AppBreakup
Submit an app

Amazon RDS alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Amazon RDS: configuring networking and security on AWS is complex, and more expensive than smaller Postgres hosts for small apps. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Amazon RDS, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Google Cloud SQL currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Google Cloud SQL logoGoogle Cloud SQLPaidNoWeb3 of 366.5
2Neon logoNeonFree plan + paidNoWeb4 of 462.6
3Aiven logoAivenFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 359.6
4PlanetScale logoPlanetScalePaidNoWeb3 of 357.2
5Supabase logoSupabaseFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
  1. Google Cloud SQL logo

    1. Google Cloud SQLTop pick

    Best for: Teams on Google Cloud that need managed Postgres, MySQL or SQL Server

    PaidWeb

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Amazon RDS

    Google Cloud's managed MySQL, Postgres and SQL Server.

    Pros

    • Supports MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server
    • Integrates with Cloud Run, GKE and BigQuery
    • High-availability and replica options managed for you

    Cons

    • Smallest instances still cost more than serverless Postgres
    • Cloud networking and IAM add setup work
    • Only runs on Google Cloud
    Visit Google Cloud SQL Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google Cloud SQL a good Amazon RDS alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Engines
    MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free credits
    $300 for new customers
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Editions
    Enterprise and Enterprise Plus
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Neon logo

    2. Neon

    Best for: Developers who want cheap, branchable Postgres for serverless apps and preview environments

    Free plan + paidWeb

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Amazon RDS

    Serverless Postgres that is cheaper for small and bursty apps.

    Pros

    • Instant database branches for previews and testing
    • Scales to zero, so idle projects cost little
    • Free plan with no time limit and no card

    Cons

    • Cold starts after scale-to-zero add latency
    • Usage-based billing needs monitoring
    • Direction now depends on Databricks priorities
    Visit Neon Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Neon a good Amazon RDS alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0, no time limit
    Checked Oct 25, 2026neon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Compute price (Launch)
    $0.106 per CU-hour
    Checked Oct 25, 2026neon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Databricks
    Checked Oct 25, 2026neon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Branching
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026neon.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Aiven logo

    3. Aiven

    Best for: Teams that want managed open-source databases on the cloud and region of their choice

    Free plan + paidWeb

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Amazon RDS

    Managed Postgres and MySQL on AWS or other clouds with simpler setup.

    Pros

    • Many open-source data services in one console
    • Runs on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure and others
    • Free tier for Postgres, MySQL and Valkey

    Cons

    • Free tier is a single small node with no integrations
    • Costs add up when running many services
    • No built-in backend features such as auth or APIs
    Visit Aiven Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Aiven a good Amazon RDS alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    $0/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aiven.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Developer plan
    $5/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aiven.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Hobbyist plan
    From $12/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aiven.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. PlanetScale logo

    4. PlanetScale

    Best for: Engineering teams running demanding MySQL or Postgres workloads in production

    PaidWeb

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Amazon RDS

    Managed MySQL and Postgres focused on performance and schema workflows.

    Pros

    • Horizontal sharding for MySQL via Vitess, and now Postgres
    • Non-blocking schema change workflow
    • High-performance Metal instances on local NVMe

    Cons

    • No free tier
    • Database only, with no auth, storage or API layer
    • Sharding features are overkill for small apps
    Visit PlanetScale Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is PlanetScale a good Amazon RDS alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Starting price
    $5/month (single-node Postgres)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026planetscale.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Metal
    From $50/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026planetscale.com(opens source in a new tab)
    MySQL engine
    Vitess with horizontal sharding
    Checked Oct 25, 2026planetscale.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Supabase logo

    5. Supabase

    Best for: Developers who want Postgres plus auth, storage and realtime without running servers

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Amazon RDS

    Postgres plus auth, storage and APIs if you also need a backend layer.

    Pros

    • Real Postgres underneath, so SQL, extensions and standard tooling all work
    • Auth, storage, realtime and functions in one dashboard
    • Open source and self-hostable with Docker
    • Large community and many framework guides

    Cons

    • Free projects pause after a week of inactivity
    • Usage charges for compute and egress can be hard to predict
    • Self-hosting the full stack takes real operations work
    Visit Supabase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Supabase a good Amazon RDS alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0/month, 2 active projects
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    From $25/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free project pausing
    After 1 week of inactivity
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Amazon RDS alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Google Cloud SQL logo

Best Amazon RDS alternative for most people

Google Cloud SQL

Google Cloud's managed MySQL, Postgres and SQL Server.

Neon logo

Best Amazon RDS alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Neon

Serverless Postgres that is cheaper for small and bursty apps.

Supabase logo

Best Amazon RDS alternative for open source

Supabase

Postgres plus auth, storage and APIs if you also need a backend layer.

Supabase logo

Best Amazon RDS alternative for self-hosting

Supabase

Postgres plus auth, storage and APIs if you also need a backend layer.

Aiven logo

Best Amazon RDS alternative for working in the browser

Aiven

Managed Postgres and MySQL on AWS or other clouds with simpler setup.

Amazon RDS alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Amazon RDS?

Google Cloud SQL ranks first right now. Google Cloud's managed MySQL, Postgres and SQL Server. Neon and Aiven follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Amazon RDS?

Yes. Neon (free plan + paid), Aiven (free plan + paid) and Supabase (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Amazon RDS?

Yes: Supabase. Supabase can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Amazon RDS?

The complaints we hear most: configuring networking and security on AWS is complex; more expensive than smaller Postgres hosts for small apps; database only, with no backend layer.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Amazon RDS, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.