PostgreSQL or CloudNativePG?

PostgreSQL if you want one instance (Railway, a VPS, a volume). CloudNativePG if you already run Kubernetes and want HA. Pick one operator on day one.

Is this Neon branching?

No. Neon branches are a hosted product. This page is Postgres you run. Copy is honest about that.

Supabase is a BaaS around Postgres (/replace/supabase, /compare/supabase-vs-pocketbase). This page is the database, not auth and storage APIs.

Stacks / Backend

Medium

CloudNativePG / PostgreSQL

Postgres you run. CloudNativePG is Apache-2.0 on Kubernetes; PostgreSQL is the engine — Neon without the serverless meter.

The problem

Neon is hosted serverless Postgres with scale-to-zero and branching. You wanted the database on hardware you control. PostgreSQL is the engine (PostgreSQL License; github.com/postgres/postgres is a mirror). CloudNativePG is Apache-2.0 (cloudnative-pg/cloudnative-pg) if the job is a HA cluster on Kubernetes. This is not Neon's branching UX, scale-to-zero CU-hours, or every region SKU. Hosted Neon prices stay on /compare/managed-postgres. A Firebase-shaped BaaS stays on /replace/supabase.

Replaces

Neon

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Estimated SaaS saved

$1,200

per year, small team, before lock-in

Start on Railway

PocketBase if this is an app database in one binary, not Postgres

Sponsor this stack Tip jar

Placeholder: PostgreSQL as a Railway database, or CloudNativePG on a cluster you already run. Bind the app to the private Postgres URL. No one-click CloudNativePG template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. Hosted SKUs stay on /compare/managed-postgres.

The stack

PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL License database engine (official GitHub mirror: postgres/postgres)
Catalog entry →
CloudNativePG
Apache-2.0 Kubernetes operator for HA PostgreSQL
Catalog entry →

Cost table

You stop paying	Typical / year	Self-host instead
Neon (small team)	$1,200	PostgreSQL or CloudNativePG

Agent setup prompt

Replace Neon with PostgreSQL (preferred for a single instance) or CloudNativePG (HA on Kubernetes).

- Postgres: official image, persist the data directory, take backups. CloudNativePG: follow the operator docs on a cluster you already run.
- Restore one dump. Do not claim Neon branching or scale-to-zero. Write AGENT_PROMPT.md.
- Hosted comparison stays on /compare/managed-postgres.

Also as markdown: /stacks/cloudnativepg-postgres.md

FAQ

PostgreSQL or CloudNativePG?: PostgreSQL if you want one instance (Railway, a VPS, a volume). CloudNativePG if you already run Kubernetes and want HA. Pick one operator on day one.
Is this Neon branching?: No. Neon branches are a hosted product. This page is Postgres you run. Copy is honest about that.
Why not Supabase?: Supabase is a BaaS around Postgres (/replace/supabase, /compare/supabase-vs-pocketbase). This page is the database, not auth and storage APIs.