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Head-to-head · Database Proxy Software

ProxySQL vs Cloudflare Hyperdrive

  • Updated Nov 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score ProxySQL #2 in Database Proxy Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit ProxySQL
Cloudflare Hyperdrive #7 in Database Proxy Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Cloudflare

ProxySQL leads on 0 checks, Cloudflare Hyperdrive on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreProxySQL · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresProxySQL · 4 of 4

ProxySQL scores higher on our rubric for database proxy software: 9.2 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.

On deployment model, Cloudflare Hyperdrive gives you Managed where ProxySQL offers Self-hosted.

ProxySQL is the better fit for free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying. Cloudflare Hyperdrive is the better fit for managed edge database connectivity.

  • ProxySQL fits best

    Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying

  • Cloudflare Hyperdrive fits best

    Managed edge database connectivity

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Side by side

Feature ProxySQL 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Cloudflare Hyperdrive 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.5
Ranking #2 in Database Proxy Software #7 in Database Proxy Software
Best for Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying Managed edge database connectivity
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan —
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Linux Web
Support Email, Community, Docs · 24/7 Community, Docs
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ProxySQL 4/4 · Cloudflare Hyperdrive 2/4
Connection pooling ✓ ✓
Query routing ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Load balancing ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Automatic failover ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Self-hosted Managed
Supported databases MySQL protocol, PostgreSQL protocol, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Percona Server for MySQL, ClickHouse PostgreSQL 9.0–17.x; MySQL 5.7–8.x; MariaDB; PostgreSQL- and MySQL-compatible providers
Maximum connections Not checked yet 100 connections
Our review
Pros
  • Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting
  • Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support
  • Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included
  • Pooling, caching, transaction pooling, and failover recovery
  • Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and compatible providers
  • Includes query and connection-pool metrics with configurable limits
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software
  • Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based
  • Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs
  • Free usage is limited to 100,000 database queries per day
  • Paid access is tied to the Workers Paid plan
  • Documented connection limits are approximately 100 per configuration
Our verdict

ProxySQL is an open-source, protocol-aware database proxy for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and compatible systems. It provides a single database endpoint while handling connection multiplexing, pooling, query routing, read/write splitting, load…

Read the review →

Cloudflare Hyperdrive is a managed database proxy for developers building globally distributed Cloudflare Workers applications. It connects Workers to existing regional databases without requiring a major database migration or application…

Read the review →
  1. ProxySQLDatabase Proxy Software 9.2Free plan
  2. Cloudflare HyperdriveDatabase Proxy Software 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • ProxySQL — where it wins

    • Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting
    • Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support
    • Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software
    • Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based
    • Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs
  • Cloudflare Hyperdrive — where it wins

    • Pooling, caching, transaction pooling, and failover recovery
    • Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and compatible providers
    • Includes query and connection-pool metrics with configurable limits

    Where it doesn't

    • Free usage is limited to 100,000 database queries per day
    • Paid access is tied to the Workers Paid plan
    • Documented connection limits are approximately 100 per configuration

ProxySQL vs Cloudflare Hyperdrive: questions

Which is better for database proxy software, ProxySQL or Cloudflare Hyperdrive?

ProxySQL scores higher on our rubric for database proxy software: 9.2 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.

How do ProxySQL and Cloudflare Hyperdrive compare?

All 5 checks we put side by side come out level: neither leads on any.

Do ProxySQL and Cloudflare Hyperdrive have a free plan?

ProxySQL: Yes. Cloudflare Hyperdrive: Yes.

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026

Last updated · How we research and update