Database & Data Management · head to head
PlanetScale vs Dgraph
PlanetScale
Database & Data Management
The MySQL-compatible serverless database
- From
- $15/month
- Rated
- -
Dgraph
Database & Data Management
The only native GraphQL database with graph backend
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Dgraph 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; Dgraph the GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README
- They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Dgraph covers Native GraphQL.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and Dgraph actually diverge.
| Attribute | PlanetScale | Dgraph |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure) | Linux, Mac, Docker, Web |
| Founded | 2018 | 2016 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).
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 Dgraph
- Native GraphQL
- Distributed Architecture
- ACID Transactions
- GraphQL Subscriptions
- Full-text Search
- Geolocation Queries
- GraphQL
- Ratel UI
Both cover
- Horizontal Scaling
- 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 Dgraph
- Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot Dgraph
- Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot Dgraph
- Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot Dgraph
Dgraph
- Knowledge graphsnot PlanetScale
- Fraud detectionnot PlanetScale
- Recommendation enginesnot PlanetScale
- Network analysisnot PlanetScale
- Master data managementnot 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
Dgraph
- The GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README
Pricing, plan by plan
PlanetScale
$15/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.
Dgraph
Free- CommunityFree
- Native GraphQL
- Graph queries
- Full-text search
- Cloud$39/month
- Managed service
- Auto-scaling
- Enterprise support
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 Dgraph if
- You need native graphql.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
- You also want distributed architecture.
Questions people ask
- Is PlanetScale or Dgraph better?
- Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and Dgraph at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or Dgraph?
- Dgraph has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for Dgraph.
- Does PlanetScale or Dgraph run on more platforms?
- PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). Dgraph runs on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
- Can I use Dgraph for free?
- Yes. Dgraph 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 Dgraph is typically brought in for.
- What can PlanetScale do that Dgraph cannot?
- PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Connection Pooling. Dgraph covers Native GraphQL, Distributed Architecture, ACID Transactions, GraphQL Subscriptions. Both handle Horizontal Scaling, Web support.