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Neon vs PlanetScale

Neon logo

Neon

Cloud

Serverless Postgres for modern developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Databases

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Neon compute pricing at $0.106-$0.222/CU-hour means costs scale directly with workload, unlike fixed-price alternatives; PlanetScale pricing varies significantly across 17+ AWS and GCP regions
  • They diverge on capability: Neon covers Serverless PostgreSQL, PlanetScale covers Non-blocking Schema Changes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Neon and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where Neon and PlanetScale differ
AttributeNeonPlanetScale
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsCloudCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryCloudDatabases
Founded20212018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Neon

  • Serverless PostgreSQL
  • Autoscaling
  • Bottomless Storage
  • Point-in-time Recovery
  • Read Replicas
  • Instant Cloning
  • Drizzle
  • Data Encryption

Only in PlanetScale

  • Non-blocking Schema Changes
  • Insights
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Global Replication
  • Laravel
  • Encryption at Rest

Both cover

  • Database Branching
  • Connection Pooling
  • Vercel
  • Prisma
  • Django
  • Rails
  • Node.js
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • TLS
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Neon

  • Serverless applicationsnot PlanetScale
  • Development databasesnot PlanetScale
  • Preview environmentsnot PlanetScale
  • Testingnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

Neon

  • Compute pricing at $0.106-$0.222/CU-hour means costs scale directly with workload, unlike fixed-price alternatives
  • Separation of compute and storage may add complexity to cost prediction compared to all-in-one plans

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

Neon

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 CU-hours/month
    • 0.5 GB storage
    • 1 project
  • Launch$15/month
    • Pay-as-you-go compute
    • $0.35/GB storage
    • Multiple projects
  • Scale$31/month
    • Higher compute rates
    • 99.95% SLA
    • HIPAA compliance

PlanetScale

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Neon if

  • You need serverless postgresql.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud.
  • You also want autoscaling.
Neon review

Choose PlanetScale if

  • You need non-blocking schema changes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want insights.
PlanetScale review

Questions people ask

Is Neon or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Neon 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, Neon or PlanetScale?
Neon starts at Free and PlanetScale at Free.
Does Neon or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Neon runs on Cloud. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use Neon for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Neon best used for?
Neon is most often used for serverless applications, development databases, preview environments, testing. Of those, serverless applications and development databases are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Neon do that PlanetScale cannot?
Neon covers Serverless PostgreSQL, Autoscaling, Bottomless Storage, Point-in-time Recovery. PlanetScale covers Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling, Query Caching. Both handle Database Branching, Connection Pooling, Vercel, Prisma.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Neon: What is Neon and what makes it different?

Neon is a serverless PostgreSQL database that separates compute and storage, enabling automatic scaling and instant database branching. After acquisition by Databricks in May 2025, pricing has been significantly reduced.

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
Neon: Does Neon offer a free tier?

Yes, Neon's free tier includes 100 compute units per month and 0.5 GB of storage. This is suitable for development and small projects.

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
Neon: What are the paid plans and pricing for Neon?

Neon offers consumption-based pricing on Launch ($0.106/CU-hour, approximately $15/month) and Scale ($0.222/CU-hour, approximately $31/month) plans with separate storage billing at $0.35/GB-month. No monthly minimum required.

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
Neon: What features does Neon provide?

Neon includes git-like branching for database copies, point-in-time recovery, data anonymization for testing, managed authentication, serverless functions, and object storage that branches with projects.

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
Neon: What compliance and reliability guarantees does Neon provide?

Neon's Scale tier offers 99.95% uptime SLA, HIPAA compliance, SOC2 certification, and private networking via PrivateLink at no extra cost.

Source
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