Neon

What is Neon?

Neon is a serverless Postgres platform that separates storage from compute, which is what makes its git-like database branching possible. Instead of copying an entire database to test a schema change or spin up a preview environment, Neon can branch a database the same way git branches code: near-instantly, and without duplicating the full dataset. It's built to fit naturally into a PR-based workflow where every pull request or preview deploy gets its own isolated database state.

Key features

• Instant database branching, so a PR or preview deploy can get an isolated copy of production data without a slow full clone
• Autoscaling and scale-to-zero compute, so idle branches don't keep burning compute cost
• Standard Postgres underneath, so existing extensions, drivers, and ORMs work without changes
• Point-in-time restore for recovering to any moment within the retention window, not just the latest backup

Who it's for

Teams that want real Postgres with a workflow built around branching, especially ones running lots of preview deployments or ephemeral test environments. Less compelling for a single long-running production database with no branching or preview-environment needs, where a simpler managed Postgres host is enough.

Pricing

Free tier for small projects, with usage-based paid plans that scale by compute time and storage.