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PlanetScale vs Couchbase

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Couchbase logo

Couchbase

Software

The modern database for enterprise applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Couchbase 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; Couchbase the free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only
  • They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Couchbase covers JSON Document Model.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and Couchbase actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and Couchbase differ
AttributePlanetScaleCouchbase
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
Founded20182011

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 Couchbase

  • JSON Document Model
  • SQL++ Query
  • Full-text Search
  • Eventing
  • Analytics
  • Mobile Sync
  • Multi-dimensional Scaling
  • 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 Couchbase
  • Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot Couchbase
  • Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot Couchbase
  • Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot Couchbase

Couchbase

  • Running a distributed NoSQL document database as a managed servicenot PlanetScale
  • Mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud databasenot 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

Couchbase

  • The free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only
  • Node rates are hourly and quoted as starting figures, from $0.15 an hour on Basic to $0.49 on Enterprise
  • The Developer Pro and Enterprise plans require 3 nodes, so the hourly rate multiplies before any usage
  • Backup storage is billed separately at $0.07 per GB a month, and analytics backups at $0.14
  • Support response time is a plan feature, at 8 hours on Developer Pro against 30 minutes on Enterprise
  • AI and analytics run as separately priced planes at up to $0.86 an hour per node

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Couchbase

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Full features
    • Community support
    • Self-managed
  • Capella FreeFree
    • Managed service
    • Limited resources
    • Cloud hosted

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 Couchbase if

  • You need json document model.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want sql++ query.
Couchbase review

Questions people ask

Is PlanetScale or Couchbase better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and Couchbase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or Couchbase?
Couchbase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for Couchbase.
Does PlanetScale or Couchbase run on more platforms?
PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). Couchbase runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use Couchbase for free?
Yes. Couchbase 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 Couchbase is typically brought in for.
What can PlanetScale do that Couchbase cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, SQL++ Query, Full-text Search, Eventing. Both handle Web support.
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