Is Aiven or SST better?

Neither clearly leads. Aiven starts at Free and SST at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Aiven or SST?

Aiven starts at Free and SST at Free.

Does Aiven or SST run on more platforms?

Aiven runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp, Do. SST runs on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js.

Can I use Aiven for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Aiven best used for?

Aiven is most often used for running managed open source databases without operating them, multi-cloud deployment across aws, google cloud, azure, digitalocean, ovh and upcloud, highly available data services with automatic failover, prototyping on a small free instance before scaling up. Of those, running managed open source databases without operating them and multi-cloud deployment across aws, google cloud, azure, digitalocean, ovh and upcloud are not what SST is typically brought in for.

What can Aiven do that SST cannot?

Aiven covers Multi-cloud Support, Automated Backups, Seamless Upgrades, VPC Peering. SST covers Single config file, Resource linking, Local development, Multi-cloud support.

Databases · head to head

Aiven vs SST

Aiven

Databases

Fully managed open source data infrastructure cloud

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

SST

Cloud

Build full-stack apps on your own infrastructure

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Aiven the free plan gives 1 VM with 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM and 1 GB storage, and cannot pick a specific cloud or region; SST primarily optimized for AWS with Cloudflare support
They diverge on capability: Aiven covers Multi-cloud Support, SST covers Single config file.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aiven and SST actually diverge.

Attributes where Aiven and SST differ
Attribute	Aiven	SST
Pricing model	usage-based	Unknown
Platforms	Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp, Do	AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js
Category	Databases	Cloud
Founded	2016	Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aiven

Multi-cloud Support
Automated Backups
Seamless Upgrades
VPC Peering
End-to-end Encryption
Compliance
Observability
PostgreSQL

Only in SST

Single config file
Resource linking
Local development
Multi-cloud support
Multiple deployment stages
VPC tunneling

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aiven

Running managed open source databases without operating themnot SST
Multi-cloud deployment across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, OVH and UpCloudnot SST
Highly available data services with automatic failovernot SST
Prototyping on a small free instance before scaling upnot SST

SST

Deploying Next.js frontends with serverless backendsnot Aiven
Managing databases and storage alongside application codenot Aiven
Creating staging environments for feature testingnot Aiven

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aiven

The free plan gives 1 VM with 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM and 1 GB storage, and cannot pick a specific cloud or region
Free and Developer tiers have no integrations and no connection pooling
Connection pooling, database forks and dynamic disk sizing need the Business or Premium plan
A 99.99 percent uptime SLA starts at the Startup plan from $75 a month
High availability with automatic failover starts at Business from $180 a month

SST

Primarily optimized for AWS with Cloudflare support
Learning curve for developers unfamiliar with infrastructure concepts
Limited documentation for some advanced use cases

Pricing, plan by plan

Aiven

Free

Free TrialFree
- $300 credits
- 30 day trial
- All services
Startup$19/month
- Single node
- Basic support
- Daily backups

SST

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SST review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Aiven if

You need multi-cloud support.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp, Do.
You also want automated backups.

Aiven review

Choose SST if

You need single config file.
You want to start without paying.
You work on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js.
You also want resource linking.

SST review

Questions people ask

Is Aiven or SST better?: Neither clearly leads. Aiven starts at Free and SST at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aiven or SST?: Aiven starts at Free and SST at Free.
Does Aiven or SST run on more platforms?: Aiven runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp, Do. SST runs on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js.
Can I use Aiven for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Aiven best used for?: Aiven is most often used for running managed open source databases without operating them, multi-cloud deployment across aws, google cloud, azure, digitalocean, ovh and upcloud, highly available data services with automatic failover, prototyping on a small free instance before scaling up. Of those, running managed open source databases without operating them and multi-cloud deployment across aws, google cloud, azure, digitalocean, ovh and upcloud are not what SST is typically brought in for.
What can Aiven do that SST cannot?: Aiven covers Multi-cloud Support, Automated Backups, Seamless Upgrades, VPC Peering. SST covers Single config file, Resource linking, Local development, Multi-cloud support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aiven: What does Aiven's free tier include and does it have any time limit?

The free tier includes PostgreSQL with 1 VM, 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, and 1 GB storage with access to limited cloud and region selections. There are no time limitations on the free tier, though Aiven reserves the right to shut down accounts that violate policies or remain unused for extended periods.

Source

SST: Is SST free?

Yes, SST is open source and free. You only pay for cloud resources from AWS and other providers.

Source

Aiven: How is Aiven billed and what are the monthly costs for each tier?

Aiven bills services by the hour and invoices monthly, charging only for what you actually run. PostgreSQL pricing starts at 5 dollars per month for Developer, 12 dollars per month for Hobbyist, 75 dollars per month for Startup, 180 dollars per month for Business, and 270 dollars per month for Premium. All paid tiers offer hourly billing options as well.

Source

SST: What cloud providers does SST support?

SST supports over 150 providers through built-in AWS and Cloudflare components, plus Pulumi and Terraform providers.

Source

Aiven: What backup retention periods are included at different Aiven tiers?

Backup retention increases with tier level: Startup tier provides 2 days of backup retention, Business tier offers 14 days, and Premium tier includes 30 days. Point-in-time restore is available on all paid tiers.

Source

Aiven: Is high availability included in Aiven pricing or charged separately?

High availability, backups, and routine maintenance are all included in the tier costs with no separate charges. The Business tier includes 2 VMs with automatic failover, and Premium includes 3 VMs with a second standby node.

Source

Aiven: Does Aiven offer a trial period to test premium features?

Aiven offers a 30-day free trial to access premium features beyond what the free plan provides.

Source

Aiven vs SST

Aiven

SST

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Aiven

Only in SST

What people use each for

Aiven

SST

Where each one falls short

Aiven

SST

Pricing, plan by plan

Aiven

SST

Which should you pick?

Choose Aiven if

Choose SST if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Aiven

More on SST

Keep looking

Other head to heads