Softwr

Log Management · head to head

CloudWatch vs PlanetScale

CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Log Management

AWS Monitoring and Observability

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 CloudWatch has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CloudWatch the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where CloudWatch and PlanetScale differ
AttributeCloudWatchPlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryLog ManagementDatabase & 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 CloudWatch

  • Metrics collection
  • Log aggregation
  • Dashboards
  • Alarms and notifications
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Api support

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.

CloudWatch

  • Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot PlanetScale
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot PlanetScale
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot PlanetScale
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot PlanetScale
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

CloudWatch

  • The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
  • Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
  • Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
  • Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
  • Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge

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

CloudWatch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Metrics collection
    • Log aggregation
    • Dashboards

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CloudWatch if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want log aggregation.
CloudWatch 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 CloudWatch or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch 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, CloudWatch or PlanetScale?
CloudWatch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CloudWatch and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does CloudWatch or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
CloudWatch runs on Web, Api. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use CloudWatch for free?
Yes. CloudWatch has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is CloudWatch best used for?
CloudWatch is most often used for metrics and log collection for aws workloads, alarming on thresholds across aws services, querying logs with logs insights, live tailing logs during an incident. Of those, metrics and log collection for aws workloads and alarming on thresholds across aws services are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can CloudWatch do that PlanetScale cannot?
CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle Web support.
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