Best SQL & NoSQL (2025)

Ranked picks for sql & nosql. No "it depends."

🧊Nice Pick

Supabase

Postgres + auth + storage + realtime. The Firebase that doesn't lock you in.

Full Rankings

Postgres + auth + storage + realtime. The Firebase that doesn't lock you in.

Pros

  • +Open source
  • +Generous free tier
  • +Full Postgres
  • +Auth built-in
  • +Realtime

Cons

  • -Newer ecosystem
  • -Less documentation
  • -Some rough edges

Serverless MySQL with branching. DevOps for databases.

Pros

  • +Database branching
  • +Serverless
  • +No downtime deploys

Cons

  • -MySQL only
  • -No foreign keys
  • -Free tier removed
Compare:vs Supabase

Serverless Postgres with branching. PlanetScale vibes, Postgres reality.

Pros

  • +Serverless Postgres
  • +Branching
  • +Generous free tier
  • +Scale to zero

Cons

  • -Newer
  • -Cold starts
  • -Smaller community

The distributed database that scales like a dream but queries like a nightmare.

Pros

  • +Massive horizontal scalability with no single point of failure
  • +Excellent write performance for time-series and IoT data
  • +Flexible schema design that evolves without downtime

Cons

  • -Complex querying with limited JOIN support
  • -Steep learning curve for data modeling and tuning

The enterprise behemoth that charges you an arm and a leg for rock-solid reliability.

Pros

  • +Unmatched scalability for massive enterprise workloads
  • +Robust ACID compliance and high availability features
  • +Advanced security and auditing capabilities
  • +Comprehensive support for complex SQL and data warehousing

Cons

  • -Prohibitively expensive licensing and hidden costs
  • -Steep learning curve and overly complex administration

The corporate database that loves Windows and hates your budget.

Pros

  • +Excellent integration with Microsoft ecosystem (e.g., .NET, Azure)
  • +Strong security and compliance features out of the box
  • +Powerful business intelligence tools like SSRS and SSAS

Cons

  • -Licensing costs can be eye-watering for enterprise use
  • -Limited cross-platform support (primarily Windows-focused)

Head-to-head comparisons

Missing a tool?

Email nice@nicepick.dev and I'll add it to the rankings.