Neon vs PlanetScale: Which Database Is Best?
Neon
Serverless Postgres with database branching. Instant provisioning, autoscaling, and time-travel queries for modern apps.
PlanetScale
Serverless MySQL platform with git-like database branching. Powered by Vitess, the tech behind YouTube's massive scale.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Neon | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Database branching | ✓ | ✓ |
| Serverless scaling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Point-in-time restore | ✓ | ✗ |
| Autoscaling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vercel integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Connection pooling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schema reverts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Deploy requests | ✗ | ✓ |
| Insights dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vitess-powered scaling | ✗ | ✓ |
| API query interface | ✓ | ✗ |
Pricing & Model
| Neon | PlanetScale | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0 | $0 |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Category | Development | Development |
| Target Audience | Serverless-focused developers and Next.js teams needing instant Postgres | Engineering teams wanting safe schema changes without downtime |
Which Should You Choose?
Neon is best for serverless-focused developers and Next.js teams needing instant Postgres, with its standout strength being serverless Postgres with branching and point-in-time restore. With Vercel integration, sub-second cold starts, and autoscaling, it's the natural choice for Postgres users building on modern frontend platforms.
PlanetScale excels for engineering teams wanting safe schema changes without downtime, thanks to database branching — git workflow for safe schema changes. Its deploy request workflow, schema revert capability, and Vitess-powered horizontal scaling make it ideal for teams with complex database operations on MySQL.
The right choice depends on your database engine preference: choose Neon if you want Postgres with serverless features; choose PlanetScale if you prefer MySQL with a git-like workflow for schema changes and Vitess-powered scaling at the backend.
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