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Databases · head to head

PlanetScale vs Sourcegraph

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Databases

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit PlanetScaleFull review
Sourcegraph logo

Sourcegraph

Developer Tools

Code search and intelligence platform for large codebases with Cody AI assistant

From
$16000/year
Free plan
No
Visit SourcegraphFull review

The short version

  • PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible serverless database platform; Sourcegraph is an enterprise code intelligence platform.
  • PlanetScale has a free plan, then $15/mo; Sourcegraph starts at $16000/yr.
  • Where PlanetScale falls short: pricing varies significantly across 17+ AWS and GCP regions.
  • Where Sourcegraph falls short: enterprise pricing starting at $16k annually creates significant barrier for small teams.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and Sourcegraph actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and Sourcegraph differ
AttributePlanetScaleSourcegraph
Starting priceFree$16000/year
Pricing modelUsage-basedSubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools

Not yet recorded: founded for Sourcegraph.

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 Sourcegraph

Nothing recorded that PlanetScale does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

PlanetScale

  • MySQL-compatible applications requiring horizontal scalingnot Sourcegraph
  • PostgreSQL deployments with custom cluster configurationsnot Sourcegraph
  • Multi-region database deployments on AWS or GCPnot Sourcegraph
  • Applications requiring transparent sharding via Vitessnot Sourcegraph

Sourcegraph

  • Large-scale code migrations across hundreds of repositoriesnot PlanetScale
  • Enterprise governance and code ownership trackingnot PlanetScale
  • AI-assisted bug hunting and security pattern detectionnot PlanetScale
  • Onboarding engineers into large unfamiliar codebasesnot PlanetScale
  • Regulatory compliance and code audit trailsnot PlanetScale

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

PlanetScale

  • Pricing varies significantly across 17+ AWS and GCP regions
  • Additional costs for EBS storage beyond base tier, backup storage, and egress
  • Dedicated PgBouncer and replicas incur separate charges
  • Metal tier pricing increases sharply with larger configurations

Sourcegraph

  • Enterprise pricing starting at $16k annually creates significant barrier for small teams
  • No free tier or standard plan published; all options require custom sales engagement
  • Complex enterprise-only positioning limits adoption compared to GitHub Copilot's pervasiveness
  • Requires indexing entire codebase; not suitable for small or ephemeral projects

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

Free
  • Postgres EBS Single-Node (ARM64 PS-5)$5/mo
    • 512 MiB RAM
    • Single-node configuration
    • EBS storage included
  • Postgres EBS HA (ARM64 PS-5)$15/mo
    • 512 MiB RAM
    • 3-node high-availability setup
    • 1 primary + 2 replicas
  • Postgres Metal (M-10)$50/mo
    • 1/8 vCPU, 1 GiB RAM
    • 3-node HA configuration
    • 10 GiB NVMe storage included
  • Vitess Non-Metal 3-Node$39/mo
    • Sharding-capable database
    • x86-64 architecture
    • 3-node configuration

Sourcegraph

$16000/year
  • Enterprise$16,000/yr
    • Scales with team size
    • Credits for AI features per user
    • Deep Search

Which should you pick?

Choose PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.
PlanetScale review

Choose Sourcegraph if

  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
Sourcegraph review

Questions people ask

Is PlanetScale or Sourcegraph better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at Free and Sourcegraph at $16000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or Sourcegraph?
PlanetScale has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for PlanetScale and $16000/year for Sourcegraph.
Does PlanetScale or Sourcegraph run on more platforms?
PlanetScale runs on Web. Sourcegraph runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use PlanetScale for free?
Yes. PlanetScale has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sourcegraph starts at $16000/year.
What is PlanetScale best used for?
PlanetScale is most often used for mysql-compatible applications requiring horizontal scaling, postgresql deployments with custom cluster configurations, multi-region database deployments on aws or gcp, applications requiring transparent sharding via vitess. Of those, mysql-compatible applications requiring horizontal scaling and postgresql deployments with custom cluster configurations are not what Sourcegraph is typically brought in for.
What can PlanetScale do that Sourcegraph cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PlanetScale: How much does a PlanetScale Postgres database cost per month?

PlanetScale Postgres pricing starts at $5/month for single-node ARM64 configurations with 512 MiB RAM and $15/month for the same specs in high-availability mode with 1 primary and 2 replicas. Metal tier starts at $50/month for M-10 configuration (1/8 vCPU, 1 GiB RAM). Exact pricing depends on cluster size, node architecture (ARM64 vs x86-64), storage configuration, and selected AWS/GCP region.

Source
PlanetScale: Is there a free tier for PlanetScale?

PlanetScale offers a free tier for development and testing workloads. After free tier limits are reached, usage-based pricing applies starting at $5/month for the smallest Postgres single-node configuration, with costs scaling based on cluster size, compute, storage, and additional features like dedicated PgBouncer or replicas.

Source
PlanetScale: What is the difference between PlanetScale ARM64 and x86-64 pricing?

ARM64 instances cost significantly less than x86-64 equivalents. For example, a Postgres EBS HA cluster with 512 MiB RAM costs $15/month on ARM64 but $39/month on x86-64. This pricing difference extends across all cluster sizes, with larger x86-64 configurations reaching up to $5,599/month compared to ARM64 alternatives.

Source
PlanetScale: What is included in a PlanetScale cluster price versus additional costs?

The advertised cluster price covers the base compute and configured storage. Additional charges apply for EBS storage beyond the base allocation, backup storage, data egress, optional dedicated PgBouncer connections, and replicas beyond the base high-availability configuration. Regional pricing varies across 17+ AWS and GCP zones.

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