Who should choose PlanetScale?

Teams that want serverless mysql platform

Who should choose Redis?

Teams that want in-memory data store

Software comparison - Databases

PlanetScale vs Redis: 2026 Comparison

PlanetScale and Redis are fundamentally different database types. PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL platform for transactional data—your app's source of truth. Redis is an in-memory cache and session store for speed. Most production apps use both together: PlanetScale for durability, Redis for performance. Choose your primary based on your app's core need, then layer the other. [compare](/compare) walks through selecting the right stack.

Comparison dimensions

Dimension	PlanetScale	Redis	Winner
Features	7/10PlanetScale supports SQL queries, transactions, and ACID guarantees. If you need relational logic and data integrity, MySQL is your foundation.	9/10Redis offers data structures (strings, hashes, sets, sorted sets, streams) with atomic operations. Faster queries, less flexible schema, best as a supplement.	Redis
Pricing	7/10PlanetScale's generous free tier (5GB data) and $39/month production plans are competitive for primary databases. Scales pricing with usage.	8/10Redis Cloud's free tier and $15/month production tier undercut PlanetScale. If caching is your only need, Redis is the cheaper choice.	Redis
Ease of Use	9/10PlanetScale abstracts away infrastructure—deploy SQL instantly, no servers to manage. Perfect for developers who hate ops.	9/10Redis is equally simple to get running in Redis Cloud. Setup is even faster than PlanetScale. Both are serverless-friendly.	Tie
Integrations	7/10PlanetScale's REST API and native MySQL driver support is solid, but ecosystem integrations trail because it's MySQL under the hood.	9/10Redis integrates everywhere—Stripe, Auth0, message queues, session stores. Standard in production stacks for a reason.	Redis
Support	7/10PlanetScale support is responsive via email and docs. Good for feature questions; not a 24/7 ops SLA.	9/10Redis Cloud support is reliable with faster ticket response and community backing from the Redis core team.	Redis
Scalability	8/10PlanetScale branches, automated backups, and connection pooling let you scale reads and writes without rearchitecting schema.	8/10Redis Cluster mode and replication offer near-linear scaling for reads. Lower absolute throughput than PlanetScale, but excellent for hot data.	Tie

Features

PlanetScale: PlanetScale supports SQL queries, transactions, and ACID guarantees. If you need relational logic and data integrity, MySQL is your foundation.

Redis: Redis offers data structures (strings, hashes, sets, sorted sets, streams) with atomic operations. Faster queries, less flexible schema, best as a supplement.

Pricing

PlanetScale: PlanetScale's generous free tier (5GB data) and $39/month production plans are competitive for primary databases. Scales pricing with usage.

Redis: Redis Cloud's free tier and $15/month production tier undercut PlanetScale. If caching is your only need, Redis is the cheaper choice.

Ease of Use

PlanetScale: PlanetScale abstracts away infrastructure—deploy SQL instantly, no servers to manage. Perfect for developers who hate ops.

Redis: Redis is equally simple to get running in Redis Cloud. Setup is even faster than PlanetScale. Both are serverless-friendly.

Integrations

PlanetScale: PlanetScale's REST API and native MySQL driver support is solid, but ecosystem integrations trail because it's MySQL under the hood.

Redis: Redis integrates everywhere—Stripe, Auth0, message queues, session stores. Standard in production stacks for a reason.

Support

PlanetScale: PlanetScale support is responsive via email and docs. Good for feature questions; not a 24/7 ops SLA.

Redis: Redis Cloud support is reliable with faster ticket response and community backing from the Redis core team.

Scalability

PlanetScale: PlanetScale branches, automated backups, and connection pooling let you scale reads and writes without rearchitecting schema.

Redis: Redis Cluster mode and replication offer near-linear scaling for reads. Lower absolute throughput than PlanetScale, but excellent for hot data.

Best for PlanetScale

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

Best for Redis

Teams that want in-memory data store
Users prioritizing support
Budget-conscious teams

Decision notes

Use PlanetScale as your primary application database; use Redis as a caching and session layer on top. If you can only pick one, choose PlanetScale for stateful apps and Redis for real-time, high-frequency workloads. Most winners use both—check [launch guides](/resources/launch-guides) for a setup guide on your stack.

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

Frequently asked questions

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