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Elasticsearch Service vs PlanetScale

Elasticsearch Service logo

Elasticsearch Service

Software

Managed Elasticsearch Cloud Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Elasticsearch Service has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Elasticsearch Service the 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: Elasticsearch Service covers Full-text search, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elasticsearch Service and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where Elasticsearch Service and PlanetScale differ
AttributeElasticsearch ServicePlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Founded20112018

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

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 Elasticsearch Service

  • Full-text search
  • Scalability
  • High availability
  • Security
  • 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.

Elasticsearch Service

  • Managed Elasticsearch without running the clusternot PlanetScale
  • Log and observability data storage and searchnot PlanetScale
  • Full-text search behind an applicationnot PlanetScale
  • Deployments needing a specific cloud region across AWS, Azure or GCPnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

Elasticsearch Service

  • The 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers
  • Serverless does not yet support traffic filtering, cross-project search or bring-your-own-key encryption
  • Serverless runs on AWS, GCP and Azure only, against 60 regions for the hosted option
  • Per-unit prices are not published; hosted is resource-based and serverless usage-based

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

Elasticsearch Service

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full-text search
    • Scalability
    • High availability

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Elasticsearch Service if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want scalability.
Elasticsearch Service 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 Elasticsearch Service or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Elasticsearch Service 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, Elasticsearch Service or PlanetScale?
Elasticsearch Service has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Elasticsearch Service and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does Elasticsearch Service or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Elasticsearch Service runs on Web, Api. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use Elasticsearch Service for free?
Yes. Elasticsearch Service has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is Elasticsearch Service best used for?
Elasticsearch Service is most often used for managed elasticsearch without running the cluster, log and observability data storage and search, full-text search behind an application, deployments needing a specific cloud region across aws, azure or gcp. Of those, managed elasticsearch without running the cluster and log and observability data storage and search are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Elasticsearch Service do that PlanetScale cannot?
Elasticsearch Service covers Full-text search, Scalability, High availability, Security. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle Web support.
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