intro
Let’s explore and evaluate a curated selection of the top SQL and NoSQL serverless databases currently available in the cloud.
If you have ever managed a database on bare-metal servers, a VPS, or a local machine, you know how challenging that can be. Scalability, maintenance, and updates often become bigger issues than data management itself (which is already complex!).
Here is why, over the years, major cloud providers, new startups, and other tech companies have entered the world of serverless databases. These cloud-native solutions automatically handle infrastructure tasks like scaling, patching, and provisioning (allowing you to focus on data and application logic instead).
Given the rising popularity of both SQL and NoSQL serverless platforms, let’s select, compare, and highlight the best ones currently available!
What is a Serverless Database?
Serverless databases abstract away the underlying infrastructure, meaning you do not need to manage servers, scaling, or maintenance. This contrasts with traditional database scenarios, where you are generally responsible for provisioning and handling those tasks.
In practice, a serverless database automatically scales compute and storage resources based on demand. For that reason, you typically pay only for what you use on demand.
Keep in mind that both SQL and NoSQL serverless database options are available, catering to various data models and application needs.
Selecting Serverless SQL and NoSQL Database Solutions
When comparing the best serverless SQL and NoSQL databases, consider the following key aspects:
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Whether the database is SQL, NoSQL, or a hybrid. |
| Supported databases | The specific database engines supported by the serverless platform, such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, etc. |
| Open-source | Whether the underlying database technology is open-source or proprietary. |
| Integrations | The cloud ecosystems and services the platform is designed to integrate with. |
| Free trial | The presence of a free trial to test the hosting before committing to a paid plan. |
| Pricing | The pricing model offered by the provider, including any free tiers or usage-based costs. |
| User reviews | Average rating score from G2. |
Best SQL and NoSQL Serverless Database Platforms
Time to use the criteria outlined earlier to evaluate some of the top serverless SQL and NoSQL databases.
Note: This is not a ranked list, which means that the selected databases are presented in no particular order.
MongoDB Atlas
MongoDB Atlas is a fully managed, serverless NoSQL database based on MongoDB. It simplifies application development by handling infrastructure tasks. In detail, it offers automatic scaling, flexible schemas, and integrates natively with popular cloud providers.
Type: NoSQL (document database)
Supported databases: MongoDB
Open-source: Atlas is a managed service, while MongoDB is open-source (GitHub)
Integrations: Integrates with AWS, Azure, GCP and supports various tools and connectors
Free trial: Free trial for premium features and a free tier including 512 MB of storage
Pricing:
User reviews: 4.5/5 (361 reviews)
Amazon Aurora Serverless
Amazon Aurora Serverless is an on-demand, auto-scaling configuration for Aurora. That is a MySQL- and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database AWS service. It automatically starts up, shuts down, and scales capacity based on application needs. You pay per second for the database capacity used, removing the need to manage database instances.
Type: SQL
Supported databases: MySQL and PostgreSQL compatible
Open-source: No
Integrations: Seamless integration with the AWS ecosystem
Free trial: Included in AWS Free Tier
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go model with many options
User reviews: 4.5/5 (485 reviews)
CockroachDB
CockroachDB offers a serverless, distributed version of its PostgreSQL-compatible database through its cloud platform. The serverless option features automatic scaling, built-in high availability, and a generous free tier for getting started.
Type: SQL
Supported databases: CockroachDB, which is compatible with version 3.0 of the PostgreSQL wire protocol
Open-source: CockroachDB is open-source (GitHub page)
Integrations: Compatible with many PostgreSQL tools, ORMs, and drivers
Free trial: $400 in free credits for new organizations
Pricing:
User reviews: 4.3/5 (24 reviews)
Azure SQL Serverless
Azure SQL Serverless is a tier for single Azure SQL databases that automatically scales compute based on workload demand, billing only for resources used. It also auto-pauses databases during inactive periods, resuming when activity returns, which is great for intermittent usage.
Type: SQL
Supported databases: Microsoft SQL Server
Open-source: No
Integrations: Seamless integration with the entire Azure ecosystem
Free trial: Free monthly tier offers up to 10 databases with 100,000 vCore seconds of compute and 32 GB storage each
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go model with many options
User reviews: 4.5/5 (329 reviews)
Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database offering consistent, single-digit millisecond performance at any scale. DynamoDB is serverless and automatically scales tables and manages infrastructure for you. It supports key-value and document data models.
Type: NoSQL (key-value and document stores)
Supported databases: DynamoDB
Open-source: No
Integrations: Fully integrated with the AWS ecosystem
Free trial: Part of the AWS Free Tier
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go model with many options
User reviews: 4.4/5 (620 reviews)
Firestore
Type: NoSQL (document database)
Supported databases: Firestore
Open-source: No
Integrations: Tightly integrated with Firebase and Google Cloud Platform
Free trial: Free tier to get started at no cost
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go model with many options
User reviews: 4.2/5 (114 reviews)
SurrealDB
SurrealDB is a multi-model, serverless database that supports document, graph, and relational data models. It offers a SQL-like query language and is designed for modern applications, including AI and edge computing environments.
