npx create-db

create-db is an open-source CLI tool that provisions temporary Prisma Postgres databases with a single command.

• Fast setup: No sign-up required to create a temporary production-ready Prisma Postgres database.
• Lifetime: Each database is available for 24 hours by default.
• Keep for free: You can claim a database (via the URL provided in the CLI output) to make it permanent.

Prerequisites

To use npx create-db, you need:

• Node.js version 16 or higher (we recommend the latest LTS version).
• npm (comes with Node.js) to run npx commands.

A Prisma Data Platform account is not required to create a temporary database. However, if you want to keep a database permanently, you can claim it (details below).

Option 1: Using the web interface (recommended)

The create-db web application provides a browser-based interface for creating and managing your databases.

Key features:

• No installation required - works directly in your web browser
• Visual interface for database management
• Easy connection string display and copying
• Built-in schema viewer and editor
• Direct integration with Prisma Studio
• Simple database claiming workflow

Getting started:

1. Visit create-db.prisma.io in your web browser
2. Click "Create with the web interface"
3. Modify your schema and interact with the Studio
4. Copy the provided connection strings for your project
5. Claim your database to make it permanent

Option 2: Using the CLI

You can create a database using one of the following options:

Option 1: Quick start with default settings

Run the following command in your terminal:

npx create-db@latest

• The @latest tag automatically downloads and runs the latest version of the tool, hence, no global installation required.
• After a few seconds, you'll receive connection strings for both Prisma ORM projects and standard PostgreSQL.
• The default region is us-east-1. You can specify the region where you want to provision the database in using the --region flag. See the section below to view all the CLI options.

Option 2: Choose a region interactively

If you want to select a region manually:

npx create-db@latest --interactive

• This opens a region selection menu (for example, us-east-1, eu-west-3).
• Alternatively, you can use the shorthand -i:

npx create-db@latest -i

To view all options and regions:

npx create-db@latest --help

CLI output walkthrough

Here is an example output:

┌  🚀 Creating a Prisma Postgres database
│
│  Provisioning a temporary database in us-east-1...
│  It will be automatically deleted in 24 hours, but you can claim it.
◇  Database created successfully!
│
●  Database Connection
│    Connection String:
│    postgresql://<username>:<password>@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres
│
◆  Claim your database →
│    Keep your database for free:
│    https://create-db.prisma.io?projectID=proj_...
└

Once you have the output, take the connection string and add it to your .env file as DATABASE_URL:

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://<username>:<password>@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres"

You can now follow the Prisma Postgres quickstart guide to connect your Prisma project to this database.

If you're using other tools or libraries, use the standard PostgreSQL connection string (postgresql://...) with any PostgreSQL-compatible client, such as psql, pgAdmin, node-postgres, or an ORM of your choice. Detailed instructions are available in the guide for connecting via direct PostgreSQL connection string.

Claiming your database

By default, databases created with npx create-db are temporary and will be automatically deleted after 24 hours.

You can prevent this by claiming the database using the claim URL shown in the CLI output:

◆  Claim your database →
│
│    Want to keep your database? Claim for free:
│
│    https://create-db.prisma.io?projectID=proj_...
│
│    Your database will be deleted on 7/24/2025, 2:25:41 AM if not claimed.

To claim your database and make it permanent:

1. Copy the claim URL from the CLI output.
2. Open it in your browser and click Claim database.
3. Sign in to your Prisma Data Platform account (or create one if you don’t have it yet).
4. Choose a Workspace that has capacity for creating new projects.
5. Click Authorize Prisma Create DB to confirm.
6. You’ll be redirected to a success page. Then, click Go use your database to view and manage the claimed database in your workspace.

When you claim a database:

• It's moved into your Prisma Data Platform account workspace.
• It's no longer auto-deleted after 24 hours.
• You can continue using it as a permanent database instance.

Available CLI options

Here are the CLI flags for the npx create-db command:

To view all CLI options use the --help or -h flag:

npx create-db@latest --help

npx create-db@latest [options]

Options:
  --region <region>, -r <region>  Specify a region
                                  Available regions:
                                  ap-southeast-1, ap-northeast-1,
                                  eu-central-1, eu-west-3,
                                  us-east-1, us-west-1

  --interactive, -i               Run in interactive mode

  --help, -h                      Show this help message