- AWS has three PostgreSQL choices: RDS for PostgreSQL (community engine on instances), Aurora PostgreSQL (AWS storage, provisioned or serverless) and Aurora DSQL (serverless, distributed, PostgreSQL-compatible).
- Azure has one main service, Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server, with Burstable, General Purpose and Memory Optimized tiers.
- Google Cloud has Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL (Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions) and AlloyDB for PostgreSQL, a higher-end engine with separated compute and storage.
- Start with the standard service on the cloud you already use (RDS, Azure flexible server, Cloud SQL); move to Aurora or AlloyDB when you need more read scale, faster failover or analytics on live data.
Cloud PostgreSQL providers and services at a glance
Cloud PostgreSQL on the hyperscalers comes in two flavours: managed community PostgreSQL on a virtual machine (RDS, Azure flexible server, Cloud SQL), and PostgreSQL-compatible engines that replace the storage layer for scale and availability (Aurora, AlloyDB, and the distributed Aurora DSQL). The table maps them.
| Cloud | Service | What it is | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL | Managed community PostgreSQL on DB instances; Multi-AZ standby options | Free plan on db.t3.micro and db.t4g.micro for up to 6 months |
| AWS | Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL-compatible engine; provisioned instances or Aurora serverless (ACUs); up to 15 replicas | Aurora PostgreSQL serverless on the Free plan, up to 4 ACUs and 1 GiB |
| AWS | Amazon Aurora DSQL | Serverless distributed SQL, PostgreSQL-compatible, multi-Region active-active | Always-free monthly allowance of 100,000 DPUs and 1 GB |
| Azure | Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server | Managed community PostgreSQL; Burstable, General Purpose and Memory Optimized tiers; stop and start | Azure free account credit and free amounts for new customers |
| Google Cloud | Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL | Managed community PostgreSQL in Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition | 30-day free trial instance; Google Cloud credit for new customers |
| Google Cloud | AlloyDB for PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL-compatible engine with separated compute and storage and a columnar engine | Google Cloud credit for new customers |
PostgreSQL on AWS: RDS, Aurora and Aurora DSQL
RDS for PostgreSQL is the default. Amazon RDS supports DB instances running several versions of PostgreSQL, including PostgreSQL 18 since November 2025, with automated backups, point-in-time restore and Multi-AZ deployments with one standby or two readable standbys. It is the closest to running PostgreSQL yourself, without the operations work.
Aurora PostgreSQL keeps PostgreSQL compatibility but uses Aurora's own storage. It supports up to 15 Aurora replicas and can run as Aurora serverless, where capacity is measured in ACUs and billed per second and can pause at zero. It adopts new PostgreSQL majors later than RDS (PostgreSQL 18 arrived in June 2026). See Aurora PostgreSQL vs RDS for PostgreSQL.
Aurora DSQL is a serverless, distributed SQL database that AWS describes as PostgreSQL-compatible and designed for multi-Region, always-available applications. It is not a PostgreSQL server you can lift and shift into; check its compatibility first.
PostgreSQL on Azure: flexible server
Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server is Microsoft's managed PostgreSQL. It supports PostgreSQL 11 to 18 (11 to 13 under Extended Support), and offers high availability with a standby in another availability zone or the same zone. For cost control it has a Burstable compute tier for workloads that do not need full CPU continuously, and you can stop and start a server. Built-in PgBouncer is available on General Purpose and Memory Optimized tiers, and pgvector is among its extensions.
The Burstable tier is the cheapest entry point but has limits: zone-redundant HA and built-in PgBouncer are not available on it. Use General Purpose for production that needs either.
PostgreSQL on Google Cloud: Cloud SQL and AlloyDB
Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL is Google's managed community PostgreSQL. It comes in two editions: Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus, which Google describes as offering the best performance, availability and observability. PostgreSQL 18 is the default version. HA is a regional instance with a standby in a second zone, and Managed Connection Pooling needs Enterprise Plus. Small shared-core machine types (db-f1-micro, db-g1-small) keep the entry price low but are not covered by the Cloud SQL SLA.
For gcloud postgres users: Google documents creating an instance with the gcloud sql instances create command, passing the database version, region and machine tier, plus --edition=ENTERPRISE_PLUS for that edition.
AlloyDB for PostgreSQL is a fully managed, PostgreSQL-compatible service built on a disaggregated architecture: compute nodes are separate from a distributed storage engine that spans availability zones. It adds a columnar engine for analytical queries on live transactional data and AlloyDB AI for vector search. See Cloud SQL vs AlloyDB for the trade-offs.
Best PostgreSQL cloud: when to pick which
There is no single best PostgreSQL cloud; in our assessment the right one is usually the cloud your application already runs on, because networking, identity, monitoring and billing then stay in one place. Within that cloud:
- Start with the standard service: RDS for PostgreSQL, Azure flexible server or Cloud SQL. They run community PostgreSQL, get new versions soonest on AWS, and are the simplest to leave.
- Move to Aurora or AlloyDB when you need many read replicas, storage that spans zones by design, or (on AlloyDB) analytics on live data. Expect a higher bill and, on Aurora, slower adoption of new majors.
