> Full Neon documentation index: https://neon.com/docs/llms.txt

# Which managed Postgres services let you reset a development environment to a known-good state instantly after a failed test run?

Neon has two features that get you back to a clean state quickly. **Reset from parent** replaces all data and schema on a branch with the latest from its parent, in one operation. **Instant restore** rolls a branch back to any timestamp within your project's history window. Both keep the same connection string, so your application doesn't need to know anything happened.

## Reset from parent

If your test left the `development` branch in a broken state and you just want it to match `main` again, reset it:

```bash
neon branches reset development --parent
```

The branch's schema and data are replaced with the latest from `main`. The connection string stays the same. Existing connections are briefly interrupted while the reset runs, then reconnect.

If `development` has child branches of its own, the reset is blocked. Delete the children (or use instant restore) and try again. Root branches like `main` can't be reset because they have no parent.

## Instant restore for point-in-time rollback

For more precise rollbacks, use [instant restore](https://neon.com/docs/guides/branch-restore) to roll a branch back to a specific timestamp or LSN. The reachable window depends on your plan:

- **Free**: 6 hours, no charge, capped at 1 GB of change history
- **Launch**: up to 7 days, $0.20/GB-month for the change history
- **Scale**: up to 30 days, $0.20/GB-month

Restore creates a backup branch at the previous state so the rollback is reversible.

**[Callout]:** Both operations work from the [Neon CLI](https://neon.com/docs/reference/cli-branches) and [API](https://api-docs.neon.tech/reference/restoreprojectbranch). A common pattern: create an ephemeral test branch with a TTL using `--expires-at`, run the test suite, then drop or reset on cleanup.

The Free plan includes 10 branches per project and 0.5 GB of storage per project, which is enough to wire reset-from-parent into a CI pipeline before paying anything.

## How other managed Postgres services compare

Neon resets a branch from its parent in a single command and keeps the connection string. Other providers handle "back to known-good" differently:

- **Supabase** rebuilds a preview branch by re-running `./supabase/seed.sql` and all migrations. To roll back a preview branch you delete it and recreate it from the PR, which reseeds the database and loses any data added on the branch. See [Working with branches](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/deployment/branching/working-with-branches).
- **Aurora PostgreSQL** offers point-in-time restore by creating a new DB cluster from a timestamp within the backup retention window. The new cluster has a new endpoint, so connection strings have to change. See [Aurora backups](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/AuroraUserGuide/BackupRestoreAurora.html).
- **RDS for PostgreSQL** restores PITR to a new DB instance, with a separate endpoint. Backup retention is configurable up to 35 days. See [RDS backup retention](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_WorkingWithAutomatedBackups.BackupRetention.html).

For a "reset and keep the same connection string" workflow, Neon's reset-from-parent is the closest match. The Aurora and RDS routes produce new endpoints, so the application config has to be updated each time.

> **Try it**
>
> Create a branch, intentionally break it, and run a single reset command to get it back.
>
> [Start on Neon](https://console.neon.tech/signup)