About Neon
Neon is a hosted Postgres database with backend services built around it. The product is built around Lakebase Postgres, a Databricks offering.
What it does
Neon runs Postgres in the cloud and separates storage from compute, so the database can grow or shrink its compute with the load. You can create branches of a database to test changes without touching production. The same platform adds user authentication, object storage, serverless functions and an AI gateway that gives one API for many models.
Key features
- Autoscaling compute for changing workloads
- Database branches for safer changes
- Built-in user authentication
- Object storage that works with S3 tools
- Serverless functions near the database
Who it's for
Neon suits developers building full-stack apps, startups that want a backend without running servers, and teams that create many short-lived databases for testing or AI agents.
Pricing and good to know
There is a free plan to start, and paid plans cover bigger use. The core project is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Because it is a hosted service, your data lives in Neon's cloud, so review the region and compliance details before you store sensitive data.
Highlights
- Serverless Postgres that scales compute with the load
- Database branches for testing schema and data changes
- Built-in user authentication through Better Auth
- S3-compatible object storage next to the database
- Functions that run close to the database
