PlanetScale vs Neon(2026)
PlanetScale is better for teams that need non-blocking schema changes. Neon is the stronger choice if scale-to-zero (no idle cost). PlanetScale is paid (from $39/month) and Neon is freemium (from $19/month).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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PlanetScale
PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible serverless database with branching workflows for schema changes.
Starting at $39/month
Visit PlanetScaleNeon
Neon is a serverless PostgreSQL database with branching, autoscaling, and a generous free tier.
Starting at $19/month
Visit NeonHow Do PlanetScale and Neon Compare on Features?
| Feature | PlanetScale | Neon |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | paid | freemium |
| Starting price | $39/month | $19/month |
| MySQL-compatible | ✓ | — |
| Database branching | ✓ | ✓ |
| Non-blocking schema changes | ✓ | — |
| Query insights | ✓ | — |
| Replication | ✓ | — |
| Serverless PostgreSQL | — | ✓ |
| Autoscaling | — | ✓ |
| Connection pooling | — | ✓ |
| Point-in-time restore | — | ✓ |
PlanetScale Pros and Cons vs Neon
P
PlanetScale
+Non-blocking schema changes
+MySQL compatibility
+Excellent performance
−Removed free tier in 2024
−No foreign key constraints
−MySQL only
N
Neon
+Scale-to-zero (no idle cost)
+Database branching for dev/test
+Fast cold starts
+Great DX
−No non-Postgres support
−Relatively new
−Connection limits on free tier
Should You Use PlanetScale or Neon?
Choose PlanetScale if…
- •Non-blocking schema changes
- •MySQL compatibility
- •Excellent performance
Choose Neon if…
- •Scale-to-zero (no idle cost)
- •Database branching for dev/test
- •Fast cold starts