Neon vs PlanetScale Comparison
Comparing Neon (serverless Postgres) and PlanetScale (serverless MySQL). Both are modern serverless databases—we analyze Postgres vs MySQL, branching, pricing, and which serverless DB to choose.
Neon
Serverless Postgres. Built for the Cloud.
Primary Task
Serverless Postgres
Pricing
FreemiumKey Features
- Serverless
- Branching
- Autoscaling
PlanetScale
The world's most advanced serverless MySQL platform.
Primary Task
Serverless MySQL
Pricing
PaidKey Features
- Horizontal Sharding
- Non-blocking Schema Changes
- Branching
At a Glance
| Feature | Neon | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Database Engine | PostgreSQL | MySQL (Vitess) |
| Branching | Instant copy-on-write | Schema-migration workflow |
| Scale-to-Zero | Yes (compute) | No (always-on) |
| Cold Starts | Yes (~1-2s on free tier) | No |
| Horizontal Scaling | Read replicas | Vitess sharding |
| Advanced Features | Postgres extensions, JSONB | MySQL features |
| Connection Pooling | Built-in | Built-in |
| Free Tier | 0.5GB, shared compute | 5GB, 1B row reads |
| Pricing Start | $19/mo (Launch) | $39/mo (Scaler) |
| Best For | Postgres apps, scale-to-zero | MySQL apps, massive scale |
Pros & Cons
Neon
Strengths
- PostgreSQL (most advanced open-source DB)
- Scale-to-zero (save money)
- Instant branching (copy-on-write)
- Lower starting price ($19 vs $39)
Limitations
- Cold starts on free tier
- Less horizontal scaling than Vitess
- Newer platform (less proven at massive scale)
- Smaller storage on free tier (0.5GB vs 5GB)
PlanetScale
Strengths
- Horizontal scaling with Vitess (proven at scale)
- No cold starts (always-on)
- Larger free tier (5GB vs 0.5GB)
- Battle-tested at YouTube, Slack scale
Limitations
- MySQL (less advanced than Postgres)
- No scale-to-zero (always-on billing)
- Higher starting price ($39 vs $19)
- Less flexible than Postgres features
The Verdict
Choose based on your database preference and scaling needs.
Choose Neon
Best for
- You prefer PostgreSQL (most advanced features).
- Scale-to-zero is valuable (save money on low-traffic apps).
- You want lower starting cost ($19 vs $39/mo).
- Instant branching (copy-on-write) appeals to you.
Choose PlanetScale
Best for
- You prefer MySQL or need MySQL compatibility.
- Massive horizontal scaling is critical.
- You want no cold starts (always-on).
- You need proven scale (YouTube-level traffic).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which database is better: Postgres or MySQL?
Generally Postgres is considered more advanced (better JSON support, extensions, advanced types). MySQL is simpler. For most modern apps, Postgres (Neon) is preferred unless you specifically need MySQL.
Do both have database branching?
Yes! Neon has instant copy-on-write branches. PlanetScale has schema-migration branches. Both let you test changes before production, but implementation differs.
Which is cheaper?
Neon is cheaper for low-traffic apps ($19 vs $39/mo, plus scale-to-zero). PlanetScale can be cheaper for high-read apps (generous read limits). Depends on your usage pattern.
Does Neon have cold starts?
Yes, on free tier (shared compute). Paid tiers ($19+/mo) have dedicated compute with no cold starts. Cold starts are ~1-2 seconds when they occur.
Which scales better?
PlanetScale scales better horizontally (Vitess sharding for massive datasets). Neon scales vertically well and has read replicas. For 99% of apps, both are sufficient.