DuckDB

Analytics (embedded) Available Free tier

Analytical SQL without a warehouse

DuckDB is an in-process analytics engine. We run it behind a small open-source HTTP server so a team can share one DuckDB file and query it from anywhere.

Ad-hoc analytics
Shared team datasets
Internal dashboards

Create DuckDB Pricing Docs

duckdb http · duckdb-7f3k.us-east.databasezy.com

Sample

→ SELECT date_trunc('day', ts) AS day,
         count(*) AS events,
         count(DISTINCT user_id) AS users
  FROM events
  GROUP BY day
  ORDER BY day DESC
  LIMIT 3;

Sample result of the DuckDB query above
day	events	users
2026-10-03	1,204,331	48,210
2026-10-02	1,187,095	47,881
2026-10-01	1,150,240	46,902

3 rows · 38 ms Illustrative data and timing

Features

DuckDB on Databasezy

Columnar engine

Vectorised execution scans millions of rows per second on a small instance.
JSON over HTTP

POST SQL with bound parameters and get typed columns and rows back as JSON.
Analytical SQL

Window functions, QUALIFY, PIVOT, rich date functions and nested types from DuckDB's SQL dialect.
Snapshots to object storage

A CHECKPOINT folds the WAL into the database file, which is then copied off the node on a schedule.

Quick start

Connect to DuckDB

Hosts, ports and the CA bundle come from the portal or the CLI after you create an instance. Credentials are shown once and never stored by our control plane.

From the CLI

1. Create the instance

zb instances create --engine duckdb --name duckdb-7f3k --wait

2. Download the CA bundle

zb ca > databasezy-ca.pem

3. Print the endpoint

zb connect duckdb-7f3k --print

At a glance

Category: Analytics (embedded)
Versions: 1.5
Wire protocol: http · port 443
Runtime: Single-node adapter (ghcr.io/zerobase/duckdb-server)
Backup: CHECKPOINT, then a file copy to object storage
Pause: Scale to zero
Free tier: Yes
Licence: MIT

Connection strings and drivers

Endpoint

https://duckdb-7f3k.us-east.databasezy.com  (TLS; user app + password)

HTTP

curl -u app:<password> https://duckdb-7f3k.us-east.databasezy.com/query -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"sql":"SELECT 42 AS answer"}'

Deployment

Choose where it runs

Placement is chosen per database, so a regulated workload and a side project can live in the same organisation.

Standard hosting

Shared cells with namespace isolation, default-deny network policy and an IP allow-list. Available from the free plan up.
- Usage-based compute, billed per running hour
- Spend cap to stop surprises
Secure hosting (HIPAA)

This database runs on dedicated nodes in a separate HIPAA cell, under a signed Business Associate Agreement. Available on Team and Enterprise.
- $0.10 per instance-hour on top of compute
- How secure hosting works
From the CLI or API

Script instances in CI with the zb CLI or the REST API. Pick the placement per instance.
secure placement
```
zb instances create --engine duckdb --placement secure --wait
```

Plans

DuckDB on each plan

Usage-based pricing with a spend cap: you pay a plan fee plus what your instances use.

Free tier

Yes. One f0 instance with a shared vCPU (bursts to 1), 512 MiB of memory and a 500 MB database, no card required. It sleeps after 15 minutes idle and wakes on connect.

Sizes

From s0 (0.25 vCPU, 1 GiB) at $10/mo up to xl32 (32 vCPU, 128 GiB). Resize without changing the connection string.

All sizes and prices

Backups

CHECKPOINT, then a file copy to object storage. Snapshots only: point-in-time recovery is not available for this engine.

Migrate

Migrate to DuckDB from

Copy a database in with a connection string, a file upload or the CLI. Preflight checks the source first and verification compares the copy.

Documentation

DuckDB docs

DuckDB questions

Which DuckDB versions can I run?

1.5 today. Minor and patch updates are applied in your maintenance window after a pre-change backup.

Which extensions, modules or plugins are available?

The server embeds DuckDB with its core features. The PostgreSQL wire endpoint is not available yet; use the HTTP API until it ships.

How are backups handled?

Backups use CHECKPOINT, then a file copy to object storage. Paid plans run scheduled backups (Solo: daily, 7-day retention; Team: daily, 14-day retention); the free plan keeps one manual snapshot. DuckDB does not support point-in-time recovery; you restore from the most recent snapshot into a new instance.

Is the connection encrypted?

Always. The gateway terminates TLS (1.3 where your client supports it, 1.2 at minimum) and re-encrypts traffic to the database. Plain-text connections are refused. Verify the server with our CA bundle from the portal or zb ca, and restrict access further with the IP allow-list included on every plan.

Can I pause it when I'm not using it?

Yes. Free instances sleep after 15 minutes without connections and wake on the next one; after 7 idle days they are archived with the disk kept. On paid plans you pause on demand or on a schedule. A paused instance bills storage and backups but no compute, and wakes in 10 to 40 seconds.

What are the limits?

The free plan runs one f0 instance with a shared vCPU (bursts to 1), 512 MiB of memory, 20 connections and a 500 MB database. Paid sizes run from s0 (0.25 vCPU, 1 GiB, 60 connections, $10/mo) to xl32 (32 vCPU, 128 GiB, 5,000 connections), with up to 16 TB of disk.

How many queries can run at once?

Queries share one connection and run one at a time, and each response returns at most 10,000 rows. DuckDB here suits analysis by a team, not a high-concurrency application backend.

What you get on each plan

Plan features as they apply to DuckDB.

DuckDB features by plan
Feature	Free	Solo	Team	Enterprise
DuckDB on this plan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Plan fee	$0/mo	$25/mo	$599/mo	Custom
Largest size	f0	xl32	xl32	xl32
Included per instance	500 MB	8 GB	8 GB	Negotiated
Max disk per instance	1 GB	1 TB	16 TB	16 TB
Scheduled backups	1 manual snapshot	Daily, 7-day retention	Daily, 14-day retention	Hourly, 35-day retention · cross-region copy · immutable
Point-in-time recovery	Not available for this engine	Not available for this engine	Not available for this engine	Not available for this engine
Pause	Sleeps after 15 min idle, wakes on connect	On demand or on a schedule	On demand or on a schedule	On demand or on a schedule
Secure hosting (HIPAA)	—	—	Available with a BAA	Available with a BAA
Support	Community	Email	Priority	24x7 dedicated
Uptime SLA	—	—	99.9%	99.95%

Start with DuckDB today

The free plan needs no card. Upgrade when you need more, and keep the same endpoint.

Create DuckDB See pricing

DuckDB

Good for

Sample query

DuckDB on Databasezy

Columnar engine

JSON over HTTP

Analytical SQL

Snapshots to object storage