- Postgres hosting providers at a glance
- Eleven managed PostgreSQL providers
- Where to start for your project
- Check how long your Postgres version is supported
- Big cloud providers versus Postgres specialists
- Questions to ask a Postgres host
- Signs it's time for managed Postgres
- My plain advice on choosing Postgres hosting
- Frequently asked questions
The best Postgres hosting gives you a managed PostgreSQL database, with backups, upgrades and scaling handled for you, so your team can build the app instead of looking after servers. Some are the big cloud providers, while others are Postgres specialists, serverless platforms or open source clouds. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
PostgreSQL is free and open source, so the database itself isn't the hard part. The work's in running it day to day. Somebody has to handle backups, security patches, failover, monitoring and major version upgrades, and those jobs tend to land on whoever's least busy, usually at the worst possible time.
The eleven Postgres hosts below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the provider's own website, read this week. If you're still deciding which database to use at all, my guide to choosing a good database for your business is a good starting point.
Postgres hosting providers at a glance
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free version, a free allowance or an open source version. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start for free, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aiven | Managed PostgreSQL as a service | Postgres alongside other open source data services | Yes |
| Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL | Hosted PostgreSQL on AWS | Teams already building on AWS | Yes |
| Azure Database for PostgreSQL | Managed PostgreSQL on Microsoft Azure | Microsoft-centred organisations | Not stated |
| Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL | Managed PostgreSQL on Google Cloud | Apps running on Google Cloud | Not stated |
| Crunchy Bridge | Managed Postgres from Postgres specialists | Teams who want Postgres experts behind them | Not stated |
| DigitalOcean | Managed PostgreSQL hosting | Small teams that want simple cloud hosting | Not stated |
| Neon | Serverless Postgres for apps and agents | Spinning up many small databases | Yes |
| PlanetScale | Managed Postgres from a database scaling firm | Fast-growing apps planning to scale | Not stated |
| Render | Cloud platform with managed Postgres | Hosting the app and its database together | Not stated |
| Supabase | Postgres database with backend tools | A Postgres backend with auth built in | Not stated |
| Ubicloud | Open source cloud with managed Postgres | An open source alternative to the big clouds | Yes |
Eleven managed PostgreSQL providers
Aiven
Best for: Teams who want managed PostgreSQL with a free tier, plus other open source data services they can connect to it later.
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
Best for: Companies already on AWS that want hosted PostgreSQL inside the same account as the rest of their infrastructure.
Azure Database for PostgreSQL
Best for: Organisations standardised on Microsoft Azure that want a managed PostgreSQL service next to their other Azure resources.
Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL
Best for: Teams building on Google Cloud that want a managed PostgreSQL database run by Google, close to their other services.
Crunchy Bridge
Best for: Anyone who wants fully managed Postgres from a PostgreSQL specialist, with what it describes as a batteries-included service.
DigitalOcean
Best for: Small development teams and startups that want straightforward managed PostgreSQL hosting from a developer-friendly cloud.
Neon
Best for: Developers and AI app builders who want serverless Postgres with a free tier and lots of small projects to experiment with.
PlanetScale
Best for: Fast-growing products that want managed Postgres from a company known for database scaling work.
Render
Best for: Developers who want their web app and its Postgres database deployed on the same platform with minimal setup.
Supabase
Best for: App builders who want a Postgres database bundled with authentication and starter templates for building products quickly.
Ubicloud
Best for: Engineers who'd like managed PostgreSQL on an open source, portable cloud platform rather than one of the big three.
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Where to start for your project
- Already building on AWS: Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL.
- Microsoft or Google cloud shops: Azure Database for PostgreSQL or Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL.
- Serverless apps and lots of small projects: Neon.
- A Postgres backend with auth built in: Supabase.
- Hosting the app and database together: Render or DigitalOcean.
- Postgres specialists behind you: Crunchy Bridge or Aiven.
- Fast-growing products planning to scale: PlanetScale.
- An open source alternative to the big clouds: Ubicloud.
Check how long your Postgres version is supported
The PostgreSQL Global Development Group, which develops PostgreSQL, says it supports a major version for 5 years after its initial release. After that, a final minor version is released and the version stops receiving fixes.
So ask every host how upgrades work. Some move you automatically, others give you tools and a deadline, and a few leave it to you. An unsupported version is a security risk, and a rushed upgrade is a stressful week.
Big cloud providers versus Postgres specialists
The big clouds make sense when the rest of your infrastructure already lives there. Your database sits next to your servers, and permissions stay in one account you're already used to managing.
Specialists and developer platforms often feel simpler, and they're usually quicker to set up. They focus on Postgres or on getting an app online quickly, with features such as branching, built-in auth or one-click deploys that the big providers may not offer.
Questions to ask a Postgres host
- How are backups taken, and how do I restore one?
- How do major version upgrades work?
- Which Postgres extensions are available?
- Where is my data stored geographically?
- How does it handle failover if a server goes down?
- Can I move my data out easily if I leave?
Signs it's time for managed Postgres
- Backups are a manual job. Automate them.
- Nobody owns upgrades. Let the host handle them.
- Downtime keeps surprising you. Add failover.
- Developers are patching servers. Hand that work over.
Do you make a database or Postgres hosting service? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing Postgres hosting
Put your database where your app runs, unless there's a strong reason not to. Latency between the two adds up quickly, and keeping everything in one place makes security and access easier to manage.
Before you commit, practise a restore from backup. It's the one test nobody runs until they need it. And keep your queries safe whichever host you choose, because my explainer on SQL injection shows how attacks get in through the app rather than the database.
Frequently asked questions
What is Postgres hosting?
Postgres hosting is a managed service that runs a PostgreSQL database for you, handling servers, backups, updates and scaling.
Is PostgreSQL free?
PostgreSQL itself is free and open source. Hosting providers charge for running it, and some offer free tiers.
What is serverless Postgres?
Serverless Postgres scales compute up and down automatically, so small or idle databases use very little.
How long is a PostgreSQL version supported?
The PostgreSQL project supports each major version for 5 years after its first release.
Should my database be with the same provider as my app?
Usually, yes. Keeping them close reduces latency and makes access control simpler.
Can I move my Postgres database to another host?
Yes. PostgreSQL is portable, and tools such as dump and restore let you move data between providers.


