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Writing & Documentation · head to head

Confluence vs PlanetScale

Confluence logo

Confluence

Writing & Documentation

Your remote-friendly team workspace

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 Confluence has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Confluence listed on UK G-Cloud at £5 to £11 per licence per month for Atlassian Confluence, via reseller Rapid X; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: Confluence covers Page creation, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Confluence and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where Confluence and PlanetScale differ
AttributeConfluencePlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryWriting & DocumentationDatabase & Data Management
Founded20022018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Confluence

  • Page creation
  • Rich text editing
  • Macros
  • Templates
  • Comments
  • Version history
  • Content organization
  • Jira

Only in PlanetScale

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

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Confluence

  • Knowledge basenot PlanetScale
  • Meeting notesnot PlanetScale
  • Process documentationnot PlanetScale
  • Project planningnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

Confluence

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £5 to £11 per licence per month for Atlassian Confluence, via reseller Rapid X

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

Confluence

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited pages
    • Basic sharing
    • Search
  • Standard$5.5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced permissions
    • Macros

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Confluence if

  • You need page creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want rich text editing.
Confluence 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 Confluence or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Confluence 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, Confluence or PlanetScale?
Confluence has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Confluence and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does Confluence or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Confluence runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use Confluence for free?
Yes. Confluence has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is Confluence best used for?
Confluence is most often used for knowledge base, meeting notes, process documentation, project planning. Of those, knowledge base and meeting notes are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Confluence do that PlanetScale cannot?
Confluence covers Page creation, Rich text editing, Macros, Templates. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle SOC2, Cloud deployment, Web support.
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Related pages

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