Type: Hybrid (supports SQL, as well as NoSQL via document, graph, time-series, and vector data)
Supported databases: SurrealDB
Open-source: The source code of the database is available under Business Source License (GitHub)
Integrations: Designed for generic cloud-native applications, with optimizations for AI applications
Free trial: Free tier available
Pricing:
User reviews: — (0 reviews)
PlanetScale
PlanetScale is a fully managed serverless MySQL database powered by Vitess. It provides horizontal scale, high performance, and simplified operations. This service offers non-blocking schema changes and supports numerous connections.
Type: SQL
Supported databases: MySQL databases powered by Vitess, a battle-hardened open source technology for deploying, scaling, and managing large clusters of database instances
Open-source: Partially (GitHub)
Integrations: Designed for serverless applications, it integrates natively with platforms like Amazon EBS and Google Cloud
Free Trial: No longer available (removed in April 2024)
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go model with many options
User reviews: 4.3/5 (5 reviews)
ScyllaDB
ScyllaDB is a NoSQL database compatible with Apache Cassandra. Its Cloud offering provides a managed, serverless experience designed for high throughput, low latency, and automatic scaling. That makes it well-suited for real-time big data workloads.
Type: NoSQL (wide-column store)
Supported databases: ScyllaDB
Open-source: Yes (GitHub)
Integrations: Runs on AWS and GCP, and is compatible with Apache Cassandra APIs
Free trial: Free trial available for both users and enterprises
Pricing: Self-managed options and managed plans based on the number and type of servers required
User reviews: 4.5/5 (303 reviews)
Azure Cosmos DB
Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL database service by Microsoft. It equips you with serverless options that automatically scale throughput and storage, charging only for resources consumed.
Type: NoSQL (supports document, key-value, graph, vector, and column-family models)
Supported databases: Azure Cosmos DB APIs (MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, and more)
Open-source: No
Integrations: Seamless integration with Azure services and SDKs
Free trial: 30-day free trial
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go model with many options
User reviews: 4.4/5 (110 reviews)
Top Serverless Database Services: Summary Table
Compare the SQL and NoSQL serverless databases analyzed in this article using the summary table below:
| Database | Type | Supported Databases | Open-Source | Self-Hosting Option | Supported Cloud Ecosystem | Free Trial/Plan | G2 Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MongoDB Atlas | NoSQL | MongoDB | ✅ | ✅ | AWS, Azure, GCP | ✅ | 4.5/5 (361 reviews) |
| Amazon Aurora Serverless | SQL | Amazon Aurora (MySQL and PostgreSQL compatible) | ❌ | ❌ | AWS | ✅ | 4.5/5 (485 reviews) |
| CockroachDB | SQL | CockroachDB (PostgreSQL compatible) | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ | 4.3/5 (24 reviews) |
| Azure SQL Serverless | SQL | Microsoft SQL Server | ❌ | ❌ | Azure | ✅ | 4.5/5 (329 reviews) |
| Amazon DynamoDB | NoSQL | DynamoDB | ❌ | ❌ | AWS | ✅ | 4.4/5 (620 reviews) |
| Firestore | NoSQL | Firestore | ❌ | ❌ | Firebase, Google Cloud Platform | ✅ | 4.2/5 (114 reviews) |
| SurrealDB | Hybrid | SurrealDB | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ | — (0 reviews) |
| PlanetScale | SQL | MySQL | Partially | ❌ | Amazon EBS, Google Cloud | ❌ | 4.3/5 (5 reviews) |
| ScyllaDB | NoSQL | ScyllaDB | ✅ | ✅ | AWS, GCP | ✅ | 4.5/5 (303 reviews) |
| Azure Cosmos DB | NoSQL | Multiple | ❌ | ❌ | Azure | ✅ | 4.4/5 (110 reviews) |
Note: Fauna did not make the list, as the service was shut down on May 30, 2025.
Conclusion
In this blog post, you explored the best serverless databases available today, whether you are working with SQL or NoSQL data storage. While many cloud providers offer serverless database solutions, evaluating them all is time-consuming and costly. Fortunately, we have done the research for you!
We have highlighted the top options and summarized their key features to help you quickly identify the right serverless database for your needs. Regardless of which platform you end up choosing, you will need a reliable database client, and a powerful tool like DbVisualizer can connect to over 50 databases (including many listed in this article).
Do you agree with this list? Did we miss your favorite tool? Get in touch.
