Canner vs. Aiven for PostgreSQL
Aiven is a Finnish multi-cloud data platform. Canner is one Canadian platform for Postgres and your app.
Aiven runs Postgres on the cloud and region you pick, including Canadian ones on AWS, Azure, Google and DigitalOcean. Canner runs only in Montreal and hosts your app next to the database.
- Aiven is headquartered in Helsinki, so it is not subject to US law by incorporation. It runs on US hyperscaler infrastructure in Canada, and how those two facts combine is a question to ask Aiven.
- Aiven has a free plan (1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, 1 GB storage, no card, no time limit) and offers Canadian regions on paid plans; the free plan does not let you choose the region. Canner’s Starter includes Postgres at CA$0 with a Montreal-only region.
- Aiven is multi-cloud and gives you a choice of provider. Canner has one region, no HA or automatic failover, and point-in-time recovery that restores into a new database.
| Feature | Canner | Aiven for PostgreSQL |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Starter is CA$0 with managed Postgres and 5 GB of pooled storage, on the same platform as your app. | Free plan at $0: 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, 1 GB storage, no card, no time limit. † |
| Paid plans | Live CA$9/mo, Studio CA$149/mo, Enterprise from CA$600/mo by quote. Postgres is included in each. | Paid plans are priced “from” on its pricing page. We don’t quote a figure because Aiven’s own pages disagree; check current prices with Aiven. † |
| Backups and point-in-time recovery | Backups on every plan with retention you set. Point-in-time recovery in the Dedicated instance add-on (CA$9/mo per project): 1 to 35 days, into a new database. | Point-in-time recovery uses full backups plus WAL within the plan’s retention window. We don’t quote per-plan windows because Aiven’s pages conflict. † |
| Extensions | With the Dedicated instance: pgvector, PostGIS, pg_trgm, pg_cron, hstore and others (14 in the catalog). | pgvector, PostGIS and pg_cron are listed. † |
| Following an external server | With the Dedicated instance: follow an external Postgres live (never as a superuser), and replicate out to your own subscribers. | Inbound logical replication is documented, using aiven_extras without superuser. † |
| Canadian region | Montreal, Quebec, the only region. | Canadian regions exist through its cloud providers: AWS ca-central-1, Azure Canada, Google Montréal and Toronto, DigitalOcean Toronto. † |
| Region choice on small plans | Always Montreal. | Free and Developer plans don’t get a choice of region. † |
| Connection pooling | External access is TLS-only with an IP allowlist at db.canner.ca:5432. | Connection pooling requires a startup plan or higher. † |
| Ownership and jurisdiction | Canadian-owned, no US affiliate, not subject to the US CLOUD Act. Hosted only in Montreal. | Aiven Oy is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Its Canadian regions run on US hyperscaler infrastructure; ask Aiven how that combination affects your requirements. † |
| What else is bundled | App hosting, cron, S3-style object storage, Data Workshop (SQL over your files), CLI and MCP server, all on the same plan. | Data-infrastructure focused. We compare only the Postgres side here. |
| Currency | CAD. | Check the billing currency on Aiven’s pricing page before you commit. † |
† Competitor details come from each vendor's own published pages on the dates shown; prices and plans change, so check the vendor before you decide. Free tier (2026-09-26) · Paid plans (2026-09-26) · Backups and point-in-time recovery (2026-09-26) · Extensions (2026-09-26) · Following an external server (2026-09-26) · Canadian region (2026-09-26) · Region choice on small plans (2026-09-26) · Connection pooling (2026-09-26) · Ownership and jurisdiction (2026-09-26) · Currency (2026-09-26)
When Canner is the right call
If you want the database and the app under one Canadian owner, hosted on infrastructure that stays in Montreal, and one predictable CAD bill, Canner is the simpler answer. It also includes Postgres on every plan, backups with off-site copies to your own buckets, and following an external server. What it does not have: multi-cloud choice, HA or automatic failover, and more than one region.
When Aiven still makes sense
Aiven is a mature multi-cloud provider. If you need to pick your cloud and region, run in a specific Canadian city, or already use other Aiven data services, it gives you that flexibility. Its Finnish incorporation may also matter to you as a non-US company. The trade-off is that its Canadian regions run on US hyperscaler infrastructure, so ask Aiven directly how that fits your requirements.
Ready to give it a try?
Free tier available — Starter is permanent, no card required to sign up. Cancel anytime.