backend platform. You care more about low-latency data access and multi-region behavior than about bundled auth or hosting. You expect to outgrow the free tier on traffic before you outgrow the data model. You want a simple paid path at a low flat monthly price for a narrowly defined data service.

Nhost vs Upstash: Free Tier Comparison

Q: How much does Nhost cost after the free tier?

Pro - From $25 / month. Nhost’s first paid step is a flat monthly Pro plan, so costs jump in a simple way when you need more included storage, egress, backups, monitoring, and support. Upstash gives you a usage-based Pay as you go option plus a fixed $10 plan, so costs depend more on traffic and command volume than on whether you are “on” or “off” the platform. For small teams, Nhost is easier to budget, while Upstash can stay cheaper for light or bursty data workloads but can rise with usage.

Q: How much does Upstash cost after the free tier?

Pay as you go - $0.2 per 100K commands. Nhost’s first paid step is a flat monthly Pro plan, so costs jump in a simple way when you need more included storage, egress, backups, monitoring, and support. Upstash gives you a usage-based Pay as you go option plus a fixed $10 plan, so costs depend more on traffic and command volume than on whether you are “on” or “off” the platform. For small teams, Nhost is easier to budget, while Upstash can stay cheaper for light or bursty data workloads but can rise with usage.

Quick answer

Nhost - Nhost wins for most builders who want a free backend they can actually build on, because it bundles database, auth, storage, functions, and deployments with no card required, while Upstash is better only if you specifically need a serverless data service with usage-based scaling.

How the free tiers compare

These free tiers serve different jobs. Nhost is a starter backend platform: one project, PostgreSQL, GraphQL, auth, storage, serverless functions, automated deployments, and IaC. That makes it useful when you want to ship an app without stitching together separate services. Upstash is narrower but deeper on the data layer: one database, a small data cap, command-based limits, and very strong fit for Redis-style workloads, edge apps, caching, queues, and low-latency lookup patterns. The free tier is more limited on Upstash, and it requires a card according to the provided field. After free, Nhost stays simple with flat monthly plans, while Upstash splits between usage-based and fixed-price options, so costs can diverge based on traffic intensity more than storage size. If you are choosing a free tier for a general app backend, Nhost is the more complete starting point.

Nhost vs Upstash free tier, side by side

	NhostFTV 55	UpstashFTV 32
Free projects / databasesNhost limits you to one active project on the free tier; Upstash limits you to one database.	1 project per organization	1 free database
Database / data sizeNhost gives more raw storage on the free tier.	1 GB database storage	256 MB data size
File / record storageThese are not the same unit, but Nhost includes file storage while Upstash focuses on record size limits.	1 GB file storage	100 MB max record size
Network / bandwidthUpstash includes more bandwidth on the free tier, and also notes free bandwidth usage.	5 GB egress	10 GB monthly bandwidth
Compute / commandsNhost bundles serverless functions; Upstash meters command volume.	Functions included, up to 10 functions and 1 GB-hours of execution	500K monthly commands
Auth / usersNhost includes auth on the free tier; Upstash is a data service, not a full auth backend.	Unlimited users, OAuth providers included	Not listed
SupportBoth free tiers include community support.	Community support	Community support
Credit card requiredThis is based on the provided ftv_no_cc_required field.	No	Yes

After you outgrow the free tier

Nhost’s first paid step is a flat monthly Pro plan, so costs jump in a simple way when you need more included storage, egress, backups, monitoring, and support. Upstash gives you a usage-based Pay as you go option plus a fixed $10 plan, so costs depend more on traffic and command volume than on whether you are “on” or “off” the platform. For small teams, Nhost is easier to budget, while Upstash can stay cheaper for light or bursty data workloads but can rise with usage.

Nhost next stepPro - From $25 / monthFlat monthly

Upstash next stepPay as you go - $0.2 per 100K commandsUsage-based

Cost at real usage

Usage	Nhost	Upstash
100K commands/moUpstash command pricing is given as $0.2 per 100K commands; storage and bandwidth may also matter, but no fuller calculator is provided.	$25/mo	~$0.20/mo est.
500K commands/moThis matches the free-tier command cap on Upstash, but paid usage would still be metered above the free allowance.	$25/mo	~$1.00/mo est.
5M commands/moAt this level, Upstash Pay as you go is roughly the same as its fixed 250MB plan, before considering storage and bandwidth differences.	$25/mo	~$10.00/mo est.

Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.

When to pick each one

Pick Nhost when…

You want a full backend for a small app, not just a database or key-value layer.
You need auth, OAuth sign-in, storage, and serverless functions in one free plan.
You want to deploy with Git-based CI/CD and manage infrastructure as code from the start.
You are prototyping one project and need enough included features to avoid assembling multiple tools.

Pick Upstash when…

You specifically need a Redis-compatible or HTTP-based data service for caching, sessions, queues, or lookup data.
Your workload is command-heavy and you want to scale on usage rather than move to a full backend platform.
You care more about low-latency data access and multi-region behavior than about bundled auth or hosting.
You expect to outgrow the free tier on traffic before you outgrow the data model.
You want a simple paid path at a low flat monthly price for a narrowly defined data service.

Bottom line

For most builders picking a free tier, Nhost is the better default because it gives you a fuller app backend at no card required: database, auth, storage, functions, and deployments. Upstash is the better choice when your main need is a lightweight, low-latency data service and you are comfortable with command-based pricing after the free cap. If you want to launch a small product with the fewest extra tools, Nhost is the easier place to start.

Read the full listings: Nhost and Upstash. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.