Who should choose PlanetScale?

Teams that want serverless mysql platform

Who should choose Neon?

Teams that want serverless postgres with branching

Software comparison - Databases

PlanetScale vs Neon: 2026 Comparison

PlanetScale and Neon both chase serverless databases, but pick different SQL flavors. PlanetScale brings MySQL's ecosystem and zero-downtime deployments; Neon adds Postgres power and branching. [Check database comparisons](/compare).

Comparison dimensions

Dimension	PlanetScale	Neon	Winner
Features	7/10PlanetScale's VitessDB ensures MySQL compatibility; Vitess sharding means unlimited scaling without rewrites.	9/10Neon's Postgres flavor brings full ACID guarantees, JSON operators, and procedural SQL; more powerful, fewer databases need denormalization.	Neon
Pricing	7/10PlanetScale's consumption pricing is generous for low-traffic apps; $39/month includes 100GB reads.	7/10Neon's free tier is deep (3 branches, 10GB); paid tier at $15/month scales fairly; compute-hour billing stings at scale.	Tie
Ease of Use	9/10PlanetScale's web UI is polished; schema migrations feel safe; zero-downtime deployments are a standout.	8/10Neon's branching (environments in the database layer) is novel; CLI and web UX are solid; migrations require more care.	PlanetScale
Integrations	7/10PlanetScale plays nice with Laravel, Node, Python ORMs; Vitess routing is transparent.	7/10Neon integrates seamlessly with Prisma, sqlc, and native Postgres drivers; Vercel deployments are first-class.	Tie
Support	7/10PlanetScale's support is adequate; docs cover common patterns; community is growing.	9/10Neon's support is responsive; Postgres expertise is deep; SQL guidance is excellent.	Neon
Scalability	8/10PlanetScale scales horizontally via Vitess sharding; replication lag is minimal.	8/10Neon scales via read replicas and connection pooling; standby clusters handle failover.	Tie

Features

PlanetScale: PlanetScale's VitessDB ensures MySQL compatibility; Vitess sharding means unlimited scaling without rewrites.

Neon: Neon's Postgres flavor brings full ACID guarantees, JSON operators, and procedural SQL; more powerful, fewer databases need denormalization.

Pricing

PlanetScale: PlanetScale's consumption pricing is generous for low-traffic apps; $39/month includes 100GB reads.

Neon: Neon's free tier is deep (3 branches, 10GB); paid tier at $15/month scales fairly; compute-hour billing stings at scale.

Ease of Use

PlanetScale: PlanetScale's web UI is polished; schema migrations feel safe; zero-downtime deployments are a standout.

Neon: Neon's branching (environments in the database layer) is novel; CLI and web UX are solid; migrations require more care.

Integrations

PlanetScale: PlanetScale plays nice with Laravel, Node, Python ORMs; Vitess routing is transparent.

Neon: Neon integrates seamlessly with Prisma, sqlc, and native Postgres drivers; Vercel deployments are first-class.

Support

PlanetScale: PlanetScale's support is adequate; docs cover common patterns; community is growing.

Neon: Neon's support is responsive; Postgres expertise is deep; SQL guidance is excellent.

Scalability

PlanetScale: PlanetScale scales horizontally via Vitess sharding; replication lag is minimal.

Neon: Neon scales via read replicas and connection pooling; standby clusters handle failover.

Best for PlanetScale

Teams that want serverless mysql platform
Users prioritizing integrations
Growth-stage teams

Best for Neon

Teams that want serverless postgres with branching
Users prioritizing integrations
Growth-stage teams

Decision notes

Pick PlanetScale if you want MySQL's ecosystem and easy scaling; pick Neon if Postgres features and branching matter. Start free—both have generous free tiers and fast trials.

Export/import support between PlanetScale and Neon
Team onboarding and learning curve
Pricing at your seat count
Integration coverage for your stack

Frequently asked questions

More research

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