Overview
Turso started as libSQL, a fork of SQLite, and is now a ground-up rewrite that adds concurrent writes through MVCC, async I/O, full-text and vector search, per-database encryption and change data capture. It can run embedded inside an application, as a remote database in Turso Cloud, or as a local copy that syncs with the cloud.
Turso Cloud prices on rows read, rows written, storage and sync traffic rather than on compute time, so a database that nobody queries costs only its storage. That model is aimed at database-per-user, per-tenant or per-agent designs where thousands of small databases would be too expensive on instance-based services.
The Free plan includes 100 databases, 5 GB of storage and 500 million row reads a month. Developer ($5.99 a month, or $4.99 billed yearly) removes the database cap and adds a data processing agreement and a 10-day restore window. SOC 2, HIPAA, SSO and customer-managed encryption keys are limited to Pro at $499 a month.
Row counts include every row a query scans, not just the rows returned, so missing indexes raise the bill. On the free plan, or with overages turned off, crossing any single limit blocks all databases until the next month.
Pricing and plans
Free tier · no card
100 databases, 5 GB storage, 500 million rows read and 10 million rows written per month, 3 GB embedded syncs, 1-day point-in-time restore; databases are blocked when any limit is exceeded
At the limit Pauses Crossing any free limit blocks all databases until the next month; nothing is charged.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 databases, 5 GB, 500M rows read, 10M rows written, 3 GB syncs, 1-day restore |
| Developer | $5.99/mo | $4.99/mo yearly; unlimited databases, 9 GB, 2.5B rows read, 25M rows written, 10 GB syncs, 10-day restore, DPA |
| Scaler | $29/mo | $24.92/mo yearly; 24 GB, 100B rows read, 100M rows written, 30-day restore, teams |
| Pro | $499/mo | $416.58/mo yearly; 50 GB, 250B rows read, 250M rows written, 90-day restore, SSO, SOC 2, HIPAA, BYOK encryption |
| Enterprise | Custom | Dedicated infrastructure, BYOC deployment, 24x7 support |
What it does
- Embedded or remote
- Use the same database in-process like SQLite, remotely over the network, or both with Turso Sync push and pull.
- Concurrent writes
- MVCC lets multiple writers work at once without SQLite's 'database is locked' errors.
- Many small databases
- Designed for database-per-user, per-tenant and per-agent layouts, with unlimited databases on paid plans.
- Vector and full-text search
- Native embedding storage with similarity search, and Tantivy-based full-text search with BM25 ranking.
- Point-in-time restore
- Restore to a moment within 1 day on Free up to 90 days on Pro; branches and restores create new databases.
- Encryption
- AES-256 encryption at rest per database, with bring-your-own-key on Pro and Enterprise.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Idle databases cost only storage, so thousands of tenants stay cheap
- Free plan with 100 databases and 5 GB, no card needed
- Paid entry at $5.99/mo ($4.99 yearly)
- Works as an embedded local database with cloud sync
- Drop-in compatible with SQLite SQL and schemas
Limitations
- SQLite dialect, not Postgres or MySQL; some server-database features are missing
- Rows read count every scanned row, so unindexed queries inflate usage
- On Free, exceeding any single limit blocks all databases
- SOC 2, HIPAA and SSO require the $499/mo Pro plan
- Fewer regions than the large clouds
Who it suits
Good for
- Multi-tenant SaaS with a database per customer
- Local-first and mobile apps that sync a SQLite copy
- AI agent platforms that create many short-lived databases
- Side projects already using SQLite
Look elsewhere if
- Apps that depend on Postgres extensions or MySQL compatibility
- Analytics workloads that scan large tables often
Pricing history
-
Unlimited databases on paid plans
Effective 4 July 2025 (announced 2025-06-17): paid plans got unlimited databases, with a monthly active database allowance (500, 2,500 or 10,000) and a fee per extra active database. Source ↗
-
Developer plan at $4.99 replaces $9 Hobby
Announced: the Developer plan ($4.99/mo billed yearly, $5.99 monthly) replaced the $9 Hobby plan. The free tier was cut to 500M row reads, 10M writes and 5 GB from 2025-03-31. Source ↗
Alternatives to Turso
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Render Managed PaaS | $7/mo | Free tier | |
| Redis Cloud Managed Redis | $5/mo | Free tier | |
| Aiven Managed open-source data platform (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, Valkey, OpenSearch, ClickHouse) | $5/mo | Free tier | |
| MongoDB Atlas Managed document database | $8/mo | Free tier | |
| Crunchy Bridge Managed PostgreSQL on AWS, Azure and GCP | $9/mo | ||
| Scaleway Managed Databases Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL and serverless Postgres | €0.0156/hr |
Questions
Is Turso free?
Yes. The Free plan gives 100 databases, 5 GB of storage, 500 million rows read and 10 million rows written per month, with no credit card.
How much does Turso cost?
Developer is $5.99 a month ($4.99 billed yearly), Scaler $29 and Pro $499, with per-unit overages for storage, reads, writes and syncs.
What is the difference between Turso and libSQL?
libSQL was Turso's fork of SQLite; Turso is now a full rewrite of SQLite that stays compatible with SQLite SQL and adds concurrent writes and cloud sync.
Does Turso have a region in Europe?
Yes, AWS EU West (Ireland) appears in Turso's location list.
What counts as a row read in Turso?
Every row a query scans, including rows examined by unindexed filters, joins and aggregates, not only rows returned.
Sources read for this page