MongoDB Atlas Free Tier (M0) Limits and Throttling

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Ongoing All Updated November 13, 2026Based on 2 user reportsHow we research

Quick answer

The free M0 cluster is capped at 512 MB, 500 connections, 100 ops/sec and 10 GB in/out per rolling 7 days. Past those limits Atlas throttles instead of billing.

Most likely fix: Free up storage

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Free up storage

    1. Drop unused collections and indexes
    2. Check size in Database > Browse Collections
    3. Delete old test data
    Did this fix it?
  2. 2. Reduce operations and connections

    1. Batch writes and add indexes to cut read load
    2. Reuse one MongoClient and set maxPoolSize
    Did this fix it?
  3. 3. Upgrade when needed

    1. Open the cluster and click Edit Configuration
    2. Choose Flex (about $8 to $30/month) or Dedicated M10 (about $57/month)
    Did this fix it?
  4. 4. Export before you leave

    1. Use mongodump on your data (not the admin database) before deleting or abandoning an M0
    Did this fix it?

Symptoms

Queries slow down or hang, 'you are over your space quota', connection errors at 500, or features such as Performance Advisor missing.

Why it happens

  • 512 MB storage cap including indexes
  • 100 operations per second cap
  • 10 GB in and 10 GB out per 7 days
  • 500 connections maximum
  • Unsupported features on shared tier

This guide also covers

  • mongodb atlas free tier limits
  • mongodb atlas m0 limits
  • mongodb atlas 512mb limit
  • mongodb atlas free tier throttled

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