Xata vs. Neon
Xata and Neon have similar capabilities, but the implementations are different. Xata uses vanilla PostgreSQL, offers BYOC, and doesn't charge for inactive branches.
This results in much better economics at agent scale.
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https://xata.io/compare/neon.mdA cost-effective & flexible Neon alternative
With Xata's copy-on-write (CoW) branching economics and BYOC portability, you can easily start deploying thousands of branches for your agents at a fraction of the cost.
Copy-on-Write Branches
Xata is built for branch sprawl: copy-on-write storage and no per-branch fees. Branch count stops being the billing event.
Learn moreScale-to-Zero Compute
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 moreBring Your Own Cloud (BYOC)
Avoid onboarding headaches by using Xata where your databases are already deployed, whether it's AWS, Azure, GCP, or Hetzner. No migration necessary.
Learn morePure Postgres
Xata runs vanilla upstream Postgres, without modifications. This means all extensions work as intended and the performance is predictable.
Learn moreFeature comparison
| Feature | NEON | |
|---|---|---|
| Sync data from any existing production Postgres | ||
| Unlimited branches with no extra monthly fee | ||
| Compatibility | Vanilla, unmodified Postgres | Custom storage architecture |
| Multi-cloud | AWS, GCP, Azure, Hetzner | AWS |
| BYOC | ||
| Copy-on-write branching (CoW) | ||
| Scale-to-zero | ||
| Compliant staging data | Anonymize during replication; branches inherit clean, realistic data | Anonymized branches use PostgreSQL Anonymizer (Beta) |
| 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
$848.15
Estimated monthly cost
medium · ≤2 vCPU / 4 GB · 10 minutes × 75% active
4xlarge · 16 vCPU / 64 GB
Prorated for 10 minutes average lifespan
$2,221.88
Published list pricing
1 CU · 1 vCPU / 4 GB · 10 minutes × 75% active
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.
When to use Neon
We're not saying Neon doesn't have its place. In these situations, Neon may fit your workflow better.
Free Tier Forever
If you are working on a personal project where the database will likely remain 500 MB or less, it's hard to compete with Neon's free forever tier. If you expect that database to grow later, consider Xata as the more economical solution as you scale.
Databricks ecosystem
If you already use products in the Databricks ecosystem, it may suit your team to choose a Databricks-backed platform like Neon.
Integrations
Today, Neon offers more native integrations than Xata. We're working hard to release native integrations for Xata, and if there is a specific integration you need we will prioritize it. Just email us at support@xata.io.
Switch from Neon today
See how Xata fits your stack, your scale, and your security requirements.
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