Software · head to head
PlanetScale vs ClickHouse
ClickHouse
Software
Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ClickHouse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead; ClickHouse limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
- They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and ClickHouse actually diverge.
| Attribute | PlanetScale | ClickHouse |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure) | Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker) |
| Founded | 2018 | 2021 |
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 PlanetScale
- Database Branching
- Non-blocking Schema Changes
- Insights
- Horizontal Scaling
- Connection Pooling
- Query Caching
- Automatic Backups
- Global Replication
Only in ClickHouse
- Column-oriented Storage
- Real-time Analytics
- SQL Support
- Linear Scalability
- Data Compression
- Vectorized Query Execution
- Approximate Calculations
- Kafka
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PlanetScale
- MySQL database hosting with automatic failover and replicationnot ClickHouse
- Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot ClickHouse
- Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot ClickHouse
- Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot ClickHouse
ClickHouse
- Business intelligencenot PlanetScale
- Data warehousingnot PlanetScale
- Real-time analyticsnot PlanetScale
- Reportingnot PlanetScale
- Machine learningnot PlanetScale
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
ClickHouse
- Limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
- Requires upfront schema design discipline with MergeTree engine choices and sort/partition keys
- Experimental vector search support, not production-ready for vector operations
- Different query syntax from standard SQL requiring migration planning
- Limited JOIN capabilities compared to traditional relational databases
- Migration complexity with 2-4 weeks estimated for data type mapping and query translation
Pricing, plan by plan
PlanetScale
$15/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.
ClickHouse
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.
Which should you pick?
Choose PlanetScale if
- You need database branching.
- You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
- You also want non-blocking schema changes.
Choose ClickHouse if
- You need column-oriented storage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
- You also want real-time analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is PlanetScale or ClickHouse better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and ClickHouse at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or ClickHouse?
- ClickHouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for ClickHouse.
- Does PlanetScale or ClickHouse run on more platforms?
- PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
- Can I use ClickHouse for free?
- Yes. ClickHouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
- What is PlanetScale best used for?
- PlanetScale is most often used for mysql database hosting with automatic failover and replication, vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasets, cloud provider flexibility across aws, gcp, azure with 60+ regions, cost-effective database clusters using arm64 architecture options. Of those, mysql database hosting with automatic failover and replication and vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasets are not what ClickHouse is typically brought in for.
- What can PlanetScale do that ClickHouse cannot?
- PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, SQL Support, Linear Scalability. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ClickHouse: What is ClickHouse best used for?
ClickHouse is optimized for analytical workloads on large datasets. It excels at fast aggregations and queries, being 10-100x faster than PostgreSQL on large aggregations.
SourceClickHouse: Does ClickHouse support transactions?
ClickHouse has limited transaction support and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations. It is not suitable for transactional workloads requiring strict ACID guarantees.
SourceClickHouse: How does ClickHouse compare to PostgreSQL?
ClickHouse is 10-100x faster for analytics but PostgreSQL is better for transactional workloads. Many teams use both: PostgreSQL for writes via MaterializedPostgreSQL replication to ClickHouse for analytics.
Source