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Database & Data Management · head to head

BigQuery vs PlanetScale

BigQuery logo

BigQuery

Database & Data Management

Serverless, highly scalable enterprise data warehouse

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 BigQuery has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BigQuery query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigQuery and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where BigQuery and PlanetScale differ
AttributeBigQueryPlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud APICloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Founded20082018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).

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 BigQuery

  • Serverless Architecture
  • Petabyte Scale
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Machine Learning
  • Geospatial Analysis
  • Streaming Ingestion
  • Standard SQL
  • Looker

Only in PlanetScale

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

BigQuery

  • Business intelligencenot PlanetScale
  • Data warehousingnot PlanetScale
  • Real-time analyticsnot PlanetScale
  • Reportingnot PlanetScale
  • Machine learningnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

BigQuery

  • Query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes
  • Data egress from Google Cloud incurs additional charges

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

BigQuery

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1TB queries/month
    • 10GB storage/month
    • Standard support
  • On-demand$6.25/TB
    • Pay per query
    • Pay per storage
    • All features

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose BigQuery if

  • You need serverless architecture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud API.
  • You also want petabyte scale.
BigQuery 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 BigQuery or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. BigQuery 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, BigQuery or PlanetScale?
BigQuery has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for BigQuery and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does BigQuery or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
BigQuery runs on Web, Cloud API. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use BigQuery for free?
Yes. BigQuery has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is BigQuery best used for?
BigQuery is most often used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting. Of those, business intelligence and data warehousing are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can BigQuery do that PlanetScale cannot?
BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, Petabyte Scale, Real-time Analytics, Machine Learning. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigQuery: How is BigQuery priced?

BigQuery charges $5 per terabyte of data processed in on-demand queries. Storage is billed separately: active storage is charged per GB, and data inactive for 90+ days moves to long-term storage at reduced rates.

Source
BigQuery: What is BigQuery's architecture?

BigQuery separates compute and storage, using Google's Colossus for distributed storage and Borg for computation, allowing independent scaling of each.

Source
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