---
title: "RisingWave Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)"
description: "RisingWave (Stream Processing): Free tier. Plans, pros & cons, and RisingWave alternatives compared for startups in 2026."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/risingwave
retrieved: 2026-11-10
---

![RisingWave logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=risingwave.com&sz=128)

[Stream Processing](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/stream-processing)Free tier

# RisingWave: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

RisingWave ingests from databases, event streams and webhooks, keeps SQL results up to date incrementally and serves them at low latency. It speaks the PostgreSQL wire protocol, so psql, JDBC and Postgres tools connect directly, and it integrates natively with Apache Iceberg, including a hosted REST catalog and table maintenance. The engine is Apache 2.0\. RisingWave Cloud Basic starts at $0.227 per RWU-hour on AWS, GCP or Azure with a 7-day trial; Pro (BYOC, no core limit) and self-managed enterprise licences are priced by sales. Network usage is billed separately.

Who it’s for: Teams that want streaming pipelines written in Postgres-style SQL, with results they can query directly or land in Iceberg.

Category

Stream Processing

Pricing

Free tier available

Free tier

Yes

Best for

Stream Processing: streaming SQL, Postgres-compatible, Iceberg

## RisingWave at a Glance

What it is

Streaming database

Write jobs in

PostgreSQL-style SQL

Licence

Apache 2.0

Where it runs

RisingWave Cloud, BYOC or self-hosted

How you pay

From $0.227 per RWU-hour on Cloud Basic

Checked November 2026 against [RisingWave pricing](https://www.risingwave.com/pricing/), [RisingWave on GitHub](https://github.com/risingwavelabs/risingwave).

[Visit RisingWave official site](https://www.risingwave.com/)

## RisingWave Pricing Plans (2026)

| Plan               | Price                  | Highlights                        |
| ------------------ | ---------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Open source        | $0 (Apache 2.0)        | Self-hosted                       |
| Cloud BasicPopular | From $0.227 / RWU-hour | Up to 64 cores · 7-day free trial |
| Cloud Pro          | Contact sales          | BYOC or BYOK8s · No core limit    |

Pricing summary: Free · paid from $0.227/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.

## Key RisingWave Features

* ✓Apache 2.0 engine; connects over the PostgreSQL wire protocol (psql, JDBC and Postgres tools work)
* ✓Ingests from databases, event streams and webhooks and updates results incrementally
* ✓Native Apache Iceberg integration with a hosted REST catalog and table maintenance
* ✓Cloud Basic from $0.227 per RWU-hour on AWS, GCP or Azure, up to 64 cores, 7-day trial
* ✓Cloud Pro (BYOC, no core limit) and self-managed licences priced by sales; network billed separately

### ✓ Pros

* +Plain Postgres-style SQL for streaming
* +Native Iceberg integration
* +Apache 2.0 engine
* +Published cloud rate

### ✗ Cons

* −Younger than Flink
* −Pro and enterprise pricing by quote
* −Not a general-purpose transactional database

## Best RisingWave Alternatives

[Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/risingwave)

[![Apache Flink logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=flink.apache.org&sz=128)Apache FlinkFree · paid from $0.11/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/apache-flink)[![Kafka Streams logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=kafka.apache.org&sz=128)Kafka StreamsFree](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/kafka-streams)[![Materialize logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=materialize.com&sz=128)MaterializeFree · paid from $1.5/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/materialize)

## RisingWave Compared

[RisingWave vs Apache Flink](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/apache-flink-vs-risingwave)[RisingWave vs Kafka Streams](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/kafka-streams-vs-risingwave)[RisingWave vs Materialize](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/materialize-vs-risingwave)

## RisingWave FAQ

What is RisingWave used for?⌄

RisingWave is a stream processing tool. Streaming database you query with Postgres-compatible SQL, with native Apache Iceberg support. Apache 2.0, cloud from $0.227 per RWU-hour.

Is RisingWave free?⌄

Yes. RisingWave has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.

How much does RisingWave cost?⌄

RisingWave offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at $0.227/month. Some plans are usage-based (pay-as-you-go).

What are the best RisingWave alternatives?⌄

Popular RisingWave alternatives include Apache Flink, Kafka Streams, Materialize. Compare pricing and features on our RisingWave alternatives page.

## Not sure if RisingWave fits your stack?

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