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Database & Data Management · head to head

PlanetScale vs ScyllaDB

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Database & Data Management

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ScyllaDB logo

ScyllaDB

Database & Data Management

The real-time big data database compatible with Cassandra

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ScyllaDB 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; ScyllaDB aWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in
  • They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and ScyllaDB actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and ScyllaDB differ
AttributePlanetScaleScyllaDB
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web
Founded20182015

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
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Connection Pooling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Global Replication

Only in ScyllaDB

  • Cassandra Compatible
  • DynamoDB Compatible
  • 10x Throughput
  • Low Latency
  • Auto-tuning
  • Lightweight Transactions
  • Change Data Capture
  • Cassandra Drivers

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

ScyllaDB

  • Real-time applicationsnot PlanetScale
  • Content managementnot PlanetScale
  • User profilesnot PlanetScale
  • Mobile backendsnot PlanetScale
  • Cachingnot 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

ScyllaDB

  • AWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

ScyllaDB

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full features
    • Community support
    • Self-managed
  • Cloud$0.3/hour
    • Managed service
    • Pay per hour
    • 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.
PlanetScale review

Choose ScyllaDB if

  • You need cassandra compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
  • You also want dynamodb compatible.
ScyllaDB review

Questions people ask

Is PlanetScale or ScyllaDB better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and ScyllaDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or ScyllaDB?
ScyllaDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for ScyllaDB.
Does PlanetScale or ScyllaDB run on more platforms?
PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). ScyllaDB runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
Can I use ScyllaDB for free?
Yes. ScyllaDB 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 ScyllaDB is typically brought in for.
What can PlanetScale do that ScyllaDB cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible, DynamoDB Compatible, 10x Throughput, Low Latency. Both handle Web support.
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