--- title: Autoscaling is now GA and available on the Free Plan, Postgres version updates, and an upcoming change for protected branches --- ### Autoscaling is now GA ![visualization for autoscaling](/docs/introduction/autoscaling_intro.png) In case you missed the [announcement](/blog/neon-autoscaling-is-generally-available) earlier this week, we're excited to share that Neon's Autoscaling feature is now generally available. Autoscaling has been a core objective for Neon from the very beginning. With Autoscaling, your database automatically adjusts its compute resources up or down based on demand, including scaling down to zero when not in use. This feature is now ready for production, making it easier than ever to manage workloads efficiently. If you're not yet familiar with Neon's Autoscaling feature, you can learn more here: - [An introduction to Neon's Autoscaling](h/docs/introduction/autoscaling) - [Understanding Neon's Autoscaling algorithm](/docs/guides/autoscaling-algorithm) - [Enabling Autoscaling](/docs/guides/autoscaling-guide) ### Autoscaling on the Free Plan In addition to our Autoscaling GA announcement, we've made Autoscaling available on our [Free Plan](/docs/introduction/plans#free-plan), where you can automatically scale computes from 0.25 CU (1 GB of RAM) up to 2 CU (8 GB of RAM). To learn how, see [Enabling Autoscaling](/docs/guides/autoscaling-guide). When you try Autoscaling on the Free Plan, we recommend [monitoring your monthly compute hour allowance](/docs/introduction/monitor-usage). A compute that scales up regularly to meet demand will consume your compute hour allowance more quickly. ### Postgres version updates Supported Postgres versions were updated to [14.13](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/release/14.13/), [15.8](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/release/15.8/), and [16.4](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/release/16.4/), respectively. ### Upcoming change for branch reset and restore from a protected branch A few weeks ago, we introduced a new protected branches feature: When you create a child branch from a protected branch, new passwords are automatically generated for the matching Postgres roles on the child branch. This helps prevent the exposure of passwords that could be used to access your protected branch. You can read more about this feature [here](/docs/guides/protected-branches#new-passwords-generated-for-postgres-roles-on-child-branches). Next week, we'll be making a related change, and we wanted to give you a heads-up in case any updates are needed for your CI scripts or workflows. **Coming next week: When you perform a [branch reset or restore](/docs/introduction/point-in-time-restore) operation on a child branch, the role passwords on the child branch will be preserved.** Currently, resetting or restoring a child branch (where passwords were previously regenerated) resets the passwords back to those used on the parent branch. The protected branches feature is available with the Neon [Scale](/docs/introduction/plans#scale) plan. To learn more, refer to our [Protected Branches guide](/docs/guides/protected-branches).
**Fixes & improvements** - The [Reset a Neon branch](https://github.com/neondatabase/reset-branch-action) GitHub Action, which resets a child branch with the latest data from its parent, now outputs connection string values. New outputs include: - `branch_id`: The ID of the newly reset branch. - `db_url`: The database connection string for the branch after the reset. - `db_url_with_pooler`: The pooled database connection string for the branch after the reset. - `host`: The branch host after the reset. - `host_with_pooler`: The branch host with the connection pooling option after the reset. - `password`: The Postgres role password for connecting to the branch database after the reset. - We've revamped the **Usage** widget on the Project Dashboard for Free Plan users, making it easier to monitor your usage allowances. Now prominently positioned at the top of the dashboard, the **Usage** widget provides an at-a-glance view of your monthly totals for Storage, Compute, Branch compute, and Branches. For an overview of Neon Free Plan allowances, please see [Free Plan](/docs/introduction/plans#free-plan). - Fixed an issue with the Neon CLI's `neon -v` command. The command returned `unknown` instead of the CLI version number. Thanks to community member [@mrl5](https://github.com/mrl5) for the contribution. - Fixed an issue with the Neon Docs site navigation. Thanks to community member [@lemorage](https://github.com/lemorage) for the contribution.