Softwr

Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

NordVPN vs PlanetScale

NordVPN logo

NordVPN

Security & Cybersecurity

The best online VPN service for speed and security

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Database & Data Management

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NordVPN the App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NordVPN and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where NordVPN and PlanetScale differ
AttributeNordVPNPlanetScale
Starting price$3.99/month$15/month
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Mobile, ApiCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategorySecurity & CybersecurityDatabase & Data Management
Founded20122018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 NordVPN

  • Military-grade encryption
  • No-logs policy
  • Kill Switch
  • Split tunneling
  • Double VPN
  • Onion over VPN
  • Threat Protection
  • Meshnet

Only in PlanetScale

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

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

NordVPN

  • Vpnnot PlanetScale
  • Privacynot PlanetScale
  • Online Securitynot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

NordVPN

  • The App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.

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

NordVPN

$3.99/month
  • Standard$3.99/month
    • 6 devices
    • 5,500+ servers
    • Threat Protection Lite
  • Plus$4.99/month
    • All Standard features
    • Threat Protection Pro
    • NordPass password manager
  • Complete$5.99/month
    • All Plus features
    • NordLocker 1TB encrypted cloud
    • Identity theft protection

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose NordVPN if

  • You need military-grade encryption.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want no-logs policy.
NordVPN 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 NordVPN or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. NordVPN starts at $3.99/month and PlanetScale at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or PlanetScale?
NordVPN starts at $3.99/month and PlanetScale at $15/month.
Does NordVPN or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
NordVPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
What is NordVPN best used for?
NordVPN is most often used for vpn, privacy, online security. Of those, vpn and privacy are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can NordVPN do that PlanetScale cannot?
NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption, No-logs policy, Kill Switch, Split tunneling. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on NordVPN

More on PlanetScale

Keep looking

Other head to heads