Softwr

Software · head to head

PlanetScale vs Square Appointments

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Software

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments 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; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and Square Appointments differ
AttributePlanetScaleSquare Appointments
Starting price$15/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)Web, Ios, Android
Founded20182009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

Both cover

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

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot PlanetScale
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot PlanetScale
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

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 Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is PlanetScale or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanetScale starts at $15/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanetScale or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for PlanetScale and Free for Square Appointments.
Does PlanetScale or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure). Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments 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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can PlanetScale do that Square Appointments cannot?
PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on PlanetScale

More on Square Appointments

Keep looking

Other head to heads