EdgeDB (now Gel) is an open-source Postgres-based database with graph queries and built-in auth. Self-host free or use Gel Cloud from $0/month.
EdgeDB is an open-source database platform originally launched in 2019 that layers a modern, object-oriented data model and its own query language, EdgeQL, on top of PostgreSQL. Rather than replacing Postgres, it extends it with graph-style relationships, a strongly typed schema language, and features more commonly associated with application frameworks, such as built-in authentication and authorization.
In February 2025, the company renamed the product from EdgeDB to Gel, a change the team described as purely cosmetic: the underlying engine, schema language, and roadmap stayed the same, but the new name was meant to avoid confusion with edge computing or pure graph databases, neither of which describes what the product actually is.
Gel's schema language lets developers define types, links, and computed properties declaratively, then query them with EdgeQL or a native GraphQL-like interface, avoiding much of the boilerplate of writing raw SQL joins for deeply nested data. Migrations are generated automatically from schema changes, and the platform includes a web-based Data Editor and Schema Browser for inspecting and editing data without writing queries by hand.
Because it's built on Postgres, Gel inherits Postgres's transactional guarantees and SQL compatibility, and as of the Gel rebrand it added full raw SQL query support alongside EdgeQL. It also bundles application-layer features that normally require separate services, including built-in user authentication, and AI features such as vector storage and automatic retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) endpoints for building AI applications directly against the database.
Gel's core database engine is open source and free to self-host on your own infrastructure indefinitely. For teams that don't want to manage their own database servers, Gel Cloud offers a managed hosting option starting with a free tier: a quarter compute unit (512 MiB RAM), up to 1GB of disk, and community support.
The Pro tier starts at $19.50 per month for a half compute unit (1 GiB RAM) with 10GiB of included storage and 100GiB of data transfer, billed with overage charges for extra storage and transfer, plus email support. Enterprise plans are custom-priced and add priority support, dedicated AWS account deployment, and volume discounts for larger workloads.
It's still active and commercially maintained, but was renamed Gel in February 2025. The company, team, and product roadmap remain the same under the new name.
Yes, the core database is open source and free to self-host. There's also a free tier of the managed Gel Cloud service with limited compute and storage.
No, Gel is built on top of PostgreSQL rather than replacing it, adding a graph-style data model, EdgeQL query language, and application features like auth, while still supporting raw SQL.
Gel Cloud starts free with limited resources, a Pro tier starts around $19.50/month, and Enterprise plans are custom-priced for larger deployments.
Developers building applications with complex, relational data models, or teams that want built-in authentication and AI vector search without adding separate services.