How to choose a relational database without a future migration
Choose by operating model: cloud-flagship managed Postgres for ecosystem alignment, dev-first serverless Postgres for workflow, or distributed SQL when resilience and scale demand it.
Top Rated Relational Databases
Amazon Aurora (Postgres)
AWS flagship Postgres-compatible managed relational database, typically evaluated when teams want a managed Postgres core aligned to AWS inf...
Google AlloyDB for PostgreSQL
GCP flagship Postgres-compatible managed relational database, typically evaluated by teams building on Google Cloud who want a managed Postg...
Azure Database for PostgreSQL
Azure’s default managed Postgres offering, commonly chosen by Azure-first organizations that want a managed relational core aligned to Micro...
Neon
Serverless Postgres optimized for modern developer workflows like branching and ephemeral environments, evaluated when dev workflow is the b...
Supabase Database
Managed Postgres as part of Supabase’s developer platform, evaluated when teams want a relational core plus integrated tooling and speed-to-...
CockroachDB Cloud
Managed distributed SQL database with Postgres-compatible interfaces, evaluated when teams need resilience and scaling patterns beyond a sin...
PlanetScale
Serverless MySQL platform (Vitess-based) evaluated when teams want MySQL compatibility plus modern workflows and horizontal scaling patterns...
Pricing and availability may change. Verify details on the official website.
How to Choose the Right Relational Databases Platform
Operational model and ownership
Managed databases reduce some ownership but still require schema/migration governance and performance discipline. Serverless/dev-first databases optimize workflow but can impose constraints. Distributed SQL increases complexity to unlock resilience and scale patterns.
Questions to ask:
- Is your bottleneck developer workflow or production governance and reliability?
- Do you need single-region Postgres, or distributed SQL resilience patterns?
- Who owns migrations, performance, and database governance long-term?
Ecosystem alignment vs portability
Cloud flagships integrate deeply into their ecosystem, reducing friction but increasing switching cost. Independents can improve portability and workflow, but may shift responsibilities back to your team.
Questions to ask:
- Are you standardizing on AWS/GCP/Azure for identity and networking?
- How much lock-in is acceptable for faster time-to-ship?
- What is your realistic exit/migration plan if needs change?
How We Rank Relational Databases
Source-Led Facts
We prioritize official pricing pages and vendor documentation over third-party review noise.
Intent Over Pricing
A $0 plan is only a "deal" if it actually solves your problem. We rank based on use-case fitness.
Durable Ranges
Vendor prices change daily. We highlight stable pricing bands to help you plan your long-term budget.