Kolaybase vs. Neon: Full Backend or Serverless Postgres?
Both are built on PostgreSQL, but they solve different layers. Neon is a serverless Postgres database with branching and scale-to-zero. Kolaybase is a complete backend — database plus authentication, storage, and an auto-generated REST API.
How Kolaybase is different
If you only need a managed, serverless Postgres to plug into your own backend, Neon is excellent. If you want the database and the backend around it — auth, storage, and an instant API — without wiring those yourself, that's what Kolaybase provides. They can even be complementary: Neon for the DB, your own services on top, vs. Kolaybase giving you the whole stack.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Kolaybase | Neon |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Full backend (DB + auth + storage + API) | Serverless PostgreSQL database |
| Auto REST API | Yes, PostgREST-style | No — bring your own API layer |
| Authentication | Built in (Keycloak realm per project) | Not included |
| Storage | Built in (S3-compatible) | Not included |
| Database branching | Not built in | Yes, a core strength |
| Self-hosting | First-class (Docker Compose) | Managed cloud service |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kolaybase a Neon alternative?
- They overlap on PostgreSQL but differ in scope. Neon is a serverless database; Kolaybase is a full backend. Choose Kolaybase if you want auth, storage, and an API included; choose Neon if you only need the database and branching.
- Does Kolaybase support database branching like Neon?
- Branching is a Neon specialty and not a built-in Kolaybase feature today. Kolaybase focuses on giving you a complete, self-hostable backend around standard PostgreSQL.
More comparisons
Try Kolaybase for your next project
PostgreSQL, auth, storage, and a REST API — running in minutes.