What is a Serverless database
Discover what Serverless SQL databases are, how they reduce database costs, and why they’re essential for modern businesses.
Serverless SQL Database
Go full serverless and take the complexity out of PostgreSQL database operations.
You shouldn't have to adapt to your databases
They don't scale at the same time as your business
Unexpected changes in your workloads happen, but they shouldn't impact your database's performance - nor should it alter your customers' experience.
And distract your teams from their core activities
Teams spend more time managing databases' sizes and bottlenecks, or fearing to reach maximum capacity that would cause service disruption - instead of data collection and analysis.
Costing you more than you signed up for
Ultimately, your database is costing you more than it should - including in overhead.
Go serverless and get the most out of your database without any headache
Less is more: our Serverless SQL Database is fully managed and automatically adapts to your needs - giving back your teams the time to focus on application design and development.
Move faster with a database that keeps up
Our database automatically scales up or down, all the way to zero, adapting to fluctuations in your workloads - without impacting performance or disrupting the user experience.
Control your costs - no query, no bill
No more hidden fees: only pay for what you store and consume, reducing operational overhead and database costs.
Without compromising on reliability nor security
Your data is automatically and regularly backed up in Europe, preventing data loss and increasing the reliability of the service you provide.
Popular use cases
Web application
Focus on your application features without over-provisioning database capacity for peak usage.
Development and Testing environments
Create temporary environments once, and have them running only when you query them.
Data processing
Run your database only when required, such as during batch or data pipeline operations.
Key features and capabilities
Autoscaling
We scale your database up and down to zero, both in storage and compute, based on your workloads, so that your applications keep on running, even with multiple concurrent users.
Usage-based pricing
Only pay for the vCPU you use and the GB you store. You can also define minimum and maximum scalability thresholds for better cost control.
Standard PostgreSQL
We use a language your developers are already familiar with, ensuring at the same time compatibility with your PostgreSQL-based applications.
High availability
We provide high availability by design and ensure your data is automatically backed up regularly on a different Availability Zone.
Built for Serverless
We ensure compatibility with Serverless Functions and Containers, so that thousands of functions can connect concurrently to your database.
Ease of management
We handle the set-up, configuration, patching, and performance optimization of your database so that your teams can spend more time on building, and less on infrastructure management.
Why Scaleway?
24/7 support
Our technical assistance is available 24/7 to answer all your questions and assist you.
Enriched experience
We offer a new experience with API access, Linux distributions, an intuitive console, and Terraform.
Easy-to-use console
Our user interface was created with developers in mind. To give you the best & fun experience managing your cloud projects.
True cloud ecosystem
Our cloud products are designed & built to work together, offering you a seamless, world-class cloud experience.
Additional resources
Managed vs. Serverless
Choose the right solution to maximize flexibility and minimize costs.
Frequently asked questions
How can I access my database ?
Serverless SQL Database aims for full compatibility with PostgreSQL connections (minor differences regarding advanced PostgreSQL features can be found here). You can access the database using your preferred PostgreSQL client or language drivers through, credentials or connection string login.
Serverless SQL Database can be configured to accept specific IP ranges only, using Scaleway IAM Policies. The possibility to restrict access to your Scaleway private network is on the roadmap.
How can I monitor costs ?
You can define minimum and maximum scalability thresholds, allowing you to stay within budget even in the event of connection peaks or highly demanding requests.
Your exact workload and provisioned capacity over time are available directly in Cockpit dashboards.
How quick is the cold start from idle state?
The database automatically wakes up within seconds from its idle state when it receives new queries. You don't need to modify your API or connection timeout durations in your code to handle these cases, and your end users won't experience any lag either.
Can I use Serverless SQL Database for hosting a third party tool ?
You can use our Serverless SQL Database as a database for any tool compatible with PostgreSQL (such as Next.js, Strapi, or most web application framework). Specific tools such as ETL (Extract Transform Load) may be partially compatible if they use advanced PostgreSQL features which are listed here.
You may need to use Terraform or perform manual creations from the Console (e.g., scripts using SQL instructions such as "CREATE DATABASE" may not work) if you need to set up multiple databases automatically (depending on the setup instructions).
Which PostgreSQL extensions are supported ?
Serverless SQL Database supports more than 30 PostgreSQL extensions such as pgvector, TimescaleDB or PostGIS.
What is the maximum storage capacity?
The database size is currently limited at 100 GB; an upgrade to 1 TB is planned for later this year.
Is there a minimum billing?
Yes, billing starts at 1 GB of data (~0.10 €/month), even if the database is empty.