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Scaleway vs Upstash

Scaleway logo

Scaleway

Software

European cloud for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Upstash logo

Upstash

Software

Serverless data for modern developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Scaleway scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat price.; Upstash hTTP-based REST API only, no TCP connections means higher latency than self-hosted or connection-pooled Redis
  • They diverge on capability: Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Upstash covers Serverless Redis.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Scaleway and Upstash actually diverge.

Attributes where Scaleway and Upstash differ
AttributeScalewayUpstash
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliREST API, Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda
Founded19992020

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

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 Scaleway

  • Virtual Instances
  • Bare Metal
  • Kubernetes Kapsule
  • Object Storage
  • Serverless Functions
  • Managed Databases
  • Container Registry
  • Load Balancer

Only in Upstash

  • Serverless Redis
  • Serverless Kafka
  • QStash
  • Global Replication
  • REST API
  • Edge Functions Support
  • Rate Limiting
  • Caching

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Scaleway

  • Web hostingnot Upstash
  • Container orchestrationnot Upstash
  • Development environmentsnot Upstash
  • Data storagenot Upstash

Upstash

  • Cachingnot Scaleway
  • Session storagenot Scaleway
  • Real-time messagingnot Scaleway
  • Rate limitingnot Scaleway
  • Serverless backendsnot Scaleway

Where each one falls short

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

Scaleway

  • Scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat price.

Upstash

  • HTTP-based REST API only, no TCP connections means higher latency than self-hosted or connection-pooled Redis
  • Rate limiting occurs when traffic exceeds configured budget cap or request limits
  • Kafka service discontinued in March 2025, requiring migration to Upstash Workflow or alternatives
  • Limited Redis feature support compared to self-hosted Redis or Redis Cloud
  • High-request-volume workloads can accumulate significant costs due to per-request pricing model

Pricing, plan by plan

Scaleway

Free
  • DEV1-S$7.99/month
    • 2 vCPU
    • 2GB RAM
    • 20GB SSD

Upstash

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 256 MB data
    • 500K commands per month
    • 10 GB bandwidth
  • Pay-as-you-go$0.2/per 100K commands
    • Per-request billing
    • Storage at $0.25/GB
    • Unlimited commands
  • Fixed Plan$10/month
    • 250 MB Redis
    • Predictable pricing
    • Global replication available at higher tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Scaleway if

  • You need virtual instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal.
Scaleway review

Choose Upstash if

  • You need serverless redis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on REST API, Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda.
  • You also want serverless kafka.
Upstash review

Questions people ask

Is Scaleway or Upstash better?
Neither clearly leads. Scaleway starts at Free and Upstash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Scaleway or Upstash?
Scaleway starts at Free and Upstash at Free.
Does Scaleway or Upstash run on more platforms?
Scaleway runs on Web, Api, Cli. Upstash runs on REST API, Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda.
Can I use Scaleway for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Scaleway best used for?
Scaleway is most often used for web hosting, container orchestration, development environments, data storage. Of those, web hosting and container orchestration are not what Upstash is typically brought in for.
What can Scaleway do that Upstash cannot?
Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Bare Metal, Kubernetes Kapsule, Object Storage. Upstash covers Serverless Redis, Serverless Kafka, QStash, Global Replication. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support, Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Upstash: Does Upstash have a free tier?

Yes. The free tier provides 256 MB of data and 500,000 commands per month with 10 GB of bandwidth in a single region, no credit card required.

Source
Upstash: How does Upstash work with edge platforms like Vercel and Cloudflare Workers?

Upstash uses a REST API instead of TCP connections, enabling it to work from Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, and AWS Lambda without persistent connections or connection pooling.

Source
Upstash: What programming languages are supported?

Upstash provides native SDKs for Python, Node.js, Go, and Rust. Java, C#, and PHP developers can use the REST API or community libraries.

Source
Upstash: Is Upstash Kafka still available?

No. Upstash Kafka was deprecated on September 11, 2024 and fully discontinued on March 11, 2025. Upstash Workflow is now recommended for durable serverless messaging and task queuing.

Source
Upstash: How is Upstash pricing structured?

Upstash uses per-request pricing at $0.20 per 100K commands for Redis, $0.25/GB for storage, and $0.40 per 100K requests for Vector database. Idle applications cost nothing.

Source
Upstash: Can Upstash be used with AWS Lambda?

Yes. Upstash works with AWS Lambda via its REST API, eliminating the need for connection pooling and making it ideal for stateless serverless functions.

Source
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