Backend services give you a database, authentication, storage or functions without running a server. Free tiers are sized for side projects. The usual catches are storage caps of a few hundred megabytes and projects that pause after a week or two of inactivity.
15 options · limits checked 1 Nov 2026 · ranked by free-tier score
15 databases
Serverless SQLite
SQLite databases that run alongside Cloudflare Workers on the free Workers plan.
The catch: Only 100,000 row writes per day, which resets daily.
BaaS + hosting
Google's app backend: static hosting, auth and Firestore on the free Spark plan.
The catch: Cloud Functions, App Hosting and (for new projects) Cloud Storage need the pay-as-you-go Blaze plan.
Edge SQLite
Hosted SQLite (libSQL) with many small databases and edge replicas.
The catch: Only one day of point-in-time restore on the free plan.
Serverless Redis
Serverless Redis you call over HTTP, priced per request.
The catch: 500K commands a month runs out fast if you poll or cache every request.
Managed MongoDB
Hosted MongoDB with a free shared cluster that has no end date.
The catch: 512 MB fills quickly, and there is a 100 ops/sec cap.
Serverless Postgres
Serverless Postgres with branching that scales to zero when unused.
The catch: Only 1 GB of storage per project.
Postgres BaaS
Open-source backend built on Postgres, with auth, storage and edge functions.
The catch: Free projects pause after a week without activity.
Open-source BaaS
Open-source backend with auth, databases, storage, functions and site hosting.
The catch: When you hit a limit the project freezes until the next cycle or an upgrade; you cannot buy extra on Free.
Parse BaaS
Hosted Parse Server backend with a database, APIs and cloud code.
The catch: 25K requests per month is very low for a live app.
Reactive backend
TypeScript backend where database queries and server functions live together and update clients live.
The catch: Hard caps on the free plan: writes can fail once you hit them.
Managed Postgres
Hosted Postgres from the makers of the Prisma ORM, billed by operations.
The catch: 200,000 operations a month is small for an app with real traffic.
Managed Redis
Official hosted Redis from Redis Ltd., with a tiny free database.
The catch: 30 MB is only enough for small caches or learning.
Serverless MySQL
Serverless MySQL-compatible database from PingCAP with a free monthly allowance.
The catch: Request units are hard to predict; heavy queries burn through them fast.
Managed databases
Free single-node managed PostgreSQL, MySQL and Valkey from a multi-cloud database company.
The catch: You cannot choose the cloud or region, and idle services can be powered off.
Postgres + GraphQL
Open-source backend with Postgres, a Hasura GraphQL API, auth, storage and functions.
The catch: Only one project can be active at a time, and it pauses after a week idle.
Still in old tutorials. Do not plan around them.
The free Basic plan was dropped around September 2026 when pricing moved to Standard and Mission Critical; new orgs now get a 30-day, $400 trial instead.
Hosted Postgres service (with free 'Tiny Turtle' plan) stopped sales on 1 May 2024 and shut down on 27 January 2025.
PocketBase host ended free accounts for new users on 10 January 2025; now a 7-day trial then $9.99/month per instance (existing users grandfathered).
Free Hobby MySQL plan was announced for removal in March 2024 and ended on 8 April 2024; PlanetScale has no free plan now.
Xata's hosted cloud no longer lists a free plan; only the self-hosted open-source edition is free. Exact end date not confirmed.
MongoDB Atlas M0, Neon, Turso and Cloudflare D1 have free plans with no end date. Supabase is free too, but pauses projects after a period of inactivity. Check the provider pages for current storage caps.
Check a name, set up DNS and test the site once it is live. All free, in the browser.
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