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Software · head to head

PlanetScale vs Render

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Render logo

Render

Software

A modern cloud platform for the next generation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Render 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; Render the free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
  • They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Render covers Web services.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and Render actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and Render differ
AttributePlanetScaleRender
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)Web, Api
Founded20182019

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 Render

  • Web services
  • Static sites
  • Background workers
  • Postgres database
  • Redis database
  • Scheduled jobs
  • Environment variables
  • Custom domains

Both cover

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

Render

  • Deploying web services, static sites and cron jobs from a Git repository without managing serversnot PlanetScale
  • Running managed Postgres and Redis alongside application servicesnot PlanetScale
  • Preview environments per pull request for small teamsnot 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

Render

  • The free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
  • Every paid plan charges the workspace fee plus compute on top, so $25 per month for Pro is a floor rather than a total
  • SAML SSO and SCIM require the Scale plan at $499 per month
  • HIPAA-compliant workspaces, inbound IP rules and advanced RBAC roles are Scale plan features
  • Organization-level audit logs require Scale; Pro provides only workspace audit logs
  • Contractual uptime SLAs, support response SLAs and a technical account manager are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is custom priced with no published rate
  • Included bandwidth is 25 GB on Pro and 1 TB on Scale, with usage beyond that billed separately

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Render

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 web service
    • 1 static site
    • Shared CPU
  • Starter$7/month
    • Unlimited services
    • Dedicated CPU
    • 2GB RAM

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 Render if

  • You need web services.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want static sites.
Render review

Questions people ask

Is PlanetScale or Render better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and Render at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or Render?
Render has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for Render.
Does PlanetScale or Render run on more platforms?
PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). Render runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Render for free?
Yes. Render 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 Render is typically brought in for.
What can PlanetScale do that Render cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Render covers Web services, Static sites, Background workers, Postgres database. Both handle Node.js, Cloud deployment, Web support.
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