PolarDB-X Zero

PolarDB-X Zero is a free distributed MySQL-compatible database service that PolarDB-X provides for the AI era. It features zero registration, zero configuration, and ready-to-use access. Without signing in to an account or paying, you can create an independent PolarDB-X instance with a single API call for scenarios such as AI agent memory storage, prototype validation, lightweight application development, and teaching demonstrations.

PolarDB-X Zero also serves as the unified experience entry for various PolarDB-X AI capabilities (such as the memory engine, vector retrieval, and AI IDE integration), helping developers experience the full distributed and AI capabilities of PolarDB-X at the lowest cost.

Getting started

To create an instance or view the complete API reference, SKILL.md integration guide, and FAQ, visit the PolarDB-X Zero website.

Core capabilities

100% MySQL compatibility: Fully compatible with the MySQL protocol. Any MySQL client, ORM, or driver can connect directly without learning or modification costs.
Native AI agent memory store: Built-in VECTOR data type and HNSW vector index. Natively compatible with mainstream agent memory frameworks such as Mem0. Relational queries and semantic retrieval can be completed in a single SQL statement.
One-click AI IDE integration: Based on the MCP protocol and the SKILL.md standard, you can create and operate Zero instances directly in AI programming tools such as Qoder and Cursor, giving agents built-in database capabilities.
Minimalist delivery: Create an instance through an HTTP API and receive the connection string in seconds. No console or VPC configuration is required.

Use cases

Conversation memory, long-term memory, and personalized vector stores for AI agents.
Lightweight applications for individual developers and students, hackathons, and teaching demos.
Prototype validation and feature research for new projects to experience PolarDB-X and AI capabilities.

Note

If you want to use PolarDB-X Zero in production environments, we recommend that you upgrade first to avoid impact on your business caused by instance release.

Specifications and lifecycle

Item	Description
Instance specifications	Standard Edition: one node with 2 cores and 4 GB of memory. Enterprise Edition: 2 nodes. Compute node : 2 cores, 4 GB. Data node: 2 cores, 8 GB.
Default validity period	1 day.
Maximum validity period	30 days.
Expiration handling	After an instance expires, it is automatically recycled and its resources are released. Data is not retained.
Billing method	Free of charge.
Usage limits	A single IP address can retain a maximum of 2 active instances. The creation rate is limited to 5 instances per minute.

Note

We recommend that you export the data that you need by using mysqldump or other MySQL-compatible tools before the instance expires.

One-click deployment by using an AI agent

PolarDB-X Zero is natively adapted to AI programming assistants, so you can let agents bring their own database capabilities without manually calling APIs or writing scripts.

In AI programming assistants that support MCP or SKILL.md, such as Qoder, Cursor, and OpenClaw, enter the following single instruction to automatically create a PolarDB-X Zero instance, obtain its connection string, and integrate it into your project:

Read https://zero.polardbx.com/SKILL.md and follow the instructions to create a database using PolarDB-X Zero.

The agent automatically calls the PolarDB-X Zero HTTP API to create the instance, obtain the connection string, and write it into the project configuration. To quickly build scenarios such as vector retrieval or agent memory, replace the URL in the instruction with a topic-specific playbook such as https://playbook.polardbx.com/vector.md.

Upgrade path (migrate to PolarDB-X commercial instances)

When the prototype phase is complete and you are ready to launch your business in production, you can directly upgrade the current instance to a PolarDB-X pay-as-you-go instance with cloud disks in the PolarDB-X Zero console. The upgrade is performed in place, with no data export required and no impact on your business. After the upgrade, you can enjoy high availability, backup and restoration, monitoring and alerts, enterprise-grade security, and after-sales support.

Recommended procedure:

One-click upgrade: Upgrade to a commercial-edition PolarDB-X cluster with a single click. Obtain the upgrade link based on how the PolarDB-X Zero instance was created.
- Manually created instances: Go to the PolarDB-X Zero website and click Transfer to My Aliyun Account, or open the upgrade link https://polardb-x.console.alibabacloud.com/transfer?claim=clm_xxx (where clm_xxx is the claim credential of the instance).
- Instances created by an agent: The dialog box that creates the instance returns the upgrade link, or you can ask the agent how to upgrade at any time.
Change the network: Select a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and a vSwitch.
Capability upgrade: Commercial instances additionally provide enterprise-grade capabilities such as high-availability multi-replica deployment (RPO=0), columnar read-only nodes, Global Database Network (GDN), and the PolarDB-X AI Assistant for intelligent diagnostics and inspection.

For information about the specificationsand pricing of pay-as-you-go PolarDB-X instances with cloud disks, visit the PolarDB-X product page or console. For information about how to upgrade PolarDB-X Zero instances, see PolarDB-X Zero website.