Serverless MongoDB-compatible
Hosted on FerretDB in the cloud, real MongoDB on the desktop or self-host with SpinDB. The same driver, the same shell, the same queries, wherever you run it.
FerretDB speaks the MongoDB wire protocol 1:1, so your existing drivers, queries, and indexes work without changes. Apache-licensed, so no SSPL surprises.
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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.
Layerbase Cloud
Powered by FerretDB. FerretDB speaks the MongoDB wire protocol 1:1, so your existing drivers, queries, and indexes work without changes. Apache-licensed, so no SSPL surprises.
Create databaseLayerbase Desktop
Run MongoDB locally with the same dashboard and query console.
DownloadSpinDB
Source-available CLI to run MongoDB on your own infra.
View the CLI docsBranching, on request
Database branching is live on 9 engines today, and the same copy-on-write mechanism spans the whole fleet. Want it on MongoDB? Reach out and we will look at switching it on for your account.
Request branchingWhat you get
Production features, free tier included
Every MongoDB 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
MongoDB 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 MongoDB, compared
| Provider | Free tier | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| MongoDB Atlas | M0 with 512 MB and roughly 100 ops/sec | Paid Flex clusters scale by operations |
| Layerbase | MongoDB-compatible via FerretDB from Solo at $5/mo: same drivers, same wire protocol | $5 or $15/mo flat. No ops meters. |
MongoDB Atlas
- Free tier
- M0 with 512 MB and roughly 100 ops/sec
- Billing
- Paid Flex clusters scale by operations
Layerbase
- Free tier
- MongoDB-compatible via FerretDB from Solo at $5/mo: same drivers, same wire protocol
- Billing
- $5 or $15/mo flat. No ops meters.
Competitor facts as of July 2026, from public pricing pages.
Quick start
Connect with any MongoDB client
Existing MongoDB apps, document-shaped data, schema-flexible prototypes, and teams that want Mongo ergonomics without the licensing fine print.
- Move a Mongo-shaped side project off Atlas without rewriting any code
- Spin up a per-developer document database that scales to zero
- Run real MongoDB locally with Layerbase Desktop, then deploy the same schema to cloud
- Hand a Mongo URI to your serverless app without managing a replica set
- Self-host on your own hardware with SpinDB when compliance requires it
mongosh "mongodb://layerbase:password@your-host.cloud.layerbase.dev:27017/app?tls=true"
More on MongoDB
All articles- July 17, 2026
Run FerretDB on Windows (No Docker, No WSL)
FerretDB v2 needs a PostgreSQL extension that is not on Windows yet. We built custom binaries to run FerretDB v1 natively on Windows, no Docker or WSL.
Read - June 23, 2026
7 reasons to choose FerretDB over MongoDB
FerretDB gives you the MongoDB API on top of PostgreSQL, under an Apache 2.0 license. Here are seven concrete reasons teams pick it over MongoDB, and an honest list of when you should not.
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 - June 10, 2026
Branching with MongoDB
MongoDB never got Neon-style branching. Layerbase Cloud gives it to you: a serverless, Mongo-compatible database you branch from the dashboard in seconds, plus the same workflow locally with SpinDB or Layerbase Desktop.
Read - May 20, 2026
PayloadCMS Setup: PostgreSQL or FerretDB
Set up PayloadCMS with managed PostgreSQL or MongoDB-compatible FerretDB on Layerbase Cloud, and why FerretDB beats MongoDB for most Payload projects.
Read
FAQ
Common MongoDB questions
Why does Cloud use FerretDB instead of MongoDB?
MongoDB's Server Side Public License (SSPL) restricts how managed providers can offer it. FerretDB is the Apache 2.0 alternative that implements the MongoDB wire protocol on top of PostgreSQL. From the driver's perspective, it is MongoDB: same commands, same query shape, same connection string format. You do not see the substitution.
Will my existing MongoDB driver work?
Yes. FerretDB implements the MongoDB wire protocol, so any driver that speaks Mongo (Node.js, Python pymongo, Go mongo-go-driver, Java, etc.) connects without code changes. mongosh works against the same hostname.
What if I need a MongoDB-only feature?
FerretDB covers the common 90%: CRUD, indexes, aggregations, and transactions. Mongo-only features like change streams, Atlas Search, or BSON-specific oddities are not supported. For those, run real MongoDB on Layerbase Desktop or self-host with SpinDB.
Can I run real MongoDB on Layerbase?
Yes. On Layerbase Desktop and via SpinDB, you run the upstream MongoDB binaries directly. The cloud path is the only one where the FerretDB substitution applies, and that exists only because of the SSPL constraint on managed offerings.
Will I see hibernation pauses?
On the Free tier, your database hibernates after 1 hour of inactivity and wakes on the next connection (typically 3 to 5 seconds for document workloads). Paid plans support always-on connections by pinning the database to your pool.