Alternatives
10 best PostgreSQL alternatives
Tools that cover the same task as PostgreSQL (database), ranked by how completely their pricing, free tier and API access are documented. Checked Oct 4, 2026.
- PostgreSQL starts at
- Not listed
- Free plan
- Free plan
- API
- API available
- 01
Pritunl
Pritunl is an open-source enterprise VPN platform for OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IPsec with a web management UI, multi-host clustering over MongoDB, and optional premium features such as SSO and site-to-site links. It targets self-hosted remote access and VPC peering across clouds.
Best for: Infrastructure teams needing self-hosted VPN with horizontal scaling and enterprise authentication options.
- 02
Novu
Novu is open-source notification infrastructure for connecting AI agents and products to customers across in-app, email, SMS, push, WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, and Telegram channels. Cloud plans meter workflow runs while enterprise options add compliance, residency, and self-hosted deployment.
Best for: Product and platform teams that need multi-channel notification workflows with inbox components and usage-based scaling.
- 03
Aiven
Aiven is a managed open-source data platform spanning PostgreSQL, Kafka, OpenSearch, ClickHouse, Grafana, and related services. It targets teams that want cloud-hosted databases and streaming infrastructure with transparent plan-based pricing across major hyperscalers.
Best for: Platform engineers who need managed OSS data services without operating their own Kubernetes database operators.
- 04
Baserow
Baserow is an open-source no-code database and application builder for grids, forms, automations, dashboards, and self-hosted deployments. Cloud pricing offers a free workspace tier and paid Premium seats with higher row limits, storage, and automation credits, or you can self-host the open-source edition.
Best for: Operations teams, product managers, and developers who want Airtable-like databases with optional self-hosting and API access.
- 05
Medplum
Medplum is an open-source healthcare developer platform for building and running modern clinical apps on FHIR-native infrastructure. It offers hosted cloud tiers and self-hosted options with bots, integrations, authentication, and compliance features aimed at digital health teams shipping production patient-facing software.
Best for: Healthcare engineering teams building FHIR-based apps who need an open-core platform with hosted or self-managed deployment paths.
- 06
Chroma
Chroma provides open-source and cloud search infrastructure for AI with vector, full-text, regex, and metadata search backed by object storage. Chroma Cloud adds serverless scaling, SOC 2 controls, and usage-based billing for production workloads.
Best for: Developers building RAG or agent apps who want Apache 2.0 local development with optional managed cloud scaling.
- 07
Knime
KNIME provides a free open-source Analytics Platform for visual data science workflows spanning ETL, analytics, machine learning, and generative AI. Paid Hub plans add collaboration, automation, secrets management, and enterprise governance on top of the desktop builder.
Best for: Data teams and analysts who want drag-and-drop pipelines with optional paid automation and team governance in KNIME Hub.
- 08
Ory
Ory provides identity, authentication, authorization, and OAuth2/OIDC services through Ory Network and related open-source projects such as Kratos, Hydra, and Keto. The commercial site targets CIAM, B2B IAM, fine-grained permissions, passkeys, and enterprise SSO for applications that need scalable, API-first identity infrastructure.
Best for: Product and platform teams replacing Auth0-style stacks or self-hosting Ory components who need hosted Ory Network production environments.
- 09
ToolJet
ToolJet is an open-source, AI-native low-code platform for internal tools and business apps on ToolJet Cloud or self-hosted Docker/Kubernetes. Builders use a visual editor, AI canvas credits, or coding-agent plugins to connect databases and SaaS APIs, with cloud plans priced per builder seat and a free tier plus AGPL Community Edition for self-hosters.
Best for: Engineering and ops teams building internal dashboards, admin panels, and AI-assisted workflows with governance requirements.
- 10
AppVeyor
AppVeyor is a hosted CI/CD service for Windows, Linux, and macOS that connects to source control and runs builds on cloud VMs with admin access. It supports multi-stage deployments, self-hosted build agents, and parallel jobs for teams shipping cross-platform software.
Best for: Developers and release teams that need Windows-friendly CI/CD alongside Linux and macOS build agents.
PostgreSQL alternatives: common questions
What is the best free alternative to PostgreSQL?
Pritunl has an ongoing free plan. Community plan is free for a single host with unlimited users, devices, and VPN servers on that host. Free plans change, so check the vendor before relying on one.
What is the cheapest PostgreSQL alternative?
Aiven has the lowest listed starting price at $5/mo.
Which PostgreSQL alternatives have an API?
Pritunl, Novu, Aiven, Baserow, Medplum mention API or developer access.