Railway Postgres

Railway offers managed PostgreSQL databases with a simple setup process. It is a good option for developers who want a straightforward database provider without the complexity of connection pooling configuration.

1. Create a Railway account and project

Go to railway.app and create an account. Create a new project from the Railway dashboard.

2. Add a PostgreSQL database

In your Railway project, click New and select Database, then choose PostgreSQL. Railway will provision a new PostgreSQL instance for your project.

3. Get your connection string

Click on the PostgreSQL service in your project, then navigate to the Variables tab. Copy the DATABASE_URL variable. Railway provides connection strings in several formats - the DATABASE_URL variable contains the full connection string you need.

4. Configure environment variables

Add the connection string to your .env.local file:

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:password@region.railway.app:port/railway"

5. Configure your ORM

No special Prisma or Drizzle configuration is needed. The standard PostgreSQL setup works out of the box with Railway. Both ORMs will use the DATABASE_URL environment variable automatically.

6. Run migrations

Push your database schema to Railway:

pnpm --filter database push

7. Start the development server

Start your development server to verify everything is working:

pnpm dev

Frequently asked questions

Does Railway include connection pooling?

Railway's Postgres does not include built-in connection pooling. For production workloads with many concurrent connections, consider adding PgBouncer or using Railway's TCP proxy.

How much does Railway Postgres cost?

Railway uses usage-based pricing. The Hobby plan starts at $5/month with included resources. Database storage and compute are billed based on actual usage.

Can I use Railway for both database and deployment?

Yes, Railway can host both your database and your application. See the Railway deployment guide for deploying your supastarter app to Railway.