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No-Code · head to head

Directual vs PlanetScale

Directual logo

Directual

No-Code

No-code backend with a visual workflow engine, used behind other tools rather than instead of them

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit DirectualFull review
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Databases

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit PlanetScaleFull review

The short version

  • PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible serverless database platform.
  • Directual is free; PlanetScale starts at $15/mo.
  • Only Directual lists scenario builder; only PlanetScale lists non-blocking Schema Changes.
  • Where Directual falls short: self-hosting is confined to the top commercial tier, so the ownership advantage is available only to buyers already spending at the high end.
  • Where PlanetScale falls short: pricing varies significantly across 17+ AWS and GCP regions.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Directual and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where Directual and PlanetScale differ
AttributeDirectualPlanetScale
Pricing modelQuoteUsage-based
CategoryNo-CodeDatabases

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web).

Not yet recorded: founded for Directual.

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 Directual

  • Visual database designer
  • Scenario builder
  • Generated API endpoints
  • Event-driven triggers
  • Role and permission model
  • Scheduled jobs
  • Basic web page builder
  • Self-hosted deployment

Only in PlanetScale

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

What people use each for

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

Directual

  • Providing the backend for a Webflow or FlutterFlow front end that needs real data, authentication and logicnot PlanetScale
  • Replacing an Airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developernot PlanetScale
  • Event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering themnot PlanetScale
  • Organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tiernot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

  • MySQL-compatible applications requiring horizontal scalingnot Directual
  • PostgreSQL deployments with custom cluster configurationsnot Directual
  • Multi-region database deployments on AWS or GCPnot Directual
  • Applications requiring transparent sharding via Vitessnot Directual

Where each one falls short

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

Directual

  • The front-end builder is basic, so any project needing a designed interface means learning and paying for a second tool, and time to launch is closer to a two-system build than a one-tool build
  • Visual scenarios become unreadable once the logic is non-trivial; a workflow that would be forty lines of code sprawls across a canvas, and reviewing what a colleague built is slow
  • Debugging asynchronous, event-triggered scenarios is harder than debugging code, because failures surface as records left in an unexpected state rather than as a stack trace at the point of failure
  • Self-hosting is confined to the top commercial tier, so the ownership advantage is available only to buyers already spending at the high end
  • The pool of agencies and freelancers who know Directual is small next to Bubble or Airtable, so handing a finished system to someone else to maintain is harder and more expensive

PlanetScale

  • Pricing varies significantly across 17+ AWS and GCP regions
  • Additional costs for EBS storage beyond base tier, backup storage, and egress
  • Dedicated PgBouncer and replicas incur separate charges
  • Metal tier pricing increases sharply with larger configurations

Pricing, plan by plan

Directual

Free
  • DirectualOn request
    • Free tier with capped records and API calls
    • Paid tiers priced by database rows, API calls and scenario runs
    • Self-hosted deployment on the top tier only

PlanetScale

Free
  • Postgres EBS Single-Node (ARM64 PS-5)$5/mo
    • 512 MiB RAM
    • Single-node configuration
    • EBS storage included
  • Postgres EBS HA (ARM64 PS-5)$15/mo
    • 512 MiB RAM
    • 3-node high-availability setup
    • 1 primary + 2 replicas
  • Postgres Metal (M-10)$50/mo
    • 1/8 vCPU, 1 GiB RAM
    • 3-node HA configuration
    • 10 GiB NVMe storage included
  • Vitess Non-Metal 3-Node$39/mo
    • Sharding-capable database
    • x86-64 architecture
    • 3-node configuration

Which should you pick?

Choose Directual if

  • You need visual database designer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want scenario builder.
Directual review

Choose PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.
PlanetScale review

Questions people ask

Is Directual or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Directual starts at Free and PlanetScale at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Directual or PlanetScale?
Directual starts at Free and PlanetScale at Free.
Does Directual or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Directual for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Directual best used for?
Directual is most often used for providing the backend for a webflow or flutterflow front end that needs real data, authentication and logic, replacing an airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developer, event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering them, organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tier. Of those, providing the backend for a webflow or flutterflow front end that needs real data, authentication and logic and replacing an airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developer are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Directual do that PlanetScale cannot?
Directual covers Visual database designer, Scenario builder, Generated API endpoints, Event-driven triggers. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Directual: Is Directual a replacement for Bubble?

Not directly. Bubble builds the whole application; Directual builds the backend and expects you to bring a front end such as Webflow or FlutterFlow.

PlanetScale: How much does a PlanetScale Postgres database cost per month?

PlanetScale Postgres pricing starts at $5/month for single-node ARM64 configurations with 512 MiB RAM and $15/month for the same specs in high-availability mode with 1 primary and 2 replicas. Metal tier starts at $50/month for M-10 configuration (1/8 vCPU, 1 GiB RAM). Exact pricing depends on cluster size, node architecture (ARM64 vs x86-64), storage configuration, and selected AWS/GCP region.

Source
Directual: Can I host it myself?

Yes, on the top commercial tier. That is unusual in no-code and it is the main reason regulated buyers look at it at all.

PlanetScale: Is there a free tier for PlanetScale?

PlanetScale offers a free tier for development and testing workloads. After free tier limits are reached, usage-based pricing applies starting at $5/month for the smallest Postgres single-node configuration, with costs scaling based on cluster size, compute, storage, and additional features like dedicated PgBouncer or replicas.

Source
Directual: How does it cope with large data volumes?

It is built on a real database with indexing rather than a spreadsheet abstraction, so record counts that break Airtable-class tools are within its normal range.

PlanetScale: What is the difference between PlanetScale ARM64 and x86-64 pricing?

ARM64 instances cost significantly less than x86-64 equivalents. For example, a Postgres EBS HA cluster with 512 MiB RAM costs $15/month on ARM64 but $39/month on x86-64. This pricing difference extends across all cluster sizes, with larger x86-64 configurations reaching up to $5,599/month compared to ARM64 alternatives.

Source
Directual: What happens to my logic if I leave?

The data exports and the API is documented, but scenarios are platform-specific and have to be reimplemented, unless you are already on the self-hosted tier.

PlanetScale: What is included in a PlanetScale cluster price versus additional costs?

The advertised cluster price covers the base compute and configured storage. Additional charges apply for EBS storage beyond the base allocation, backup storage, data egress, optional dedicated PgBouncer connections, and replicas beyond the base high-availability configuration. Regional pricing varies across 17+ AWS and GCP zones.

Source
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