MySQL vs Neon for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

MySQL Overview

MySQL is the most widely deployed open-source database in the world. It runs behind WordPress, powers countless LAMP stacks, and every hosting provider on the planet supports it. For traditional web development, especially PHP projects, MySQL is the default. It is simple to set up, well documented, and proven at massive scale.

For solo developers, MySQL's appeal is familiarity. If you learned web development in the last two decades, you probably touched MySQL first. The tooling is mature, the community is enormous, and finding help with MySQL problems takes seconds. It handles read-heavy workloads well and replication is battle-tested.

That said, MySQL shows its age in certain areas. JSON support lags behind PostgreSQL. The Oracle ownership makes some developers uneasy about the long-term direction. And if you want managed serverless hosting, the options are more limited now that PlanetScale dropped its free tier.

Neon Overview

Neon is serverless PostgreSQL built for the modern developer workflow. It gives you full PostgreSQL compatibility with features that MySQL simply does not have: database branching (like git branches for your data), autoscaling to zero when nobody is using your app, and a generous free tier that covers most solo developer projects.

I switched several side projects to Neon and the experience is smooth. You get a Postgres connection string, plug it into your app, and it just works. The branching feature is genuinely useful. Before running a migration, I create a branch, test the migration there, and merge it back. No more "I hope this migration doesn't break production" anxiety.

Cold starts exist, but they have gotten fast enough that most applications do not notice. For a solo developer running a SaaS with moderate traffic, Neon handles the workload without you thinking about database server management at all.

Key Differences

Serverless vs self-managed. This is the biggest difference. MySQL requires you to run a server somewhere, whether that is a VPS, a managed instance, or a Docker container. Neon is fully serverless. You create a database, get a connection string, and never think about server maintenance, backups, or scaling. For a solo developer, that operational overhead difference is huge.

PostgreSQL vs MySQL under the hood. Neon runs PostgreSQL, which gives you JSONB, full-text search, array columns, CTEs, window functions, and a stricter type system. MySQL is more limited in features. If you are choosing between MySQL and Neon, you are really choosing between MySQL and PostgreSQL with the added benefit of serverless infrastructure.

Database branching changes the workflow. Neon lets you branch your database the same way you branch code. Want to test a destructive migration? Branch it. Want to give your staging environment a copy of production data? Branch it. MySQL has nothing comparable without setting up manual replication.

Free tier comparison. MySQL is free to run yourself, but you still pay for the server. Neon's free tier includes 0.5 GB storage and 190 compute hours per month. For most side projects and early-stage apps, that is more than enough. You pay zero dollars for database hosting.

Scaling story. MySQL scales, but you handle it. Connection pooling, read replicas, sharding. Neon autoscales compute up and down based on load, and scales to zero when idle. When you are the only developer, not managing database infrastructure is a competitive advantage.

When to Choose MySQL

• You are building a WordPress or PHP application that expects MySQL
• Your existing codebase is deeply tied to MySQL-specific features
• You need Group Replication or MySQL-specific clustering
• You are on legacy hosting that only supports MySQL
• You prefer managing your own database server for full control

When to Choose Neon

• You want PostgreSQL features without managing a server
• You are building a side project and want a generous free tier
• Database branching for safe migrations appeals to you
• You want autoscaling that handles traffic spikes automatically
• You prefer spending time building features over managing infrastructure

The Verdict

Neon is the better pick for solo developers starting new projects in 2026. You get full PostgreSQL (which is already more capable than MySQL), zero server management, database branching, autoscaling, and a free tier that covers most solo projects. The 9/10 vs 7/10 rating reflects real experience. MySQL works, but it asks you to do more operational work for fewer database features. Unless you are locked into the MySQL ecosystem, go with Neon and spend your time building instead of maintaining.