Migrate from Prisma Postgres to Layerbase
Prisma Postgres bills per operation: every create, read, update, and delete is a line on the meter. Paste the direct connection string from the Prisma Console and we copy the schema and data to a managed Layerbase Postgres in one read-once pass. Prisma ORM keeps working; only the bill changes shape.
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Why switch
Why teams leave Prisma Postgres
No operations meter
Prisma counts every create, read, update, and delete and sells them in blocks with overage per million. A Layerbase Postgres is $0 on the Free tier, then $5/mo Solo or $15/mo Pro, however many queries your app runs.
Prisma ORM comes with you
Point the standard pg driver adapter (@prisma/adapter-pg) or a plain DATABASE_URL at your Layerbase connection string and every model, migration, and query keeps working. Accelerate is the one thing that stays behind.
A direct string you can pg_dump
Prisma Postgres exposes a direct TCP endpoint at db.prisma.io, so the migration is a normal read-once Postgres copy. No export job, no API keys, nothing written back.
Branching, backups, and the engines next door
Copy-on-write branches for previews, daily backups, TLS connection strings, a web SQL console, and Redis, Valkey, or search on the same account when the app needs more than one database.
How it works
Four steps, one pass
- 1
Create a free account or sign in
Sign in with Google or GitHub. No credit card is needed to start, and the migration wizard opens with this platform already selected.
- 2
Paste your connection string
In the Prisma Console open your database, click Connect to your database, then Generate new connection string, and paste the DIRECT one: postgres://USER:PASSWORD@db.prisma.io:5432/?sslmode=require. Not the pooled.db.prisma.io host (a transaction pooler breaks pg_dump) and not the prisma+postgres:// Accelerate URL (that is an HTTP proxy, not a Postgres socket).
- 3
Pick what to migrate and name it
Choose what to bring over, give the new Layerbase database a name, and start the migration. Progress streams live in the dashboard.
- 4
We copy it in one pass
The migration reads from Prisma Postgres once and never writes to it. Credentials are used for the copy and never stored. When it finishes, you land in your new database with a live TLS connection string.
FAQ
Common Prisma Postgres migration questions
Where do I find my connection string?
In the Prisma Console open your database, click Connect to your database, then Generate new connection string. Two strings appear; paste the direct one, postgres://USER:PASSWORD@db.prisma.io:5432/?sslmode=require. The pooled.db.prisma.io host runs a transaction pooler that pg_dump cannot run through, and the prisma+postgres:// Accelerate URL is an HTTP proxy rather than a Postgres socket.
Does Prisma ORM keep working?
Yes. Prisma ORM talks to any Postgres. Use the pg driver adapter (@prisma/adapter-pg) or set DATABASE_URL to your Layerbase string and run prisma migrate deploy as usual. Your schema.prisma, migrations, and generated client do not change.
What about Prisma Accelerate?
Accelerate is Prisma-hosted connection pooling and a global query cache reached through a prisma+postgres:// URL, and it does not travel. Layerbase gives you a pooled connection string for the pooling half; if your app leaned on the cache for hot reads, put a Redis or Valkey next to the database on the same plan.
Will my Prisma Postgres database be modified?
No. The migration is read-once: we connect with the direct string, copy the schema and data, and disconnect. Nothing is written back and the database keeps serving traffic throughout. There is no ongoing sync, so plan a cutover rather than running both.
What does it cost?
Postgres is on the Layerbase Free tier, so you can migrate and compare without a credit card. Paid plans start at $5 a month when you need more databases or resources.
Ready to leave Prisma Postgres?
Sign in, and the migration wizard opens with Prisma Postgres already selected. Your source is read once and never modified, so there is nothing to undo if you change your mind.