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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs PlanetScale

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Cloud & Infrastructure

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Database & Data Management

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and PlanetScale differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)PlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureDatabase & Data Management
Founded20062018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in PlanetScale

  • Database Branching
  • Non-blocking Schema Changes
  • Insights
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Connection Pooling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Global Replication

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot PlanetScale
  • Data storagenot PlanetScale
  • Machine learningnot PlanetScale
  • Big data analyticsnot PlanetScale
  • Application developmentnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

  • MySQL database hosting with automatic failover and replicationnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

PlanetScale

  • EBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • EBS Non-HA single-node option lacks redundancy and automatic failover
  • Pricing varies by cloud provider and region, requiring queries for specific rates
  • ARM64 architecture only available on EBS tier, not Metal deployments

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) review

Choose PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.
PlanetScale review

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and PlanetScale at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or PlanetScale?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS (Amazon Web Services) and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Yes. AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that PlanetScale cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle SOC2, GDPR.
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