Softwr

Software · head to head

PlanetScale vs PostgreSQL

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PostgreSQL logo

PostgreSQL

Software

The world's most advanced open source relational database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only PostgreSQL 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; PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and PostgreSQL actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and PostgreSQL differ
AttributePlanetScalePostgreSQL
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix
Founded20181996

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 PostgreSQL

  • ACID Compliance
  • JSON/JSONB Support
  • Full-text Search
  • Extensibility
  • Advanced Indexing
  • Partitioning
  • Replication
  • pgAdmin

Both cover

  • Prisma

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

PostgreSQL

  • Transaction processingnot PlanetScale
  • Data storagenot PlanetScale
  • Application backendnot PlanetScale
  • Reportingnot PlanetScale
  • Data analyticsnot 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

PostgreSQL

  • Requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • Performance tuning requires deep knowledge of database internals
  • No built-in graphical admin interface; command-line tools are primary method

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

PostgreSQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL 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 PostgreSQL if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
  • You also want json/jsonb support.
PostgreSQL review

Questions people ask

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

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PostgreSQL: Is PostgreSQL completely free?

Yes. PostgreSQL is completely free and open source with no licensing fees or restrictions on use.

Source
PostgreSQL: What platforms does PostgreSQL run on?

PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems including Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, and commercial Unix variants, and has been proven highly scalable managing terabytes to petabytes of data.

Source
PostgreSQL: What procedural languages are supported?

PostgreSQL supports stored functions and procedures in multiple languages including PL/pgSQL, Perl, Python, Tcl, Java, JavaScript, R, and Rust.

Source
PostgreSQL: What is ACID compliance in PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL has been ACID-compliant since 2001, ensuring data integrity through atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability guarantees for all transactions.

Source
PostgreSQL: Does PostgreSQL support JSON data?

Yes. PostgreSQL supports JSON and JSONB data types for storing and querying JSON documents, along with XML and other document formats.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on PlanetScale

More on PostgreSQL

Keep looking

Other head to heads