AppBreakup
Submit an app

Google Cloud SQL alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Google Cloud SQL: smallest instances still cost more than serverless Postgres, and cloud networking and IAM add setup work. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Google Cloud SQL, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Amazon RDS currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Amazon RDS logoAmazon RDSPaidNoWeb4 of 466.5
2Neon logoNeonFree plan + paidNoWeb4 of 462.6
3Aiven logoAivenFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 359.6
4Supabase logoSupabaseFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.2
  1. Amazon RDS logo

    1. Amazon RDSTop pick

    Best for: AWS-based teams that want standard SQL databases with managed backups and failover

    PaidWeb

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Cloud SQL

    The AWS equivalent, with more engine choices.

    Pros

    • Choice of six relational engines plus Aurora
    • Automated backups, replicas and Multi-AZ failover
    • Fits into AWS networking and IAM

    Cons

    • Configuring networking and security on AWS is complex
    • More expensive than smaller Postgres hosts for small apps
    • Database only, with no backend layer
    Visit Amazon RDS 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 Amazon RDS a good Google Cloud SQL alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Pricing
    Pay for what you use, no minimum fees
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Purchase options
    On-Demand or Reserved Instances
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free tier engines
    MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server Express
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Multi-AZ replication transfer
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aws.amazon.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 Google Cloud SQL

    Serverless Postgres with branching, cheaper at small scale.

    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 Google Cloud SQL 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 Google Cloud SQL

    Managed Postgres and MySQL on Google Cloud or elsewhere with one console.

    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 Google Cloud SQL 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. Supabase logo

    4. Supabase

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

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Cloud SQL

    Postgres plus backend features without managing cloud networking.

    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 ×0.369
    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 Supabase a good Google Cloud SQL 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 Google Cloud SQL alternative for…

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

Amazon RDS logo

Best Google Cloud SQL alternative for most people

Amazon RDS

The AWS equivalent, with more engine choices.

Neon logo

Best Google Cloud SQL alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Neon

Serverless Postgres with branching, cheaper at small scale.

Supabase logo

Best Google Cloud SQL alternative for open source

Supabase

Postgres plus backend features without managing cloud networking.

Supabase logo

Best Google Cloud SQL alternative for self-hosting

Supabase

Postgres plus backend features without managing cloud networking.

Aiven logo

Best Google Cloud SQL alternative for working in the browser

Aiven

Managed Postgres and MySQL on Google Cloud or elsewhere with one console.

Google Cloud SQL alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Google Cloud SQL?

Amazon RDS ranks first right now. The AWS equivalent, with more engine choices. Neon and Aiven follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Google Cloud SQL?

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 Google Cloud SQL?

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

Why do people switch from Google Cloud SQL?

The complaints we hear most: smallest instances still cost more than serverless Postgres; cloud networking and IAM add setup work; only runs on Google Cloud.

How is this list ranked?

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