# Free PostgreSQL hosting (/postgres/free-postgresql-hosting)

> Free PostgreSQL Hosting | Prisma Postgres. For the complete Prisma website index, see [llms.txt](https://www.prisma.io/llms.txt). A Markdown version of any listed page is available at its `.md` URL — this one is `/postgres/free-postgresql-hosting.md`.

Checked October 2026.
dateModified: 2026-10-21

Free PostgreSQL hosting on Prisma Postgres. Managed PostgreSQL 17 with 2 GB of storage, 200,000 operations a month and up to 50 databases. No credit card and no time limit.

A **free PostgreSQL database** with **2 GB** of storage, **200,000 operations** a month (one query each), and **50 databases**. Prisma Postgres works with any Postgres client.

- [Create an instant database](https://create-db.prisma.io)
- [Get started](https://console.prisma.io/sign-up)

- Instant databases are deleted in 24 hours unless claimed.
- A claimed database, and a database created in the Prisma Console, has no time limit.

- Terminal
- Claude
- Codex
- Cursor
- Copilot

$ npx create-db
Creating
Setting up a database
Connection string
postgres://demo:sample@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require
Example. Not a live database.
Claim
The database is deleted after 24 hours unless you claim it.
https://create-db.prisma.io/claim?projectID=proj_sample

Claude Code
Opus
~/app
❯ npx create-db
Ran a shell command
The database was created.
Connection string
postgres://demo:sample@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require
Region: eu-central-1 (Frankfurt)
The database is deleted after 24 hours unless you claim it.
https://create-db.prisma.io/claim?projectID=proj_sample

OpenAI Codex
CLI
~/app
› npx create-db
Ran a shell command
$ npx create-db
The database was created.
Connection string
postgres://demo:sample@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require
Region: eu-central-1 (Frankfurt)
The database is deleted after 24 hours unless you claim it.
https://create-db.prisma.io/claim?projectID=proj_sample

Cursor
Agent
~/app
npx create-db
Terminal
The database was created.
Connection string
postgres://demo:sample@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require
Region: eu-central-1 (Frankfurt)
The database is deleted after 24 hours unless you claim it.
https://create-db.prisma.io/claim?projectID=proj_sample

GitHub Copilot
Chat
~/app
npx create-db
Ran a terminal command
The database was created.
Connection string
postgres://demo:sample@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require
Region: eu-central-1 (Frankfurt)
The database is deleted after 24 hours unless you claim it.
https://create-db.prisma.io/claim?projectID=proj_sample

## What a free PostgreSQL database includes

- **2 GB.** of [storage](/docs/full-stack-tutorial#prisma-postgres), enough for a real schema and sample rows.
- **200,000**<sup>1</sup>. [operations](/docs/postgres/faq#what-is-an-operation) a month. One query is one operation.
- **Up to 50.** [databases](/pricing). A fresh database per app, branch, or experiment with [npx create-db](/docs/postgres/npx-create-db).

| Feature | Included |
| --- | --- |
| Connections | 10 pooled for the app, and 10 direct for migrations, Studio, and pg_dump, per database. 5 of those direct connections are reserved for the platform. |
| Data transfer | No meter on what the database sends or receives. |
| Postgres | Version 17, encrypted in transit, with a pooler and a [connection string](/docs/postgres/database/connecting-to-your-database). |
| Backups | No backups. Daily backups start on Starter and are kept for 7 days. |
| Extensions | [pgvector](/docs/postgres/database/postgres-extensions) for similarity search, plus pg_search, pg_trgm, and pgcrypto. |
| Regions | Put the database near the app, in [one of six](/docs/postgres/faq#what-regions-is-prisma-postgres-available-in). |
| Query Insights | Shows which queries are slow and why. |
| Prisma Studio | A data browser for viewing and editing rows. |
| Prisma Compute | Host a Node.js, Bun, or Next.js app next to this database: 1 million requests, 360 GB-hours of memory (1 GB for 15 days), and 4 active vCPU-hours (4 hours of one CPU while the app is working) a month. |
| App outbound | 10 GB a month. Separate from the database. |
| Prisma ORM | Any Postgres client works. The typed client, on this same database. |

1. Operations reset on the 1st of every month.

## How the free limit works

### What counts

One query is one operation: a simple read, a write, or a join.

