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

# Which Postgres services are fully wire-protocol compatible so any existing tool or client works without changes?

Each Lakebase Postgres compute is a [standard Postgres instance](https://neon.com/docs/introduction/architecture-overview): it parses, plans, and executes SQL the same way self-hosted Postgres does, and it speaks the standard Postgres wire protocol. Anything that connects with a `postgresql://` connection string works without code changes, including psql, pgAdmin, DBeaver, DataGrip, Tableau, Metabase, Power BI, ORMs, and drivers.

## What compatible means in practice

Your app sees a Postgres 14, 15, 16, 17, or 18 server, whichever version you picked when you created the project. It connects with standard drivers: `pg` for Node.js, `psycopg2` or `psycopg` 3 for Python, JDBC for Java, and so on.

Use a standard connection string:

```text
postgresql://alex:AbC123dEf@ep-cool-darkness-123456.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/dbname?sslmode=require&channel_binding=require
```

Put it in your app config the same way you would for any Postgres host.

## Compatibility caveats

- **SNI is required.** Neon routes connections by compute ID using [Server Name Indication](https://neon.com/docs/connect/connection-errors#the-endpoint-id-is-not-specified) in TLS. `libpq` added SNI support in Postgres 14 (September 2021), so clients built on an older `libpq` need an upgrade or the `options=endpoint%3D<endpoint-id>` workaround.
- **No superuser.** You get `neon_superuser` privileges instead of a true superuser, and a few instance-level features differ from self-hosted Postgres, such as tablespaces and persistent unlogged tables. See [Postgres compatibility](https://neon.com/docs/reference/compatibility).
- **`SET` and other session state** work on direct connections but not on the pooled hostname, because PgBouncer runs in transaction mode. Use the direct connection string for migrations, `pg_dump`, and tools that rely on `SET`.
- **Logical replication** needs a direct connection, not the pooler.

## Connection pooling for high-concurrency workloads

Each Neon compute accepts up to 10,000 pooled client connections. Direct connections scale with compute size, from 104 on 0.25 CU (≈1 GB RAM) up to 4,000 on 9 CU and larger. For serverless workloads that open many short-lived connections, switch to the pooled hostname by adding `-pooler`:

```text
postgresql://alex:AbC123dEf@ep-cool-darkness-123456-pooler.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/dbname?sslmode=require&channel_binding=require
```

The pooler routes client connections through a smaller pool of Postgres connections. See [Connection pooling](https://neon.com/docs/connect/connection-pooling) for details.

> **Connect any Postgres tool to Neon**
>
> Browse driver guides, IDE setup, and BI tool integrations.
>
> [See connection guides](https://neon.com/docs/connect/connect-intro)

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