Software comparison - Databases
PlanetScale vs MySQL: 2026 Comparison
PlanetScale and MySQL both speak SQL, but PlanetScale handles infrastructure so you don't have to—no ops, auto-scaling, branching for safe schema changes. MySQL is open-source and battle-tested, requiring hands-on management. Choose PlanetScale to move fast; choose MySQL if you want full control and zero vendor lock-in. See [free tools](/tools) and [launch guides](/resources/launch-guides) for fast starts.
Comparison dimensions
Features
PlanetScale: PlanetScale exposes the full MySQL 8.0 feature set: JSON columns, full-text search, spatial indexes, and stored procedures all work out of the box. No compromise on capability.
MySQL: MySQL is the reference implementation. Every tool and library understands MySQL, and you can run any workload—from OLTP to analytics—if you tune it right.
Pricing
PlanetScale: PlanetScale charges per read-write operations on a usage-based model, starting free and scaling to $99+/mo for production. Cheaper than self-managed MySQL at small scale.
MySQL: MySQL is free to run yourself or $50-300/mo on managed clouds like AWS RDS. Hidden ops costs and on-call burden add up for teams without DBAs.
Ease of Use
PlanetScale: PlanetScale abstracts ops away: connection pooling, backups, failover, and scaling happen automatically. Ship in minutes, not days.
MySQL: MySQL requires you to provision servers, manage replication, tune performance, and staff on-call rotations. Steep learning curve; big payoff once mastered.
Integrations
PlanetScale: PlanetScale's API integrates with Vercel, Next.js, Stripe, and others out of the box. Serverless-first integrations feel natural.
MySQL: MySQL has universal driver support—every language and framework understands it. Integration is reliable but requires more plumbing.
Support
PlanetScale: PlanetScale is run by MySQL experts with strong uptime SLAs, transparent status pages, and fast issue resolution. Community support is excellent.
MySQL: MySQL has decades of StackOverflow answers and a vast community. Self-managed means you own uptime; managed clouds vary in support quality.
Scalability
PlanetScale: PlanetScale scales writes horizontally using sharding and scales reads with replicas. Built for growth; handles millions of ops/day.
MySQL: MySQL scales reads easily (add replicas) but write scaling requires sharding or custom logic. Can scale to billions of rows if architected right.
Best for PlanetScale
- Teams that want serverless mysql platform
- Users prioritizing integrations
- Growth-stage teams
Best for MySQL
- Teams that want open-source relational database
- Users prioritizing scalability
- Budget-conscious teams
Decision notes
Pick PlanetScale if you're a startup shipping fast, lack a dedicated DBA, or want to avoid ops toil. Pick MySQL if you need absolute control, have deep infrastructure expertise, or refuse vendor dependence. Try PlanetScale's free tier first; move to MySQL only if you hit an actual limitation, not a theoretical one.
- Export/import support between PlanetScale and MySQL
- Team onboarding and learning curve
- Pricing at your seat count
- Integration coverage for your stack
Frequently asked questions
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