Serverless DuckDB
Cloud velocity for analytics, desktop ergonomics for developers, self-hosting with SpinDB for the ops enthusiast.
Tables
- sales
- customers
- products
- events
| region | total |
|---|---|
| us-east | 482,194.50 |
| us-west | 311,820.00 |
| eu-west | 208,944.75 |
| ap-south | 147,612.20 |
| sa-east | 92,408.40 |
Where to run it
Cloud, desktop, or self-host
One database, three places it can live. Pick the speed you want and move between them when you outgrow it.
Branch DuckDB in seconds
Fork a running DuckDB into a full, isolated copy with its own connection string. Copy-on-write makes it near-instant, not a dump and restore. Point a preview deploy at it, test a migration, then throw it away. Layerbase branches 9 engines, not just Postgres.
See how branching worksWhat you get
Production features, free tier included
Every DuckDB database ships with the same primitives: TLS, web console, hibernation, and a real dashboard. No tiered features hidden behind a sales call.
Web IDE
Query console in the dashboard, no extra client to install.
TLS by default
All connections encrypted. No setup required.
Always-on connections
Pin a database to your always-on pool to prevent hibernation.
Scale to zero
Hibernates when idle. Wakes on the next connection.
Connection pooling
Pooled endpoint for serverless and edge workloads.
Direct connections
Bypass the pooler for migrations and replication.
Native HTTPS endpoint
Engines whose own wire protocol speaks HTTPS. Every database, including this one, is also queryable over the platform's HTTPS query API and web console.
Serverless driver
Drop-in HTTP driver for edge runtimes (Upstash REST, PlanetScale, or the engine-native client).
IP whitelisting
Restrict access to specific IPs or CIDR ranges.
Automatic backups
Scheduled dumps and volume snapshots with one-click restore on paid plans. Free tier includes a manual backup slot.
Why Layerbase
Predictable pricing, no cloud setup
DuckDB on Layerbase Cloud is priced the same way as every other engine: a flat monthly plan with nothing metered behind it.
A fixed monthly price
Plans are flat: Free at $0, then $5/mo Solo and $15/mo Pro. No per-hour compute meter, no per-database line items, and no bill that changes shape when your traffic does.
No bandwidth charges
Reads and writes are not metered. There are no ingress or egress fees, so moving data in and out of your database never adds to the bill.
No cloud account to wire up
You do not need an AWS, GCP, or Azure account. Sign up, create a database, and connect. Layerbase runs the infrastructure, so there is no cloud provider to configure or pay separately.
Side by side
Hosted DuckDB, compared
| Provider | Free tier | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| MotherDuck | Free Lite tier | Entry paid plan $250/org/mo with per-second compute |
| Layerbase | DuckDB on the Free tier | $0, $5, or $15/mo flat. No compute meters. |
MotherDuck
- Free tier
- Free Lite tier
- Billing
- Entry paid plan $250/org/mo with per-second compute
Layerbase
- Free tier
- DuckDB on the Free tier
- Billing
- $0, $5, or $15/mo flat. No compute meters.
Competitor facts as of July 2026, from public pricing pages.
Quick start
Connect with any DuckDB client
Ad-hoc analytics over CSVs and Parquet, columnar OLAP workloads, BI dashboards, and teams who want DuckDB without managing a server.
- Spin up a hosted warehouse for a side project without provisioning infra
- Drop a CSV, JSON, or Parquet file into the web console and query it as a table in seconds
- Prototype an analytics layer that scales to zero between sessions
- Connect Prisma, Drizzle, DBeaver, or any Postgres tool and browse the full schema
- Drop in as a read-replica analytics endpoint behind a Postgres-shaped client
psql "postgresql://layerbase:password@your-host.cloud.layerbase.dev:5432/duck1?sslmode=require&sslnegotiation=direct"
More on DuckDB
All articles- July 24, 2026
DuckDB 1.5 Is Now on Layerbase
Create a DuckDB database on Layerbase today and you get 1.5.5, the release the DuckDB team shipped two days earlier. Here is what the 1.5 line adds and what managed DuckDB on Layerbase actually gets you.
Read - June 14, 2026
Branching with any database
Neon branches Postgres. PlanetScale branches MySQL. Layerbase branches all of them, because branching happens at the filesystem, not inside the engine. Here is how it works.
Read - May 18, 2026
MotherDuck pricing changes in 2026: the $25 plan is gone, where to host DuckDB now
MotherDuck quietly retired the $25 Lite plan and raised the Business plan from $100 to $250 per month. There was no announcement. Here is what changed, who it affects, and where to host DuckDB if the new pricing does not fit.
Read - May 16, 2026
MotherDuck alternatives: managed DuckDB without lock-in
MotherDuck is the dominant managed DuckDB, but its pricing and proprietary layer are not for everyone. Here are the alternatives, including plain hosted DuckDB.
Read - March 14, 2026
Embedded Databases: SQLite, LibSQL, and DuckDB
A practical guide to choosing between SQLite, LibSQL, and DuckDB when your project does not need a standalone database server.
Read
FAQ
Common DuckDB questions
Is DuckDB really free on Layerbase?
Yes. Layerbase Free includes DuckDB with no credit card. Your database hibernates after an hour of inactivity and wakes on the next connection. Upgrade only if you need always-on, larger storage, or paid-tier engines.
How do I connect to hosted DuckDB?
Layerbase Cloud exposes DuckDB through a PostgreSQL-compatible endpoint. Use psql, any PostgreSQL driver, Prisma, Drizzle, or a BI tool: the connection string in the dashboard works with all of them. Schema introspection works too, so a client can browse your tables and columns. SSL is required (?sslmode=require).
How do I get data into hosted DuckDB?
Three ways. Drag a CSV, JSON, or Parquet file onto the web query console and it becomes a table. Import an existing .duckdb database file to restore it whole. Or query remote files in place with read_parquet and read_csv_auto over a URL. Standard INSERTs and any PostgreSQL client work too.
Can I use DuckDB locally instead?
Yes. SpinDB is our source-available CLI for running any database engine locally, including DuckDB. Layerbase Desktop wraps SpinDB with a GUI. The same database files are portable across local, desktop, and cloud.
What happens to my database if I stop using it?
Free databases hibernate after 1 hour of inactivity (paid: 6 hours) and wake automatically on connect, typically in 1 to 2 seconds for DuckDB. After 14 days idle on the Free tier, the database is archived (HAProxy listener and DNS removed); you can restore it from the dashboard. Paid plans never auto-archive.
Is DuckDB available on the desktop app?
Yes. Layerbase Desktop runs DuckDB locally with the same dashboard, query console, and connection management as the cloud version. Free for personal use.