Neon
Operate one Postgres database with backups on a user-owned server
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Neon, operate one Postgres database with backups on a user-owned server. The hard boundary is serverless postgres architecture, branching, autoscaling, storage, and operational expertise, plus infrastructure scale, operations, and reliability.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- serverless Postgres architecture, branching, autoscaling, storage, and operational expertise
- global edge network
- managed databases
- autoscaling
- DDoS protection, support, and compliance
Why people still pay
People still pay for Neon because hosting products sell an operations team and failure-domain diversity, not merely a deploy button. The recurring cost buys patching, certificates, isolation, secrets, builds, deploys, logs, metrics, backups, capacity, incidents, and security response, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Linux server
- Docker
- domain and DNS access
- backup destination
- basic systems administration
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model forms, field definitions, responses, consent flags, and exports; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Project rule, behavior: Implement applications, environments, secrets, domains, health checks, and rolling container replacement.
Project rule, recovery: Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Docker Compose, Caddy, PostgreSQL, Redis, and a small Go control plane. Model forms, field definitions, responses, consent flags, and exports; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Phase 2, implement
Implement applications, environments, secrets, domains, health checks, and rolling container replacement.
Phase 3, implement
Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions.
Phase 4, review and output
Add host metrics, disk alerts, update instructions, disaster recovery, and a prominent single-server warning.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: A failed health check must not replace the last healthy deployment; rollback must recover its exact artifact digest. State the practical limit: serverless Postgres architecture, branching, autoscaling, storage, and operational expertise.
Build me a focused application hosting and backend platforms workflow for the personal core of Neon. Requirements: - Use Docker Compose, Caddy, PostgreSQL, Redis, and a small Go control plane. Model forms, field definitions, responses, consent flags, and exports; store source IDs and timestamps for each. - Paid product context: Operate one Postgres database with backups on a user-owned server. Build only this DIY scope: Operate one containerized Postgres database on a user-owned server, retain logs, and perform regular backups. - Implement applications, environments, secrets, domains, health checks, and rolling container replacement. - Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions. - Add host metrics, disk alerts, update instructions, disaster recovery, and a prominent single-server warning. - Use a focused application hosting and backend platforms input, review, and export interface. Required input or access: Linux server; Docker. - Recovery: Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: A failed health check must not replace the last healthy deployment; rollback must recover its exact artifact digest. - Out of scope: serverless Postgres architecture, branching, autoscaling, storage, and operational expertise; global edge network. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Neon pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0 | $0 | 100 projects; 100 CU-hours/project/month; 0.5 GB storage/project; 5 GB egress/month; up to 2 CU; 6-hour/1 GB instant restore. |
| launch | $0 | — | No minimum; compute $0.106/CU-hour; storage $0.35/GB-month; up to 16 CU; 100 projects and 10 branches/project.Usage based. |
| scale | $0 | — | No minimum; compute $0.222/CU-hour; storage $0.35/GB-month; up to 56 CU; 1,000 projects and 25 branches/project; 99.95% SLA; 30-day restore.Usage based. |
free tier100 projects, 100 CU-hours/project/month, 0.5 GB/project, 5 GB egress/month, up to 2 CU, and 6-hour/1 GB instant restore
billingmonthly usage billing with no minimum on Launch or Scale; no annual self-serve plan
hidden costsBranches cost $0.002/branch-hour; instant-restore storage is $0.20/GB-month and snapshots are $0.09/GB-month. Compute, storage, transfer and branch history all meter separately.
price historyLaunch compute per CU-hour: $0.14 → $0.106 (2025-11) · Scale compute per CU-hour: $0.26 → $0.222 (2025-11)
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Neon
Can you build your own Neon with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Neon, operate one Postgres database with backups on a user-owned server. The hard boundary is serverless postgres architecture, branching, autoscaling, storage, and operational expertise, plus infrastructure scale, operations, and reliability.
What does the Neon build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Operate one containerized Postgres database on a user-owned server, retain logs, and perform regular backups. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: serverless Postgres architecture, branching, autoscaling, storage, and operational expertise; global edge network; managed databases. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Neon prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Neon project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Neon?
serverless Postgres architecture, branching, autoscaling, storage, and operational expertise; global edge network; managed databases; autoscaling; DDoS protection, support, and compliance. People still pay for Neon because hosting products sell an operations team and failure-domain diversity, not merely a deploy button. The recurring cost buys patching, certificates, isolation, secrets, builds, deploys, logs, metrics, backups, capacity, incidents, and security response, not just the visible interface.
What can I use instead of building Neon?
Coolify: Run one Postgres database on your server with a web console, scheduled backups, restore jobs, and honest ops responsibility. Dokploy: Deploy Postgres, schedule backups, and restore it from the same self-hosted control plane. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.