A database platform is the system that stores, indexes and serves your application data. The category now spans classic engines you run yourself (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB), document stores like MongoDB, in-memory stores like Redis, and managed or serverless services that wrap an engine with hosting, branching, backups and APIs (Supabase, Neon, PlanetScale).
This page is for developers and technical founders choosing where their data will live. We cover both self-hosted engines and hosted platforms, and note which are genuinely open source and which are not, because licence terms matter when you plan to self-host or build a product on top.
Tools, licences and pricing checked against vendor and repository pages on November 7, 2026.
What to look for
•Data model fit: relational, document, key-value or vector workloads
•Hosting model: self-managed, managed cloud or serverless with scale to zero
•Licence and lock-in: OSI-approved open source versus source-available or proprietary
Free (AGPL-3.0 option, self-hosted); managed cloud, See vendor pricing
AGPL-3.0
1. PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
Best for: General-purpose relational workloads and extensibility · Free, open source
PostgreSQL is an object-relational database system that implements much of the SQL standard, with transactions, foreign keys and triggers. It is released under the PostgreSQL License, a permissive licence similar to BSD or MIT.
Strengths
+ Permissive licence with no vendor control
+ Large extension ecosystem and wide managed-hosting support
Trade-offs
− You operate it yourself unless you pick a hosted service
Best for: MySQL-compatible workloads under a community-governed project · Free, open source
MariaDB is a community-driven relational database that began as a fork of MySQL by former MySQL core developers. It keeps high MySQL compatibility and adds native vector search, multiple storage engines and Galera clustering.
Strengths
+ High MySQL compatibility
+ Galera synchronous clustering and multiple storage engines
Best for: Document-model applications that want a managed service · Free M0 tier; Flex capped at $30/month; dedicated from about $0.08/hour (M10)
MongoDB Atlas is the managed cloud service for MongoDB's document database. It offers a free-forever M0 cluster and paid shared and dedicated clusters. The MongoDB server itself is source-available under SSPL, not OSI open source.
Strengths
+ Free tier to start
+ Mature managed service with flexible document model
Best for: Full backend on Postgres for app developers · Free plan; Pro from $25/month
Supabase is a platform built on PostgreSQL that provides hosted databases, authentication, auto-generated APIs, file storage and functions. The platform is open source and can also be self-hosted.
Strengths
+ Postgres plus auth, storage and APIs in one place
Best for: Serverless Postgres with branching for dev and preview environments · Free plan; paid usage-based (Launch from $0.106 per CU-hour, $0.35/GB-month storage)
Neon is an open-source serverless Postgres platform that separates storage from compute. It offers autoscaling, database branching and scale to zero, and bills compute and storage by usage.
Best for: Production workloads that need managed MySQL or Postgres at scale · From $5/month (Postgres single node); Metal from $50/month
PlanetScale is a managed database service with resource-based pricing, offering Postgres and Vitess-based MySQL options. Its pricing page lists Postgres single node from $5/month and Metal from $50/month.
Strengths
+ Managed operations with NVMe-backed Metal option
Best for: Caching, sessions, queues and real-time data · Free (AGPL-3.0 option, self-hosted); managed cloud, See vendor pricing
Redis is an in-memory data platform used as a cache, data structure server, and document and vector query engine. Version 8.0 and later is offered under a choice of RSALv2, SSPLv1 or AGPLv3.
Strengths
+ Very fast in-memory performance
+ Rich data structures and vector search
Trade-offs
− Licence history changed; check which licence option you adopt
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How to choose
If you need…
Start with
Default relational database with maximum flexibility
PostgreSQL
MySQL-compatible stack with community governance
MariaDB, MySQL
Backend-as-a-service on Postgres
Supabase
Serverless Postgres with branches for previews
Neon
Managed document database
MongoDB Atlas
Cache or real-time data layer
Redis
Best Database Platforms for Developers: FAQ
Quick answers to common questions
What is a database platform?
It is a database engine together with the hosting, tooling and operational features around it, such as backups, scaling, branching and APIs. Some are engines you run yourself; others are managed services.
Is MongoDB open source?
The MongoDB server is source-available under the SSPL, which the OSI does not recognise as open source. MongoDB Atlas is the commercial managed service.
Should I self-host or use a managed service?
Self-hosting gives control and predictable cost but requires you to handle backups, upgrades and failover. Managed services like Supabase, Neon or PlanetScale trade some control for less operational work.
Which database is best for a startup?
PostgreSQL is a common default because of its features and permissive licence. A hosted Postgres such as Supabase or Neon lets small teams start on a free plan.
