Amazon RDS vs Neon
SEPT 2026 auditA comparison of Amazon RDS and Neon built from values read directly from each provider's own documentation, with the source recorded against every figure.
The short answer
Choose Amazon RDS if…
Teams already inside AWS, where the database sitting in the same VPC as everything else is worth more than any single feature on this page. Six engines, up to 35 days of point-in-time recovery, and read replicas you create and delete yourself.
Editorial · Palash Bagchi · approved
Choose Neon if…
Workloads that are idle most of the time, and teams who want a real database per pull request. Compute suspends after five minutes and storage is billed separately, so a staging branch costs almost nothing while nobody is using it.
Editorial · Palash Bagchi · approved
Consider something else if…
- Amazon RDS: You want a database per pull request. RDS documents no branching, and replicas are manual — AWS states outright that it does not autoscale them.
- Neon: You need predictable monthly billing. Usage pricing with no minimum fee cuts both ways, and a runaway query on an autoscaling compute is billed at the rate it ran.
9 sourced criteria separate them — see where, with sources, below.
Pick the criteria you care about. The chart counts how many of them lean toward each provider — the same read as scanning the bars below, just totalled for the ones you chose.
Amazon RDS 0
Neon 0
At a glance.
| Criterion | Amazon RDS | Neon |
|---|---|---|
| Execution | ||
| Managed connection pooling | Supported | Supported |
| Data | ||
| Engine | PostgreSQL, alongside MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, SQL Server and Db2. Each engine is a separate RDS product with its own version list and its own feature support, so a capability documented for one is not a capability of RDS as a whole. | PostgreSQL |
| Connection limit | Not a fixed number: RDS for PostgreSQL sets max_connections by formula from the instance's memory — LEAST({DBInstanceClassMemory/9531392}, 5000) — so a bigger instance class gets more connections and the ceiling is 5,000 however large it is. The parameter can be set by hand anywhere from 6 to 262,143, which is a limit on what you may configure rather than what an instance will serve. Other engines use different divisors: MySQL is memory/12582880 with no cap. | Scales with compute size: 104 direct connections at 0.25 CU (1 GB RAM), 419 at 1 CU, 2517 at 6 CU; up to 10,000 through the pooler |
| Point-in-time recovery | Any point inside the configured backup retention period, so up to 35 days. Transaction logs are uploaded to S3 every five minutes, which is what bounds how close to now the latest restorable time can be. | History window of 6 hours up to 1 GB-month on Free, up to 7 days on Launch, up to 30 days on Scale |
| Read replicas | Supported — 15 per primary, raisable on request | Supported |
| Backup retention | Between 0 and 35 days, set per DB instance; 0 disables automated backups entirely. The default depends on how the instance was created — one day via the API or CLI, seven days via the console — so there is no single default to quote. Multi-AZ DB clusters cannot be set below 1 day. | 1 day of history on paid plans by default and 6 hours on Free, configurable up to 7 days on Launch or 30 days on Scale. Neon notes that widening the window raises storage cost, so the ceiling is a paid choice rather than an included allowance. |
| Compliance | ||
| SOC 2 | Listed as SOC-compliant on AWS's own compliance scope page. | Annual SOC 2 Type II audits by an accredited independent third party. |
| ISO 27001 | Covered under AWS's account-wide ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification — not scoped per-service the way SOC, HIPAA and PCI DSS are on AWS's own site. | Annual ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 audits. |
| HIPAA | Listed as a HIPAA-eligible service on AWS's own reference page. | HIPAA compliance achieved, to support customers handling protected health information (PHI). |
| GDPR / data residency | AWS customers can process personal data on all AWS services in compliance with GDPR, and choose the storage type and geographic region for their data. | Follows the GDPR framework; Data Processing Agreements (DPA) offered. |
| PCI DSS | Listed as PCI DSS-compliant on AWS's own compliance scope page. | Underlying infrastructure described as certified for PCI-DSS among other standards; scope (Neon's own service vs. cloud infrastructure) not distinguished on this page. |
Where they differ.
Engine
- Amazon RDS
- PostgreSQL, alongside MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, SQL Server and Db2. Each engine is a separate RDS product with its own version list and its own feature support, so a capability documented for one is not a capability of RDS as a whole.
- Neon
- PostgreSQL
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL — Amazon Relational Database Service User Guide ↗
“Amazon RDS supports DB instances running several versions of PostgreSQL. [...] DB instances running PostgreSQL support Multi-AZ deployments, read replicas, Provisioned IOPS, and can be created inside a virtual private cloud (VPC).”
Read 2026-09-09 · official docs
- Connection pooling — Neon Docs ↗
“Each Postgres connection creates a new process in the operating system, consuming memory and CPU resources. Postgres limits the number of connections based on available RAM.”
Read 2026-09-05 · official docs
Connection limit
- Amazon RDS
- Not a fixed number: RDS for PostgreSQL sets max_connections by formula from the instance's memory — LEAST({DBInstanceClassMemory/9531392}, 5000) — so a bigger instance class gets more connections and the ceiling is 5,000 however large it is. The parameter can be set by hand anywhere from 6 to 262,143, which is a limit on what you may configure rather than what an instance will serve. Other engines use different divisors: MySQL is memory/12582880 with no cap.
- Neon
- Scales with compute size: 104 direct connections at 0.25 CU (1 GB RAM), 419 at 1 CU, 2517 at 6 CU; up to 10,000 through the pooler
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Quotas and constraints for Amazon RDS — Amazon Relational Database Service User Guide ↗
“PostgreSQL max_connections 6–262143 LEAST({DBInstanceClassMemory/9531392}, 5000) Maximum number of concurrent connections [...] DBInstanceClassMemory is in bytes.”
