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PlanetScale vs RudderStack

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RudderStack logo

RudderStack

Software

The open-source customer data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only RudderStack 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; RudderStack on the free plan data processing stops after a second consecutive overage rather than being billed, so exceeding 250,000 events twice breaks the pipeline
  • They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, RudderStack covers Data collection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and RudderStack actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and RudderStack differ
AttributePlanetScaleRudderStack
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)Web, Self-hosted

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2018).

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 RudderStack

  • Data collection
  • Event tracking
  • Audience segmentation
  • Warehouse ingestion
  • Real-time sync
  • Data transformation
  • Privacy controls
  • 200+ destinations

Both cover

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

RudderStack

  • Collecting event data from apps and websites and routing it to warehouses and toolsnot PlanetScale
  • Building a warehouse first customer data pipelinenot 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

RudderStack

  • On the free plan data processing stops after a second consecutive overage rather than being billed, so exceeding 250,000 events twice breaks the pipeline
  • The free plan allows 250,000 events a month
  • Growth starts at $265 a month for 1 million events, with volume sold in tiers up to 25 million
  • Overage is charged as the gap to the next tier's price rather than per event, so a small excess costs a full tier step

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

RudderStack

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
  • Cloud$100/month
    • Cloud hosted
    • Email support
  • Enterprise$500/month
    • Dedicated support
    • Advanced features

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 RudderStack if

  • You need data collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want event tracking.
RudderStack review

Questions people ask

Is PlanetScale or RudderStack better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and RudderStack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or RudderStack?
RudderStack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for RudderStack.
Does PlanetScale or RudderStack run on more platforms?
PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). RudderStack runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use RudderStack for free?
Yes. RudderStack 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 RudderStack is typically brought in for.
What can PlanetScale do that RudderStack cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. RudderStack covers Data collection, Event tracking, Audience segmentation, Warehouse ingestion. Both handle GDPR, Cloud deployment, Web support.
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