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PlanetScale vs Cockroach Labs

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Software

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cockroach Labs 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; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and Cockroach Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and Cockroach Labs differ
AttributePlanetScaleCockroach Labs
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)AWS, GCP, Azure
Founded20182015

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
  • Connection Pooling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Global Replication
  • Prisma

Only in Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL
  • Automatic Sharding
  • Multi-region Replication
  • Geo-partitioning
  • ACID Transactions
  • Survivability
  • PostgreSQL Compatibility
  • Kubernetes

Both cover

  • Horizontal Scaling
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment

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 Cockroach Labs
  • Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot Cockroach Labs

Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot PlanetScale
  • Multi-region deployment and failovernot 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

Cockroach Labs

  • Basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • Azure support restricted to Advanced tier only
  • Basic tier limited to 50 million RUs and 10 GiB storage per month
  • Advanced tier starts at $0.60/hour for 4 vCPUs minimum
  • 3 TiB maximum storage on Basic and Standard tiers, 10 TiB per node on Advanced

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs 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.
PlanetScale review

Choose Cockroach Labs if

  • You need distributed sql.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want automatic sharding.
Cockroach Labs review

Questions people ask

Is PlanetScale or Cockroach Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and Cockroach Labs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or Cockroach Labs?
Cockroach Labs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for Cockroach Labs.
Does PlanetScale or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
Can I use Cockroach Labs for free?
Yes. Cockroach Labs 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 Cockroach Labs is typically brought in for.
What can PlanetScale do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Connection Pooling. Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Both handle Horizontal Scaling, SOC2, Cloud deployment.
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