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Namespace vs PlanetScale

Namespace logo

Namespace

Developer Tools

The dev platform for the next 100 billion commits

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit NamespaceFull review
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Databases

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit PlanetScaleFull review

The short version

  • Namespace is a developer infrastructure platform; PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible serverless database platform.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $100/mo and $15/mo.
  • Only Namespace lists GitHub Actions runners; only PlanetScale lists database Branching.
  • Where Namespace falls short: developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear.
  • 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 Namespace and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where Namespace and PlanetScale differ
AttributeNamespacePlanetScale
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, LinuxWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

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

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Namespace, founded for Namespace.

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 Namespace

  • Devboxes
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Docker builds
  • Cross-invocation caching
  • NVMe storage
  • High-speed networking
  • Multiple OS support
  • Bazel and Turborepo support

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.

Namespace

  • Providing AI coding agents with cloud-based development environmentsnot PlanetScale
  • Accelerating CI builds with faster GitHub Actions runnersnot PlanetScale
  • Distributing builds across teams with managed infrastructurenot PlanetScale
  • Scaling development velocity for monorepo organizationsnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

Namespace

  • Developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear
  • Team plan $100/mo is competitive but usage limits may be tight
  • Devbox pricing separate at $0.004/minute could add up quickly
  • Enterprise plan requires custom sales conversation

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

Namespace

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Pay-as-you-go
    • On-demand compute
    • Docker builds
  • Team$100/mo
    • 100,000 unit minutes
    • 1,000 Docker builds
    • Everything in Developer
  • Business$250/mo
    • 250,000 unit minutes
    • 2,500 Docker builds
    • Everything in Team
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Custom compute/Docker build limits
    • Audit log export
    • Enterprise SSO

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 Namespace if

  • You need devboxes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want github actions runners.
Namespace 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 Namespace or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Namespace 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, Namespace or PlanetScale?
Namespace starts at Free and PlanetScale at Free.
Does Namespace or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Namespace runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux. PlanetScale runs on Web.
Can I use Namespace for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Namespace best used for?
Namespace is most often used for providing ai coding agents with cloud-based development environments, accelerating ci builds with faster github actions runners, distributing builds across teams with managed infrastructure, scaling development velocity for monorepo organizations. Of those, providing ai coding agents with cloud-based development environments and accelerating ci builds with faster github actions runners are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Namespace do that PlanetScale cannot?
Namespace covers Devboxes, GitHub Actions runners, Docker builds, Cross-invocation caching. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Namespace: How is compute usage metered on the Developer plan?

Developer plan uses pay-as-you-go billing. Devboxes bill at $0.004 per minute. Storage and caching services have separate usage-based fees. A 30-day free trial is available to test usage patterns.

Source
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
Namespace: What is the difference between Team and Business plans?

Team ($100/mo) includes 100,000 unit minutes and 1,000 Docker builds with email support. Business ($250/mo) includes 250,000 unit minutes, 2,500 Docker builds, and high concurrency with a dedicated Slack channel.

Source
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
Namespace: Can Namespace support AI coding agents?

Yes, Namespace Devboxes are specifically designed as feature-rich development environments for AI coding agents, with full tooling and performance optimization.

Source
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
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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