Overview
This page helps you quickly choose the best Neon–Vercel integration for your project. Whether you're starting fresh or have existing infrastructure, we'll guide you to the right solution.
Quick decision guide
Choose the Vercel-Managed Integration if you're new to Neon and want unified billing through Vercel. Choose the Neon-Managed Integration if you already have a Neon account or prefer to manage billing directly with Neon.
Compare the options at a glance
| Feature / Attribute | Vercel-Managed Integration | Neon-Managed Integration | Manual Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ideal for | New users, teams wanting a single Vercel bill | Existing Neon users, direct Neon billing | Integration not required or custom |
| Neon account | Created automatically via Vercel | Pre-existing Neon account | Pre-existing Neon account |
| Billing | Paid through Vercel | Paid through Neon | Paid through Neon |
| Setup method | Vercel Marketplace → Native Integrations → "Neon Postgres" | Vercel Marketplace → Connectable Accounts → "Neon" | Manual env-vars |
| Preview Branching | ✅ | ✅ | ✖️ |
| Neon Auth support | ✅ Auto-provisioned on preview branches | ✅ Auto-provisioned on preview branches | Manual setup required |
| Branch cleanup | Automatic (deployment-based) | Automatic (Git-branch-based) | N/A |
| Implementation type | Native Integration | Connectable Account | N/A |
Branch cleanup timing
Branch cleanup behavior differs between the two integrations. Vercel-Managed cleanup depends on Vercel's deployment retention policy, which can delay branch deletion by months. Neon-Managed cleanup is triggered by Git branch deletion. See Managing Vercel preview branch cleanup for details, workarounds, and recommendations.
Choose your integration path
Do you need custom CI/CD control?
If you want to build preview branching into your own CI/CD pipelines (for example, via GitHub Actions), use a manual connection instead of the automated integrations below.
For automated integrations, follow this simple flow:
Do you have an existing Neon account?
Do you already have a Neon account or project you want to keep using?
- ✅ Yes → Use Neon-Managed Integration
- ❌ No → Continue below
Choose your billing preference
Where would you like to manage billing for Neon?
- Through my Vercel account → Use Vercel-Managed Integration
- Directly with Neon → Use Neon-Managed Integration
Integration options overview
Vercel-Managed Integration
Create and manage Neon databases directly from your Vercel dashboard. Supports preview branches.
Neon-Managed Integration
Link an existing Neon project to Vercel and keep billing in Neon. Supports preview branches.
Manual Connection
Connect your Vercel project to a Neon database manually.
Next steps
Get Started Checklist
0%Select Vercel-Managed, Neon-Managed, or Manual based on the decision flow above
Click through to your chosen integration's detailed documentation
Set up database branching for your development workflow
Verify your database connection works in both production and preview environments
Need help?
Join our Discord Server to ask questions or see what others are doing with Neon. For paid plan support options, see Support.