Best Choice
DBHost
No cold starts. No surprises.
$0/moFlat: $0 / $5 / $15
PoolingPgBouncer on every DB
Backups30-day retention
IP allowlistPer-database
API keysPer-database scoping
We built DBHost for developers who want managed Postgres without the complexity. Here's how it compares to the alternatives - including where they win.
Four areas where our approach wins for small teams and indie developers.
Flat per-plan billing. No compute units, no overage meters, no surprise bills at month end.
PgBouncer transaction-mode pooling ships on every database - even on the free tier. No add-ons.
Daily automated backups plus on-demand snapshots before any risky change. 30-day retention on all plans.
API keys and IP allowlists scoped per database, not per project. Ideal for agencies and multi-app teams.
Every tool has a sweet spot. Here's an honest take on each.
No cold starts, no wake-up latency, no usage meters. Just a Postgres database with pooling, backups, and an API - always on, always predictable. Best for indie hackers, small SaaS teams, and anyone who wants to ship instead of manage infrastructure.
You need serverless Postgres with branching, scale-to-zero, and usage-based billing. Best for apps with variable load where cost efficiency during idle time matters most.
You want a full backend-as-a-service: database + auth + storage + edge functions. If you need those extras, it’s excellent. If you only need Postgres, you’re paying for features you won’t use.
You’re deploying a full application and want everything in one platform. Railway’s strength is the deployment experience - there’s no built-in pooler or automated backups.