PlanetScale
Serverless MySQL with branching, non-blocking schema changes (Vitess). Acquired by Vercel (rumored). Killed free tier in 2024 — entry plan now $39.
Neon
Serverless Postgres with branching (database fork per PR), scale-to-zero, autoscaling. The modern default for Next.js + serverless workloads.
PlanetScale vs Neon
A side-by-side breakdown of PlanetScale and Neon — pricing in INR and USD, regional coverage, who each is best for, and the honest call on which to pick.
Side-by-side
| Dimension | PlanetScale | Neon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | database | database |
| Entry pricing (USD) | $39/mo | $19/mo |
| Entry pricing (INR) | — | — |
| Regions covered | IN · US · GLOBAL | IN · US · GLOBAL |
Which one should you pick?
Pick PlanetScale if…
- Your customer base is concentrated in IN / US / GLOBAL.
- Serverless MySQL with branching, non-blocking schema changes (Vitess). Acquired by Vercel (rumored). Killed free tier in 2024 — entry plan now $39.
Pick Neon if…
- Your customer base is concentrated in IN / US / GLOBAL.
- Serverless Postgres with branching (database fork per PR), scale-to-zero, autoscaling. The modern default for Next.js + serverless workloads.
- Entry pricing matters and you don't need a feature PlanetScale bundles at its tier.
FAQ
›Is PlanetScale or Neon cheaper?
Neon starts at $19/mo, PlanetScale starts at $39/mo — Neon wins on entry pricing. But entry pricing is rarely your real cost; check our pricing-curve modelling on each tool's review page for ARR projections.
›When should I pick PlanetScale over Neon?
Both compete in the same database space. Pick PlanetScale if your stack is closer to its native integrations, your team already uses sister products from the same vendor, or its regional coverage matches your customer base. Pick Neon for the inverse.
›Can I migrate from PlanetScale to Neon later?
Most modern SaaS supports CSV/JSON export for the core data model. The migration cost is integration work — every Zapier workflow, every webhook URL, every API token has to be re-wired. Budget 2-4 weeks of engineering time for a non-trivial production migration.
›Are there alternatives to both PlanetScale and Neon?
Yes — browse the full database category at /tools/category/database for every tool we cover.
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