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Database & Data Management · head to head

FaunaDB vs PlanetScale

FaunaDB logo

FaunaDB

Database & Data Management

The distributed serverless database for modern applications

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 FaunaDB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FaunaDB the Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FaunaDB and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where FaunaDB and PlanetScale differ
AttributeFaunaDBPlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Founded20122018

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 FaunaDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Document-relational Model
  • GraphQL API
  • Global Distribution
  • Temporal Queries
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Serverless
  • GraphQL

Only in PlanetScale

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

Both cover

  • Vercel
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

FaunaDB

  • Serverless applicationsnot PlanetScale
  • Rapid prototypingnot PlanetScale
  • Mobile backendsnot PlanetScale
  • JAMstacknot PlanetScale
  • Microservicesnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

FaunaDB

  • The Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.

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

FaunaDB

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100K read ops
    • 50K write ops
    • 1GB storage
  • Pro$25/month
    • Pay per use
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose FaunaDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want document-relational model.
FaunaDB 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 FaunaDB or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. FaunaDB 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, FaunaDB or PlanetScale?
FaunaDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FaunaDB and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does FaunaDB or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
FaunaDB runs on Web. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use FaunaDB for free?
Yes. FaunaDB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is FaunaDB best used for?
FaunaDB is most often used for serverless applications, rapid prototyping, mobile backends, jamstack. Of those, serverless applications and rapid prototyping are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can FaunaDB do that PlanetScale cannot?
FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Document-relational Model, GraphQL API, Global Distribution. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle Vercel, Web support.
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