- 200,000 operations a month
- about 6,600 queries a day

Idle time is not billed.

### Idle databases scale to zero

The next query wakes them. You do not wake one by hand.

### Queries stop at the monthly limit

Until the 1st of the next month, or until you upgrade.

### A 24 hour restore, once

Once per workspace, in the Console. It lets you export first.

On paid plans, extra operations are billed. Queries stop when the spend limit is reached. Read the [docs FAQ on the free limit](/docs/postgres/faq#what-happens-if-i-exceed-the-included-queries-on-the-free-tier).

### A personal blog

One person writes a few posts a week. A visit loads the list of posts, then the post.

about 40 queries a day. Stays on Free.

### A feedback board

One product collects ideas. A visit reads the list, opens one idea, and sometimes leaves a vote.

about 400 queries a day. Stays on Free.

### A team chat

About 200 people keep a channel open through the workday. Each check loads the channel list and the latest messages.

about 20,000 queries a day. [Needs Starter at $10 a month](/pricing). [See pricing](/pricing).

## Build on it, then upgrade

- **What developers build on it:** Side projects, agent experiments, and small apps. Prototypes, tests, and coding agents too.
- **When to upgrade:** Backups, a spend limit, or compliance. Paid plans take a daily snapshot on days the database is used. [HIPAA](/postgres/hipaa), SOC 2, and ISO 27001 are on Business. The plan grid is on [pricing](/pricing).

## Compare Prisma

Free tiers differ in storage, databases, and the limit.

- [Prisma Postgres vs Neon](/compare/neon): Postgres and Prisma in one project, or Neon on its own.
- [Prisma Postgres vs Supabase](/compare/supabase): Postgres with Prisma, or Supabase with Auth and Storage.
- [Serverless Postgres compared (2026): Neon, Supabase, Amazon RDS/Aurora and Prisma Postgres](/blog/serverless-postgres): Idle, the cap, and what each free tier includes.

## FAQ

### How do I create a free PostgreSQL database?

Run [`npx create-db`](/docs/postgres/npx-create-db), or create one in the browser. You get a Postgres database and its connection string in seconds, with no account and no credit card. Claim it within 24 hours to keep it in a Free workspace, which includes 200,000 operations a month, 2 GB of storage and up to 50 databases.

### Is Prisma Postgres really free?

Yes. The Free plan costs $0 a month, needs no credit card and has no time limit. It includes 200,000 operations a month, 2 GB of storage and up to 50 databases per workspace. Usage resets at the start of each calendar month. You only pay if you choose to upgrade.

### What does the free Postgres plan include?

Each Free workspace gets managed [PostgreSQL 17](/docs/postgres) with 200,000 operations a month, 2 GB of storage, up to 50 databases, 10 pooled and 10 direct connections (5 direct reserved for platform operations), unlimited data transfer, [pgvector](/docs/postgres/database/postgres-extensions) and the other supported extensions, and a choice of [six regions](/docs/postgres/faq#what-regions-is-prisma-postgres-available-in). Backups and spend limits start on the Starter plan at $10 a month.

### What counts as an operation?

One query is one operation, whether it is a simple read, a write or a query that joins several tables. 200,000 operations a month is about 6,600 queries a day. Idle time is never billed, so a database nobody is using costs nothing.

### What happens when I reach the free limit?

When a Free workspace uses its 200,000 monthly operations, its databases stop accepting queries until the allowance resets on the 1st of the next month, or until you upgrade. If you need time to export your data first, you can [restore access for 24 hours](/docs/postgres/faq#what-happens-if-i-exceed-the-included-queries-on-the-free-tier) from the Console, once per workspace. Paid plans bill operations past the allowance. Queries stop when the spend limit is reached.

### Does a free Postgres database pause when it is idle?

Idle databases scale to zero and cost nothing on the Free plan. You never have to wake one by hand: the next query wakes it, and databases that were used recently resume in milliseconds.

