Best Databases for Side Projects in 2026
2026-03-20 · 5 min read
Choosing a database for a side project is different from choosing one for your day job. You want: a generous free tier, minimal ops overhead, and the ability to go from zero to production in minutes — not hours.
Supabase: If you want more than a database
Supabase gives you Postgres + auth + real-time subscriptions + storage + edge functions. It's the closest thing to "just add a backend" for any project. The free tier includes 2 projects with 500MB of database storage and 1GB of file storage.
Use Supabase when your side project needs user auth and you don't want to build it yourself.
Neon: If you just want Postgres
Neon is serverless Postgres with branching. The free tier gives you 0.5GB of storage with autoscaling to zero — meaning you pay nothing when your project isn't being used. The branching feature is great for testing schema changes.
Use Neon when you want standard Postgres without the overhead of managing a server.
PocketBase: If you want zero dependencies
PocketBase is a single Go binary that gives you a database, auth, file storage, and real-time subscriptions. No cloud account needed — just download and run. It's perfect for projects where you want full control and zero monthly costs.
Use PocketBase when you want to self-host everything on a $5 VPS or even your own machine.
For the full comparison, see our database category page with all 14 options compared.
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