- Use Aurora serverless for spiky or mostly idle workloads on AWS, and Aurora DSQL only for new applications that need multi-Region writes.
- Look beyond the hyperscalers (Neon, Supabase, DigitalOcean) if you are not tied to a cloud and want branching, a bundled backend or simpler pricing.
For PostgreSQL against other engines on the same clouds, see RDS for MySQL vs RDS for PostgreSQL and MySQL vs PostgreSQL.
Pricing
Prices from the provider's official pricing pages, checked 8 October 2026, region Azure: East US (pricing page default); Cloud SQL: Iowa (us-central1); Aurora: US East (N. Virginia), in USD, excluding tax. List prices only; discounts, commitments and your actual usage change the bill.
PostgreSQL cloud pricing on all three clouds is pay as you go: compute per hour (or per second), storage per GB-month, plus backups beyond any included amount and network egress. Azure lists the Burstable B1ms (1 vCore, 2 GiB) at 12.41 USD per month and Premium SSD storage at 0.115 USD per GiB per month. Cloud SQL lists db-f1-micro at 0.0105 USD per hour and db-g1-small at 0.035 USD per hour, with SSD storage at 0.000232877 USD per GiB-hour. AWS's Aurora pricing example uses 0.12 USD per ACU-hour for Aurora serverless (Aurora Standard). The RDS for PostgreSQL instance table and AlloyDB prices are region-selectable on their pricing pages and are not repeated here.
Free credit: AWS gives new Free Tier accounts 100 USD in credits, with up to 100 USD more to earn; Azure's free account includes a 200 USD credit; Google Cloud's Free Trial includes a 300 USD credit over 90 days.
Smallest always-on Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL
- db-f1-micro (shared vCPU, 0.6 GB RAM), 730 hours, Iowa
- 10 GiB SSD; not covered by the Cloud SQL SLA
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | 730 hours x 0.0105 USD | 7.67 USD |
| Storage | 10 GiB x 730 hours x 0.000232877 USD | 1.70 USD |
| Estimated total | about 9.37 USD per month |
Smallest Azure flexible server
- Burstable B1ms, pay as you go, East US
- 20 GiB Premium SSD; backup storage up to 100% of provisioned storage included
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | B1ms list price per month | 12.41 USD |
| Storage | 20 GiB x 0.115 USD | 2.30 USD |
| Estimated total | about 14.71 USD per month |
Aurora serverless at its 0.5 ACU minimum (compute only)
- Minimum capacity 0.5 ACU, never paused, 730 hours, US East (N. Virginia), Aurora Standard
- Aurora storage and I/O excluded
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | 0.5 ACU x 730 hours x 0.12 USD | 43.80 USD |
| Estimated total | about 43.80 USD per month plus storage and I/O |
Worked examples are estimates calculated from the list prices above; they are not quotes or measured bills.
Frequently asked questions
Which cloud providers offer PostgreSQL?
All three major clouds: AWS (RDS for PostgreSQL, Aurora PostgreSQL, Aurora DSQL), Microsoft Azure (Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server) and Google Cloud (Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL, AlloyDB). Developer platforms such as Neon, Supabase and DigitalOcean also host PostgreSQL.
Is there a free PostgreSQL cloud database?
On the hyperscalers, free means time-limited: the AWS Free plan for up to 6 months, Azure free account credit, and Cloud SQL's 30-day free trial instance. Aurora DSQL has a small always-free monthly allowance. Neon, Supabase and Aiven offer free PostgreSQL plans with no time limit.
What is the best PostgreSQL cloud?
Usually the one your application already uses. Technically, RDS adopts new PostgreSQL majors fastest of the AWS options, Azure flexible server has the cheapest small Burstable tier in our price check, and AlloyDB adds analytics on live data on Google Cloud.
How do I create a PostgreSQL instance with gcloud?
Use gcloud sql instances create with --database-version, --region and --tier (and --edition to choose Enterprise or Enterprise Plus). Google's Cloud SQL documentation lists the accepted values.
Is Aurora PostgreSQL the same as PostgreSQL?
It is PostgreSQL-compatible, so applications and drivers work, but it runs on AWS's Aurora storage and has its own version schedule. Aurora PostgreSQL 18 became available in June 2026, about seven months after RDS for PostgreSQL 18.
Sources
- Amazon RDS User Guide: Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
- RDS for PostgreSQL release calendar
- Aurora PostgreSQL release calendar
- Amazon RDS User Guide: Multi-AZ deployments
- Amazon Aurora pricing
- Amazon Aurora DSQL
- AWS Free Tier with Amazon Aurora and RDS
- AWS Free Tier
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server overview
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL: supported versions
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL: high availability
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL: PgBouncer
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL pricing
- Azure account options
- Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL: editions
- Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL: database versions
- Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL: create instances
- Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL: free trial instance
- Cloud SQL pricing
- AlloyDB for PostgreSQL overview
- Google Cloud: Free features and trial offer
Checked 8 October 2026.
How we research cloud database guides: our editorial method. CodeWithSQL earns nothing from the providers mentioned.