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PlanetScale vs Subframe

PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Subframe

Software

The AI-native design tool built for code

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Subframe 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; Subframe the free plan is capped at 1 project, 10 pages, and 2 prototypes with limited AI usage and only 24 hour version history, versus unlimited AI on the $29 per editor per month Pro plan, as of August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanetScale and Subframe actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanetScale and Subframe differ
AttributePlanetScaleSubframe
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)Web
Founded2018Unknown

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 Subframe

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

Subframe

No use cases recorded yet. See the Subframe review.

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

Subframe

  • The free plan is capped at 1 project, 10 pages, and 2 prototypes with limited AI usage and only 24 hour version history, versus unlimited AI on the $29 per editor per month Pro plan, as of August 2026.

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Subframe

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Subframe review.

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 Subframe if

  • You want to start without paying.
Subframe review

Questions people ask

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