--- title: Neon + Drizzle slug: neon-drizzle url: "https://toolweight.com/tools/neon-drizzle" homepage: "https://neon.com" categories: convex-alternatives last_verified: 2026-11-06 dataset_version: 0738be72 license: CC-BY-4.0 --- # Neon + Drizzle > The DIY baseline: serverless Postgres, a typed SQL query builder, nothing else. - The reference point rather than a competitor - Serverless Postgres with branching and scale-to-zero, plus a TypeScript query builder that generates readable SQL - No reactivity, auth, storage or scheduler: you assemble those - In exchange every query is SQL, every migration is a file, and moving to any other Postgres is a connection string change ## Identity | | | | --- | --- | | Name | Neon + Drizzle | | Company | Neon (Databricks) / Drizzle Team | | One-liner | The DIY baseline: serverless Postgres, a typed SQL query builder, nothing else. | | Site | https://neon.com | | Docs | https://orm.drizzle.team/docs/overview | | Repo | https://github.com/drizzle-team/drizzle-orm | | Founded | 2021 | | Funding | Acquired by Databricks, 2025 | | Open source | Yes | | Licence | Apache-2.0 | | Compared in | 1 | ## Where it is compared ### [Convex alternatives](https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives) Ranked **#7 of 11** on default weights. | Field | Value | Confidence | Verified | Source | Note | Permalink | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reactivity | manual | Inferred | - | - | Nothing is pushed. LISTEN/NOTIFY exists, but you build the delivery. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--reactivity_model | | TS inference | ● | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://orm.drizzle.team/docs/overview | Schema is TypeScript and query results are inferred, with no codegen step. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--ts_inference | | Transactions | mvcc | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://neon.com/docs | Postgres, with every isolation level available. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--transaction_semantics | | Local-first sync | ○ | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--local_first_sync | | Optimistic writes | ○ | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--optimistic_updates | | Cron & scheduling | ○ | Inferred | - | - | pg_cron on the database, but no application scheduler, you bring a worker. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--scheduled_functions | | File storage | ○ | Inferred | - | - | Pair it with object storage yourself. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--file_storage | | Vector search | ● | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://neon.com/docs/extensions/pgvector | pgvector. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--vector_search | | Full-text search | ● | Inferred | - | - | Postgres tsvector. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--full_text_search | | Auth | bring-your-own | Inferred | - | - | Neon has shipped auth adjacencies, but the baseline here assumes you supply it. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--auth_included | | Hard limits | Postgres limits. The operational ceiling is your compute size and connection count, both dials you control. | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--hard_limits | | Cold start | 500ms | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://neon.com/docs/introduction/auto-suspend | Compute resume after auto-suspend; sub-second in practice. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--cold_start | | Function timeout | - | Unknown | - | - | No function runtime, you run your own server. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--function_timeout | | Exit cost | 1 | Inferred | - | - | The reference point. Standard Postgres over the wire and SQL you wrote yourself: leaving is a connection string and a pg_dump. Every other row on this page is scored against this one. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--exit_cost | | Self-hostable | ◐ | Inferred | - | - | Neon's storage engine is Apache-2.0 but running it is a project. In practice you self-host by running ordinary Postgres, which is rather the point. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--self_hostable | | Bulk export | ● | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--bulk_export | | Raw SQL | ● | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--raw_sql | | Schema changes | sql-migrations | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://orm.drizzle.team/docs/kit-overview | drizzle-kit generates reviewable SQL files. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--schema_migrations | | MCP server | ● | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://neon.com/docs/ai/neon-mcp-server | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--mcp_server | | Agent fit | 4 | Inferred | - | - | Typed schema in-repo, real migration files, and a database branch per agent run. What it lacks is plumbing, the agent writes the API layer itself. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--agent_fit | | Pricing model | flat + compute-hours + storage | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://neon.com/pricing | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--pricing_model | | Entry price | $0/mo | Vendor-claimed | 2026-11-06 | https://neon.com/pricing | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--entry_price | | Egress metered | ◐ | Inferred | - | - | Generous allowances rather than a per-GB line at small scale; verify at volume. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--egress_billing | | GitHub stars | 18,000 | Inferred | - | - | neondatabase/neon, approximate as of mid-2026. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--github_stars | | Backing | big-tech | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://neon.com/blog/neon-and-databricks | Acquired by Databricks in 2025. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--backing | | Positioning | Serverless Postgres with branching, paired with a typed SQL query builder. | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://neon.com | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#neon-drizzle--positioning | **Verdict.** Not a competitor, the yardstick: you build everything yourself, but nothing you build is owned by anyone else. ## Alternatives - [Appwrite](https://toolweight.com/tools/appwrite), Open-source backend platform: databases, auth, storage, functions, self-hostable. - [Convex](https://toolweight.com/tools/convex), Reactive TypeScript backend: database, functions and live queries in one project. - [ElectricSQL](https://toolweight.com/tools/electricsql), Postgres read-path sync: stream subsets of your own database to clients over HTTP. - [Firebase](https://toolweight.com/tools/firebase), Google's app platform: Firestore documents, auth, functions, deep mobile SDKs. - [InstantDB](https://toolweight.com/tools/instantdb), Client-side reactive database with a relational graph model and instant sync. - [Nhost](https://toolweight.com/tools/nhost), Postgres plus Hasura GraphQL, auth, storage and serverless functions. - [PocketBase](https://toolweight.com/tools/pocketbase), One Go binary: SQLite database, auth, file storage, realtime and an admin UI. - [Zero](https://toolweight.com/tools/rocicorp-zero), Sync engine that puts a queryable client cache in front of your own Postgres. - [Supabase](https://toolweight.com/tools/supabase), Managed Postgres with auth, storage, realtime and edge functions around it. - [Triplit](https://toolweight.com/tools/triplit), Full-stack database that syncs: local cache, server, relational queries, offline. ## Logo & brand colours SVG files: https://toolweight.com/teams/neon/logo.svg and https://toolweight.com/teams/neon/mono.svg. JSON: https://toolweight.com/api/v1/brands/neon. | Hex | oklch | | --- | --- | | #37c38f | oklch(73.1% 0.141 163.5) | ## Licence and attribution Data from Toolweight (https://toolweight.com), licensed CC-BY-4.0. - Licence: [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) - Canonical HTML: https://toolweight.com/tools/neon-drizzle - Machine-readable: https://toolweight.com/tools/neon-drizzle.md · https://toolweight.com/api/v1 · https://toolweight.com/mcp - Toolweight takes no affiliate revenue and sells no placements.