Read 2026-09-09 · official docs
- Connection pooling — Neon Docs ↗
“Neon uses PgBouncer to provide connection pooling, enabling up to 10,000 concurrent connections. [...] In Neon, this limit is defined by max_connections, which varies by compute size: Compute size (CU) RAM max_connections 0.25 1 GB 104 0.50 2 GB 209 1 4 GB 419”
Read 2026-09-05 · official docs
Point-in-time recovery
Any point inside the configured backup retention period, so up to 35 days. Transaction logs are uploaded to S3 every five minutes, which is what bounds how close to now the latest restorable time can be.
History window of 6 hours up to 1 GB-month on Free, up to 7 days on Launch, up to 30 days on Scale
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Restoring a DB instance to a specified time for Amazon RDS — Amazon Relational Database Service User Guide ↗
“RDS uploads transaction logs for DB instances to Amazon S3 every five minutes. To see the latest restorable time for a DB instance, use the AWS CLI describe-db-instances command and look at the value returned in the LatestRestorableTime field for the DB instance. [...] You can restore to any point in time within your backup retention period.”
Read 2026-09-09 · official docs
- Neon plans — Neon Docs ↗
“History window 6 hours, up to 1 GB-month Up to 7 days Up to 30 days”
Read 2026-09-05 · official pricing
Backup retention
- Amazon RDS
- Between 0 and 35 days, set per DB instance; 0 disables automated backups entirely. The default depends on how the instance was created — one day via the API or CLI, seven days via the console — so there is no single default to quote. Multi-AZ DB clusters cannot be set below 1 day.
- Neon
- 1 day of history on paid plans by default and 6 hours on Free, configurable up to 7 days on Launch or 30 days on Scale. Neon notes that widening the window raises storage cost, so the ceiling is a paid choice rather than an included allowance.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Backup retention period — Amazon Relational Database Service User Guide ↗
“If you create a DB instance using the Amazon RDS API or the AWS CLI and if you don't set the backup retention period, the default backup retention period is one day. If you create a DB instance using the console, the default backup retention period is seven days. [...] You can set the backup retention period of a DB instance to between 0 and 35 days. Setting the backup retention period to 0 disables automated backups. For a Multi-AZ DB cluster, you can set the backup retention period to between 1 and 35 days.”
Read 2026-09-09 · official docs
- Point-in-time restore — Neon Docs ↗
“Neon retains a history of changes for your branches, with defaults of 6 hours on Free plan and 1 day on paid plans. [...] You can configure it up to 7 days on Launch or 30 days on Scale plans.”
Read 2026-09-07 · official docs
SOC 2
- Amazon RDS
- Listed as SOC-compliant on AWS's own compliance scope page.
- Neon
- Annual SOC 2 Type II audits by an accredited independent third party.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- AWS Services in Scope for SOC ↗
“Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) listed with a checkmark on the SOC services-in-scope page.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
- Neon Security ↗
“Neon undergoes annual SOC 2 Type II audits performed by accredited independent third party auditors.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
ISO 27001
- Amazon RDS
- Covered under AWS's account-wide ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification — not scoped per-service the way SOC, HIPAA and PCI DSS are on AWS's own site.
- Neon
- Annual ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 audits.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Compliance — AWS ↗
“AWS has certification for compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2022, 27017:2015, and 27018:2019. These certifications are performed by independent third-party auditors.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
- Neon Security ↗
“Neon undergoes annual ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 audits for its security and privacy management systems.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
HIPAA
- Amazon RDS
- Listed as a HIPAA-eligible service on AWS's own reference page.
- Neon
- HIPAA compliance achieved, to support customers handling protected health information (PHI).
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- AWS HIPAA Eligible Services Reference ↗
“Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) listed on the HIPAA-eligible services reference page.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
- Neon Security ↗
“Neon has achieved HIPAA compliance to support customers handling protected health information (PHI).”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
GDPR / data residency
- Amazon RDS
- AWS customers can process personal data on all AWS services in compliance with GDPR, and choose the storage type and geographic region for their data.
- Neon
- Follows the GDPR framework; Data Processing Agreements (DPA) offered.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- GDPR — Amazon Web Services ↗
“AWS customers can use all AWS services to process personal data [...] in compliance with the GDPR. [...] Customers have control of their customer data. With AWS, customers can: Determine where their customer data will be stored, including the type of storage and geographic region of that storage.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
- Neon Security ↗
“Neon follows the GDPR framework, ensuring user rights, data minimization, and lawful processing. We offer Data Processing Agreements (DPA).”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
PCI DSS
- Amazon RDS
- Listed as PCI DSS-compliant on AWS's own compliance scope page.
- Neon
- Underlying infrastructure described as certified for PCI-DSS among other standards; scope (Neon's own service vs. cloud infrastructure) not distinguished on this page.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- AWS Services in Scope for PCI DSS ↗
“Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) listed with a checkmark on the PCI DSS services-in-scope page.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
- Neon Security ↗
“Infrastructure certified for SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and other global security standards.”
Read 2026-09-12 · official site
When these numbers change, hear about it. Sources are re-checked monthly; a repricing goes out as a short note.
Documented by only one.
These criteria are published by one provider and not the other. An absence here means we have not found a source, not that the feature is missing.
Questions this comparison answers.
Should I choose Amazon RDS or Neon?
Pick Amazon RDS if Teams already inside AWS, where the database sitting in the same VPC as everything else is worth more than any single feature on this page. Six engines, up to 35 days of point-in-time recovery, and read replicas you create and delete yourself.
Pick Neon if Workloads that are idle most of the time, and teams who want a real database per pull request. Compute suspends after five minutes and storage is billed separately, so a staging branch costs almost nothing while nobody is using it.