Docs/Free PostgreSQL
Free PostgreSQL
Free managed PostgreSQL on HostKB — create a database from your account, connect over TLS, and move to dedicated when you outgrow free limits.
What you get on Free
A managed PostgreSQL database for development, side projects, and small workloads — without provisioning servers yourself.
- 1 GB storage entitlement
- PostgreSQL 16, 17, or 18
- One free database per HostKB account
- Public TLS endpoint and in-cluster connection strings for apps on HostKB Cloud
- Create and manage from Managed Databases after you sign in
Free vs Dedicated
Start free, then request a dedicated database when you need more capacity or managed backups.
Free PostgreSQL is for getting started quickly. It does not include automated backup and restore in the HostKB console.
You can still protect your data yourself with standard PostgreSQL tools such as pg_dump / pg_restore (or pg_dumpall) against your public TLS connection string — keep the dump file somewhere safe off-platform.
Dedicated databases are sized for your workload (CPU, memory, storage, instances). Choose dedicated when you need stronger isolation, larger resources, or platform-managed backup and restore.
Self-backup with pg_dump
Free plan has no HostKB-managed backups — take your own dumps when you need a snapshot.
From a machine that can reach your public endpoint, use the connection details from Managed Databases (host, port, user, password, and the generated Database= id — not only your display name):
pg_dump "host=ep-….pg.hostkb.com port=5432 dbname=YOUR_DB user=YOUR_USER \ sslmode=require channel_binding=disable" -Fc -f mydb.dump
Restore later with pg_restore into the same or another database. For apps on HostKB Cloud you can also dump over the internal connection string from a shell inside the platform network.
How to create a free database
A few steps from a HostKB account to a connection string.
- Create a free HostKB account (or sign in)
- Open Managed Databases from your account menu
- Choose the Free plan, pick a PostgreSQL version, and enter a display name
- After provisioning, copy the connection strings — apps must use the generated
Database=id shown on the details page
For .NET / Npgsql over the public TLS hostname, use Channel Binding=Disable (or channel_binding=disable in libpq URIs).
Pair with free app hosting
Deploy your app on HostKB Cloud and point it at your free PostgreSQL database.
HostKB Cloud can host your Node.js, Python, .NET, and other apps from Git. Use the internal connection string when the app runs on HostKB, and the public TLS string from outside the platform.
Related guides
- Getting started — Create projects and apps, set environment variables, then build and deploy from the UI.
- What is HostKB Cloud? — HostKB Cloud is a free hosting and deployment platform — deploy apps from Git with HTTPS and logs.
- Free app hosting — Free hosting for Node.js, Python, .NET, Java, React, Angular, Next.js, Vue, PHP, and Docker apps.
- Free deployment platform — Free deployment platform to deploy apps from Git — builds, HTTPS, domains, and auto-deploy.
- Deploy from GitHub — Connect GitHub, pick a repository and branch, then build and deploy your app.
- First deploy — Deploy your own Node.js, .NET, or Python app from Git on HostKB — no sample downloads.
- Custom domains & HTTPS — Attach your own domain, point DNS, and serve your app over automatic HTTPS.
- Environment variables — Add app and project variables, mark secrets, and redeploy so the live app picks them up.
- Auto-deploy on push — Enable auto-deploy so pushes to your selected branch build and deploy automatically.
- Build & deploy logs — Watch real-time build and deployment logs to troubleshoot releases on HostKB Cloud.
- App sizes & scaling — Choose the right application size for CPU and memory, then upgrade as your workload grows.