Database Data v2.3.0 Updated 2025-12-30

Neon

Serverless Postgres with branching

15.2k 586k/week No known vulns 12kb gzip
84 /100
Strong pick Good confidence (85%)

Quick Verdict

Best For

  • Serverless and edge applications
  • Teams wanting Git-like database workflows
  • Preview environments for PRs
  • Cost-conscious startups

Consider Alternatives If

  • HIPAA-required healthcare apps
  • Workloads needing predictable latency
  • Teams wanting always-on databases

Top Alternatives

Supabase 83PostgreSQL 89

Score Breakdown

6 dimensions evaluated with transparent methodology

Performance
88 −12

Excellent serverless performance with cold start optimization

  • Sub-second cold starts
  • Autoscaling to zero
  • Read replicas for scaling
Why not 100%:
  • −4 Cold starts still noticeable
  • −4 Compute scales to zero can add latency
  • −4 Less predictable than always-on
Developer Experience
92 −8

Revolutionary branching and modern tooling

  • Database branching like Git
  • Instant branch creation
  • Preview environments per PR
Why not 100%:
  • −4 Branch limits on free tier
  • −4 Learning curve for branching workflows
Ecosystem
85 −15

Full PostgreSQL compatibility with modern integrations

  • 100% PostgreSQL compatible
  • Works with every ORM
  • Vercel/Netlify native integrations
Why not 100%:
  • −5 Newer than established providers
  • −5 Some extensions not supported
  • −5 Smaller community than Supabase
Maintainability
85 −15

Managed PostgreSQL with zero operational burden

  • Automatic backups
  • Point-in-time recovery
  • Zero maintenance required
Why not 100%:
  • −5 Major PG version upgrades manual
  • −5 Some advanced configs not exposed
  • −5 Branch management adds complexity
Cost Efficiency
90 −10

Generous free tier with true pay-per-use

  • Free tier with 0.5GB storage
  • Pay only for active compute
  • Scale to zero capability
Why not 100%:
  • −3 Costs can be unpredictable at scale
  • −3 Compute time billing requires monitoring
  • −3 Storage costs add up
Compliance
78 −22

SOC 2 compliant with standard PostgreSQL security

  • SOC 2 Type II certified
  • Data encrypted at rest and in transit
  • VPC and IP allow-listing
Why not 100%:
  • −7 No HIPAA BAA currently
  • −7 Limited compliance certifications
  • −7 Newer provider, less audited

Compare Alternatives

How Neon stacks up against similar technologies

TechnologyOverallPerfDXEcosystem
Current Neon84889285
Supabase More features, always-on83———Compare →
PostgreSQL Self-managed, full control89———Compare →
Full comparison with Supabase

Sources & Methodology

How we calculate these scores — transparent and reproducible

Deterministic Scoring

Same inputs always produce the same outputs. We use versioned lookup tables, not LLM opinions. Every score is explainable and reproducible.

Learn how it works →
primary

GitHub

Repository activity, stars, contributors, issue resolution time

primary

NPM Registry

Weekly downloads, package dependencies, version history

secondary

OSV Database

Known vulnerabilities, security advisories, CVE tracking

contextual

Community Signals

Stack Overflow activity, Discord engagement, developer surveys

Data version: 2.3.0 Last updated: 2025-12-30 Confidence: 85%

Frequently Asked

Why doesn't Neon score 100%?

No technology is perfect for every use case. Our scoring reflects real-world trade-offs. Neon's main gaps are in compliance, where no hipaa baa currently.

What does confidence percentage mean?

Confidence (85%) indicates how much data we have to support the score. Higher confidence means more data points from multiple sources (GitHub activity, NPM downloads, security audits, community surveys).

How often are scores updated?

Scores are recalculated weekly using automated data pipelines. Major version updates trigger immediate recalculation. Last update: 2025-12-30.