At a glance
| Database engines | MySQL 8 on Vitess; PostgreSQL 17 and 18; Neki sharded Postgres (Platform Preview) |
| Regions | 12 AWS regions and 7 Google Cloud regions |
| Scaling | Choose a provisioned cluster size (22 sizes on Base); horizontal sharding on Vitess and Neki; read replicas |
| Backups and recovery | Automatic backups every 12 hours on Base; extra scheduled backups at 0.023 USD per GB-month; point-in-time recovery listed for Postgres and Neki, not Vitess |
| High availability | Primary plus two replicas across three availability zones; single-node Postgres without replicas |
| Free tier | None; every database needs a paid subscription |
| Pricing model | Monthly price per provisioned cluster size, plus storage, backups and egress; varies by region |
PlanetScale suits teams that want an always-on, provisioned production database with replicas across three availability zones, and especially teams that need MySQL sharding with non-blocking schema changes through Vitess. It is paid from the first database, and the Vitess product has documented MySQL compatibility limits, so check those before migrating an existing MySQL application.
Overview
PlanetScale is a database company that sells managed databases rather than a full backend. Its original product, Vitess, is MySQL-compatible and runs MySQL 8 on the open source Vitess sharding system. Its Postgres product is a managed PostgreSQL service (versions 17 and 18) sold as three-node high-availability clusters or as cheaper single-node databases. Neki adds horizontal sharding for Postgres and is in Platform Preview.
Every engine can run on network-attached storage or on Metal, which uses locally attached NVMe drives. Databases run in 12 AWS regions and 7 Google Cloud regions. The Enterprise plan adds single-tenant deployments and PlanetScale Managed, which runs inside the customer's own cloud account.
Key features
- Vitess-based MySQL with explicit horizontal sharding and an unlimited number of shards
- Deploy requests on Vitess for online (non-blocking) schema changes, with schema reverts
- Postgres high-availability clusters with a primary and two replicas across availability zones, or single-node databases
- Metal cluster sizes on local NVMe storage for all three engines
- Automatic backups every 12 hours on the Base plan, plus user-scheduled backups
- Query Insights (7-day retention on Base) and built-in connection pooling
- Development branches billed only for the time they run
Pros and cons
Pros
- Two engines (MySQL on Vitess and PostgreSQL) from one vendor and console
- High-availability clusters with replicas across three zones are the default configuration
- Mature MySQL sharding and non-blocking schema changes through Vitess deploy requests
- Runs on AWS and Google Cloud, with Metal and bring-your-own-cloud options
Cons
- No free plan; development and hobby projects pay from day one
- Vitess does not support stored procedures, functions, triggers or events, LOAD DATA INFILE, or storage engines other than InnoDB
- Postgres branches start empty or from a backup, and schema changes are not merged between branches automatically
- No in-place Postgres major-version upgrades: moving from 17 to 18 means a new database and an online migration
Pricing
PlanetScale has no free plan: its plans documentation states that all databases need a paid subscription, starting with the self-serve Base plan (formerly Scaler Pro). Prices on the pricing page are in USD per month for AWS us-east-1 and vary by region and cluster size. Postgres single node starts at 5 USD (PS-5), Postgres high-availability clusters (one primary plus two replicas) at 15 USD (PS-5) and Postgres Metal clusters at 50 USD (M-10, Arm). Vitess starts at 39 USD (PS-10, three nodes) and Vitess Metal at 609 USD (M-160). Neki, sharded Postgres in Platform Preview, is listed from 30 USD per shard (PS-10, Arm) plus routers from 6 USD. Extra storage, user-scheduled backups (0.023 USD per GB-month), egress and extra replicas are billed on top. Enterprise pricing is by quote.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Teams that want a provisioned, highly available MySQL or PostgreSQL production database, and teams that need MySQL horizontal sharding with online schema changes.
Who should look elsewhere
- Prototypes, idle databases or a database per pull request on a free plan: see Neon vs PlanetScale.
- Applications that need auth, storage and realtime alongside the database: see Supabase vs PlanetScale.
Verdict
PlanetScale is a strong fit for production MySQL that needs sharding and safe schema changes, and its Postgres product gives a simple route to a three-zone HA cluster from 15 USD a month. The trade-offs are no free plan, provisioned rather than scale-to-zero billing, and Vitess compatibility limits that rule out stored routines.
Frequently asked questions
Does PlanetScale have a free plan?
No. PlanetScale's plans documentation states that it does not offer a free plan. The cheapest listed option in November 2026 is a single-node Postgres database from 5 USD a month in AWS us-east-1.
Does PlanetScale support PostgreSQL?
Yes. PlanetScale Postgres supports PostgreSQL 17 and 18 as HA clusters or single-node databases, and Neki, a sharded Postgres product, is in Platform Preview. The original Vitess product is MySQL-compatible.
Which clouds does PlanetScale run on?
AWS (12 regions) and Google Cloud (7 regions). On the Enterprise plan, PlanetScale Managed can run in the customer's own cloud account.
Sources
- PlanetScale pricing
- PlanetScale docs: Plans
- PlanetScale docs: Regions
- PlanetScale docs: Vitess, Neki and Postgres compared
- PlanetScale docs: Postgres versions
- PlanetScale docs: MySQL compatibility (Vitess)
Checked November 2026.
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