No fixed fee for every branch
Xata uses copy-on-write storage and does not charge a fixed monthly fee simply because an additional branch exists. Pay for active compute and changed data.
See how 1,000 branches cost $1vs
A Neon alternative for branching at scale
Create isolated Postgres branches for every pull request, preview deployment, and coding agent, without a fixed monthly fee for every inactive branch.
Run production on Xata, or adopt Xata for branching while keeping production where it is.
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https://xata.io/compare/neon.mdWhy choose Xata over Neon
With Xata’s copy-on-write branching economics and flexible deployment options, you can deploy thousands of Postgres branches for pull requests, previews, and coding agents at a fraction of the cost.
Compute that scales to zero
Idle branches suspend automatically and wake on the next connection. Branch creation and wake-up times stay comparable to Neon, without turning every inactive branch into a bill.
Learn about scale-to-zeroCloud, BYOC, or self-hosted
Run Xata Cloud or deploy Xata in your own AWS, Azure, GCP, or Hetzner environment. Choose the infrastructure and operating model that fits your requirements.
Deploy Xata in your cloudVanilla PostgreSQL
Xata runs vanilla upstream Postgres, without modifications. This means all extensions work as intended and the performance is predictable.
Explore Xata’s architectureHow Xata compares with Neon
| Feature | NEON | |
|---|---|---|
| Branch without moving production | Yes, from an existing production | Production must be in Neon |
| Additional branch fee | No fixed per-branch fee | $1.50 per extra branch-month |
| Copy-on-write branching | ||
| Scale-to-zero | ||
| PostgreSQL engine | Vanilla PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL with custom storage |
| Data anonymization | Built into the workflow | Separate workflow required |
| Managed free plan | Free trial available | Free tier with usage limits |
| Managed cloud | AWS, GCP | AWS |
| BYOC | ||
| Self-hosting | Available | Managed service |
| Vendor lock-in | Independent company that never locks you into our ecosystem | Acquired by Databricks in 2025 |
| Open source | No new OSS repo commits after the acquisition | |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 |
| MCP server | Planned | |
| Vercel integration | Planned |
Calculate Your Savings
Estimate how Xata's branch-scale economics compare with Neon for your workload.
Configure your workload
1,250 branches · 10 minutes · 75% active
Xata reduces this estimate
$1,373.73 per month, or $16,484.73 per year.
62%
estimated difference
Xata
62% less$848.15
Estimated monthly cost
Source database storage$280.00
Branch compute$7.50
medium · ≤2 vCPU / 4 GB · 10 minutes × 75% active
Source database compute$560.64
4xlarge · 16 vCPU / 64 GB
Branch delta storage$0.01
Prorated for 10 minutes average lifespan
NEONNeon
$2,221.88
Published list pricing
Source database storage$350.00
Branch compute$34.38
1 CU · 1 vCPU / 4 GB · 10 minutes × 75% active
Branch overage$1,837.50
Applied to branches above the 25 included in the Scale plan.
Estimated monthly cost
USD per month at published list rates
Pricing assumptions and sources
Published rates
- Xata storage: $0.28 per GB per month.
- Xata source compute: $0.768 per hour for a 4xlarge instance.
- Xata branch compute: $0.048 per hour per CU-equivalent (medium at 1 CU; scales with CU).
- Neon compute: $0.22 per CU-hour; storage: $0.35 per GB per month.
- Neon branch overage: $1.50 per branch per month above 25 branches.
Calculation model
- Branches equal builders multiplied by agents per builder.
- With scale-to-zero, branch compute uses average lifespan × percent active. Without it, branches are billed for a full 730-hour month.
- Compute units scale both sides: Neon bills CU-hours; Xata branch compute uses $0.048/hr × CU (medium at 1 CU).
- Xata branch storage is prorated by average branch lifespan.
- Neon storage models copy-on-write branches as bundled and bills the source database size.
Defaults match the public pricing calculator: 10-minute branch lifespan, scale-to-zero on, 75% active, 1 CU. Estimates use published list rates and exclude taxes.
Adopt Xata for branching. Move production later.
You do not need to migrate your production database to start using Xata.
Keep production where it is
Create a production clone in Xata and branch it into isolated environments with production-like data.
Validate Xata with your workload
Test compatibility, branch creation, performance, and cost using your own data and development workflows.
Move production later
Move production once your team is confident Xata meets your requirements.
Evaluate Xata with your Neon workload
See how Xata fits your stack, your scale, and your security requirements.
Evaluate Xata