### Can I get a free Postgres database without signing up?

Yes. Run [`npx create-db`](/docs/postgres/npx-create-db) and you get a Postgres database and its connection string in seconds, with no account and no credit card. Add `--json` when a coding agent needs machine-readable output. The database is deleted after 24 hours unless you claim it: open the claim link from the output and sign in, and it moves into your workspace under that plan's limits.

### Can I use the Free plan in production?

For a small app, yes, with two things to know. The Free plan has no backups, and your databases stop accepting queries if you use all 200,000 monthly operations. For an app with paying users, Starter at $10 a month adds daily backups kept for 7 days and 1 million operations. Extra operations are billed, and queries stop at the spend limit.

### Do I need a credit card for a free Postgres database?

No. You can sign up for the Free plan and create databases without a credit card. You only add payment details if you upgrade to Starter, Pro or Business.

### Can I host my app for free as well?

Yes. The same Free plan includes [Prisma Compute](/compute), which hosts Node.js, Bun and Next.js apps next to your database. Each month you get 1 million requests, 360 GB-hours of memory, 4 active vCPU-hours and 10 GB of outbound bandwidth. An idle app scales to zero and costs nothing.

### How does it compare with other free Postgres tiers?

Free tiers differ in storage, how many databases you get and what happens when you go idle or reach a limit. Prisma Postgres gives 2 GB of storage, up to 50 databases, unlimited data transfer and free app hosting on the same plan. For a side by side look at Neon, Supabase, Aiven and others, see our [comparison of free Postgres hosting](/blog/serverless-postgres).

### Is PostgreSQL itself free?

Yes. PostgreSQL is open source under the PostgreSQL License, so it is free to use, including commercially. What you pay a provider for is hosting it: running the server, backups, connection pooling and upgrades. Prisma Postgres hosts it for free within the Free plan limits.

## Trusted by 500K+ TypeScript developers

- "Prisma makes database management incredibly easy. Prisma's built-in type safety helps us avoid mistakes that happen with manual setups." (Ron Cohen, Co-founder & CTO, Bucket)
- "Prisma Postgres has really good DX. It's easy, simple, straightforward. I don't spend time on deployment. It just works." (Martin Adams, Founder, Fluidwave)
- "Prisma has a low learning curve. Productivity becomes higher because it gets combined with end-to-end type-safety using TypeScript." (Ricardo Almeida, Software Engineer, Grover)
- "Prisma's approach to type-safe ORM is next-level. It provides full type-safety without any codegen or messy types and interfaces to write and maintain." (Pieter Venter, Sr. Software Engineer, Invisible)
- "The combination of Prisma, TypeScript and our pretty thorough coverage with integration tests gives us the confidence to refactor critical parts of our code." (Thibaut Nguyen, CTO, Poppy)
- "This is the fastest I've ever developed in my life, by far. The tooling has dramatically cut down on the amount of time I've had to spend." (Sean Emmer, CTO & Co-Founder, Pearly Plan)
- "We chose Prisma because it provides us with type safety directly from the database. It has helped us tremendously to catch possible errors early on." (Omar López, Sr. Software Engineer, Cal.com)
- "We've proudly built the core of our APIs on top of Prisma, and we are very happy that we did. It doesn't make us jump through unnecessary hoops to get normal work done and generally just works." (James Fox, Co-Founder, Gamma)
- "Prisma is the best ORM I have ever used, I never want to use anything else again. The excellent developer experience with its incredible TypeScript support sold me at first." (Max Stoiber, Founder, Stellate)
- "Prisma is a professional enterprise-ready tool that is easy to start using, ramp up and scale. It is the type of tool developed for the software engineers of today." (Matt Matheson, Co-Founder, Trunk)
- "Prisma has been an absolute game changer for Memberstack. It has helped us move faster while also improving product stability." (Tyler Bell, Co-founder, Memberstack)
- "I chose Prisma because of its clean API, nice developer experience and type safety. It helped me ship v1 of Instatus really fast." (Ali Salah, Founder, Instatus)

## Create your free database

A managed PostgreSQL 17 database in seconds. Paste the connection string into any Postgres client, then claim it into a Free workspace when you want to keep it.

- npx create-db, no account needed
- Works with any Postgres client
- Claim it within 24 hours

- [Create an instant database](https://create-db.prisma.io)
- [See pricing](/pricing)