Softwr

Software · head to head

Homebase vs PlanetScale

Homebase logo

Homebase

Software

Scheduling, time tracking and HR for hourly teams

From
Free
Rated
-
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Homebase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Homebase free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Homebase and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where Homebase and PlanetScale differ
AttributeHomebasePlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
FoundedUnknown2018

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 Homebase

Nothing recorded that PlanetScale does not also cover.

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.

Homebase

No use cases recorded yet. See the Homebase review.

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

Homebase

  • Free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Paid plans are billed per location per month ($30, $70 or $120), so a multi-location business pays the rate again for each site
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 per month plus $6 per month per employee paid
  • Tip Manager and Task Manager are further add-ons billed per location per month on top of the base plan

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

Homebase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Homebase review.

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Homebase if

  • You want to start without paying.

Choose PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.

Questions people ask

Is Homebase or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Homebase 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, Homebase or PlanetScale?
Homebase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Homebase and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does Homebase or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Homebase runs on Web. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use Homebase for free?
Yes. Homebase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What can Homebase do that PlanetScale cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling.

Related pages

Other head to heads