Claimable PostgreSQL

What Is This?

Overview

Claimable PostgreSQL is a service provided by Neon that allows developers to provision instant, temporary PostgreSQL databases without any account registration, login, or credit card information. By visiting neon.new or running a single CLI command, a fully functional PostgreSQL database becomes available within seconds. The service is designed to remove every barrier between a developer and a working database connection string.

The core concept is simplicity at the point of need. When a developer needs a throwaway database for a quick test, a prototype, or a demonstration, the traditional process of signing up for a cloud service, configuring credentials, and waiting for provisioning is replaced by a single action. The result is an instant DATABASE_URL that works with any standard PostgreSQL client, ORM, or framework.

Claimable PostgreSQL supports three interaction methods: a REST API for programmatic access, a CLI for terminal-based workflows, and an SDK for integration directly into application code. All three methods produce the same output, a ready-to-use PostgreSQL connection string, making the service flexible enough to fit into nearly any development context.

Who Should Use This

• Backend developers who need a real PostgreSQL instance during local development without configuring Docker or local installations
• Frontend developers building full-stack applications who require a quick database for API prototyping
• QA engineers and testers who need isolated, disposable databases for each test run or test suite
• Educators and instructors running workshops or tutorials where participants need a database immediately

Why Use It?

Problems It Solves

• Slow environment setup: Traditional cloud database provisioning requires account creation, billing configuration, and manual setup steps that can take 10 to 30 minutes.
• Local database dependencies: Running PostgreSQL locally requires installation, service management, and version compatibility checks that vary across operating systems.
• Credential sharing friction: Sharing a database connection for collaboration or review often involves exposing long-lived credentials tied to a real account.
• Test isolation failures: Reusing a shared database across test runs leads to state pollution and flaky tests.

Core Highlights

• No signup, no login, and no credit card required
• Database is available in seconds via CLI, REST API, or SDK
• Produces a standard DATABASE_URL compatible with all PostgreSQL clients
• Temporary by design, making it safe for throwaway and experimental use
• Accessible from any environment including CI pipelines, scripts, and notebooks
• Backed by Neon's serverless PostgreSQL infrastructure
• Works with popular ORMs including Prisma, Drizzle, and TypeORM

How to Use It?

Basic Usage

The fastest way to get a database is through the CLI using npx:

npx neon-new

This command outputs a DATABASE_URL immediately. No flags or configuration are required for basic use.

To retrieve the connection string programmatically via the REST API:

curl -X POST https://neon.new/api/provision

The response includes a JSON object containing the DATABASE_URL field.

Specific Scenarios

Scenario 1: Prototyping a new API endpoint

A developer building a new REST endpoint needs a real database to test query logic before writing migrations for the production schema.

export DATABASE_URL=$(npx neon-new --quiet)
node server.js

Scenario 2: Isolated database per test suite

A CI pipeline provisions a fresh database before each test run to guarantee clean state.

- name: Provision test database
  run: echo "DATABASE_URL=$(npx neon-new --quiet)" >> $GITHUB_ENV

Real-World Examples

• A developer running a Prisma tutorial provisions a database in one command and runs prisma migrate dev immediately against it.
• A workshop instructor shares a script that provisions a unique database for each participant at the start of a session.
• A contributor testing a bug report in an open source ORM spins up a fresh database, reproduces the issue, and discards the instance after closing the terminal.

When to Use It?

Use Cases

• Rapid prototyping of database schemas and queries
• Isolated database environments for automated test suites
• Live coding sessions, demos, and technical presentations
• Onboarding new developers who need a working environment immediately
• Reproducing database-related bugs from issue reports
• Running one-off data transformation scripts
• Evaluating ORMs, query builders, or migration tools without a persistent database

Important Notes

Requirements

• Node.js must be installed to use the npx neon-new CLI command
• An active internet connection is required since databases are provisioned remotely
• The application or tool connecting to the database must support standard PostgreSQL connection strings
• Temporary databases are subject to expiration and should not be used for persistent data storage