Which is cheaper, MotherDuck or Nhost?

Nhost is 10.0x cheaper than MotherDuck. MotherDuck starts at $0/mo, Nhost starts at $0/mo.

Does MotherDuck have a free tier?

Yes, MotherDuck offers a free tier with activeUsers: 3, serviceAccounts: 2.

MotherDuck has moderate switching cost. Nhost has moderate switching cost. Both have similar switching complexity.

Database

MotherDuck

Serverless analytics platform built on DuckDB with hybrid local/cloud execution

Switching Cost: moderate

Nhost

← More affordable

Open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL and Hasura with auth and storage

Switching Cost: moderate

You're paying a premium for MotherDuck — expect around a 10.0x higher bill compared to Nhost.

Their pricing models diverge: MotherDuck uses usage-based, while Nhost operates on a flat-rate basis.

Price-conscious teams should choose Nhost — the cost advantage is hard to ignore, especially for growing workloads.

Price-conscious teams should choose Nhost — the cost advantage is hard to ignore, especially for growing workloads.

Price Difference

10.0x

Nhost is cheaper by $225/mo

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies