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SurrealDB

SurrealDB on Layerbase Desktop and CLI

Multi-model database (documents, graphs, relations, key-value) with SurrealQL. Available on Layerbase Desktop and self-hosted with the Layerbase CLI.

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Layerbase Desktop / SurrealDB / graph_sandbox

Database

graph_sandbox

Schema

  • person
  • company
  • knows
  • works_at
SurrealQLCmd+Enter to run
SELECT *, ->knows->person.name AS friends
FROM person
WHERE company.name = "Layerbase"
FETCH friends;
[
{
id: person:tobie,
name: "Tobie",
friends: ["Jaime", "Sam"]
},
{
id: person:jaime,
name: "Jaime",
friends: ["Tobie"]
}
]
2 records · 4ms

  • Upstream binary

    No license substitution

  • Your machine

    Data stays on your disk

  • Price

    Free for personal use

  • Desktop and CLI

    Run it locally or self-host

Why is SurrealDB not on Cloud?

The Business Source License wording makes us uncomfortable to host SurrealDB as a serverless platform. We would rather skip Cloud entirely than ship something where the redistribution and managed-host terms are unclear.

If you're with SurrealDB and would like to work with us on a managed offering, we would love to hear from you.

Contact us

Run it your way

SurrealDB on your machine, same dashboard

SurrealDB is not on Layerbase Cloud, but it is first-class everywhere else. Layerbase Desktop runs the upstream binary with the same dashboard chrome, query console, and connection manager as the cloud product, and the Layerbase CLI runs the same engine runtime from the terminal, as native processes with no Docker required. Data stays on your disk: no managed-host TLS to terminate, no IP allowlist to maintain, no third party to trust.

View the CLI docs
Run it locally with the CLI
npm i -g layerbase
lbase create mydb -e surrealdb
lbase start mydb

Where to run it

Cloud, desktop, or self-host

One database, three places it can live. Pick the speed you want and move between them when you outgrow it.

Layerbase Cloud

SurrealDB provisioned on managed infrastructure.

Coming soon

Layerbase Desktop

Run SurrealDB locally with the same dashboard and query console.

Download

Layerbase CLI

Run SurrealDB from the terminal, locally or on your own infra.

View the CLI docs

FAQ

Common SurrealDB questions

What is SurrealDB?

SurrealDB is a multi-model database that handles document, graph, relational, and key-value data through a single query language, SurrealQL. It can run embedded inside a process or as a networked server, which makes it a common pick for prototypes that mix data shapes. Layerbase does not host it on Cloud for licensing reasons, but it runs on Layerbase Desktop and self-hosted through the Layerbase CLI, in both cases as the upstream binary.

How much does SurrealDB cost on Layerbase?

There is no managed SurrealDB to buy: it is not on Layerbase Cloud for licensing reasons, so no plan includes it. Layerbase Desktop is free for personal use and runs the upstream binary on your own machine, and self-hosting it with the Layerbase CLI costs whatever your own hardware costs.

Why is SurrealDB not on Layerbase Cloud?

SurrealDB ships under the Business Source License (BSL), which restricts hosted commercial offerings. On the desktop or via the Layerbase CLI you run the upstream binary under its standard license.

Which SurrealDB version does Layerbase run?

Desktop and the Layerbase CLI track recent stable SurrealDB releases. The version is shown in the dashboard.

Can I run SurrealDB embedded or networked on Layerbase?

Both modes work. The dashboard surfaces a networked endpoint by default; embedded use is supported through the SDK against the same data file.

When would Layerbase Cloud add SurrealDB?

When the licensing situation allows or via a direct partnership. For now, desktop and self-host are the supported paths.

Can SurrealDB replace my Postgres?

Sometimes. SurrealQL is expressive and the multi-model fit is nice for prototypes. For high-throughput transactional workloads, mature Postgres tooling is still the safer choice.

What you get

Desktop app or self-host with the Layerbase CLI

SurrealDB runs on your laptop with the Layerbase Desktop app, or anywhere else with the Layerbase CLI, which runs the same engine runtime from the terminal as native processes with no Docker required.

Native dashboard

Same dashboard chrome, query console, and connection manager as the Layerbase Cloud experience, running on your own machine.

Runs the upstream binary

No license substitution. You are running the engine maintainers ship, with the configuration knobs they document.

Your machine, your data

Data stays on disk. No managed-host TLS to terminate, no IP allowlist to maintain, no third party to trust.

Free for personal use

Layerbase Desktop is free for personal projects. Team and commercial use is covered under the standard license.

Download Layerbase Desktop

Free for personal use. Native dashboard for SurrealDB and every other engine we support.

Get the desktop app

Self-host with the Layerbase CLI

Run SurrealDB locally or on your own infra from the terminal. The same engine binaries the desktop app uses.

View the CLI docs

Side by side

Hosted SurrealDB, compared

Surreal Cloud exists: 1 free instance, then hourly billing from $0.021/hr. SurrealDB's license terms keep it off Layerbase Cloud, so we do not host it, but you can run it free on Layerbase Desktop.

Competitor facts verified September 7, 2026 against each vendor's own pricing and documentation pages: Surreal Cloud.

More on SurrealDB

All articles

Upstream project

SurrealDB is developed by the SurrealDB project. Layerbase packages official releases; the engine itself is built upstream.

surrealdb.com