Hex
Neon
| Feature | Hex | Neon |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $28/mo | Free / from $19/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | data-analysts, data-scientists, analytics-engineers, data-teams | startups, jamstack-developers, serverless-apps, side-projects |
| Founded | 2019 | 2021 |
| Sql Cells | ✓ | ✗ |
| Python Cells | ✓ | ✗ |
| Charts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Version History | ✓ | ✗ |
| Serverless Postgres | ✗ | ✓ |
| Branching | ✗ | ✓ |
| Autoscaling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scale To Zero | ✗ | ✓ |
| Point In Time Recovery | ✗ | ✓ |
| Connection Pooling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Logical Replication | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Hex Pros
- SQL + Python in one tool
- Beautiful data apps
- Collaborative notebooks
- Good sharing features
✗ Hex Cons
- Expensive for teams
- Learning curve for non-technical
- Limited self-hosting
✓ Neon Pros
- Generous free tier with autoscaling
- Database branching for development workflows
- Scale-to-zero reduces costs for low-traffic apps
- Full PostgreSQL compatibility
- Instant database provisioning
✗ Neon Cons
- Relatively new platform (less battle-tested)
- Cold starts when scaling from zero
- Some PostgreSQL extensions not yet supported
The Verdict
Hex is built for data analysts and data scientists, with a focus on sql-cells and python-cells. Neon targets startups and jamstack developers and leads with serverless-postgres and branching.
On pricing, Neon is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $19/mo compared to $28/mo for Hex. That $9/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Neon offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Hex takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.