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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Upstash vs PlanetScale

Upstash logo

Upstash

Cloud & Infrastructure

Serverless data for modern developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Database & Data Management

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Upstash has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Upstash hTTP-based REST API only, no TCP connections means higher latency than self-hosted or connection-pooled Redis; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: Upstash covers Serverless Redis, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Upstash and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where Upstash and PlanetScale differ
AttributeUpstashPlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsREST API, Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, AWS LambdaCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureDatabase & Data Management
Founded20202018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Upstash

  • Serverless Redis
  • Serverless Kafka
  • QStash
  • REST API
  • Edge Functions Support
  • Rate Limiting
  • Caching
  • Netlify

Only in PlanetScale

  • Database Branching
  • Non-blocking Schema Changes
  • Insights
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Connection Pooling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Prisma

Both cover

  • Global Replication
  • Vercel
  • TLS
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Upstash

  • Cachingnot PlanetScale
  • Session storagenot PlanetScale
  • Real-time messagingnot PlanetScale
  • Rate limitingnot PlanetScale
  • Serverless backendsnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

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

Where each one falls short

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

Upstash

  • HTTP-based REST API only, no TCP connections means higher latency than self-hosted or connection-pooled Redis
  • Rate limiting occurs when traffic exceeds configured budget cap or request limits
  • Kafka service discontinued in March 2025, requiring migration to Upstash Workflow or alternatives
  • Limited Redis feature support compared to self-hosted Redis or Redis Cloud
  • High-request-volume workloads can accumulate significant costs due to per-request pricing model

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Upstash

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 256 MB data
    • 500K commands per month
    • 10 GB bandwidth
  • Pay-as-you-go$0.2/per 100K commands
    • Per-request billing
    • Storage at $0.25/GB
    • Unlimited commands
  • Fixed Plan$10/month
    • 250 MB Redis
    • Predictable pricing
    • Global replication available at higher tiers

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Upstash if

  • You need serverless redis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on REST API, Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda.
  • You also want serverless kafka.
Upstash review

Choose PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.
PlanetScale review

Questions people ask

Is Upstash or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Upstash starts at Free and PlanetScale at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Upstash or PlanetScale?
Upstash has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Upstash and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does Upstash or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Upstash runs on REST API, Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use Upstash for free?
Yes. Upstash has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is Upstash best used for?
Upstash is most often used for caching, session storage, real-time messaging, rate limiting. Of those, caching and session storage are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Upstash do that PlanetScale cannot?
Upstash covers Serverless Redis, Serverless Kafka, QStash, REST API. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle Global Replication, Vercel, TLS, Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Upstash: Does Upstash have a free tier?

Yes. The free tier provides 256 MB of data and 500,000 commands per month with 10 GB of bandwidth in a single region, no credit card required.

Source
Upstash: How does Upstash work with edge platforms like Vercel and Cloudflare Workers?

Upstash uses a REST API instead of TCP connections, enabling it to work from Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, and AWS Lambda without persistent connections or connection pooling.

Source
Upstash: What programming languages are supported?

Upstash provides native SDKs for Python, Node.js, Go, and Rust. Java, C#, and PHP developers can use the REST API or community libraries.

Source
Upstash: Is Upstash Kafka still available?

No. Upstash Kafka was deprecated on September 11, 2024 and fully discontinued on March 11, 2025. Upstash Workflow is now recommended for durable serverless messaging and task queuing.

Source
Upstash: How is Upstash pricing structured?

Upstash uses per-request pricing at $0.20 per 100K commands for Redis, $0.25/GB for storage, and $0.40 per 100K requests for Vector database. Idle applications cost nothing.

Source
Upstash: Can Upstash be used with AWS Lambda?

Yes. Upstash works with AWS Lambda via its REST API, eliminating the need for connection pooling and making it ideal for stateless serverless functions.

Source
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