How does PlanetScale handle horizontal scaling?

PlanetScale utilizes Vitess to manage horizontal scaling through sharding, which splits your data across multiple database instances while appearing as a single database to your application, ensuring virtually unlimited growth.

What are non-blocking schema changes?

Unlike traditional databases that require downtime for schema changes, PlanetScale uses a Git-like branching workflow that allows you to deploy schema migrations asynchronously without locking tables or affecting performance.

Why doesn't PlanetScale support foreign keys?

PlanetScale does not support foreign keys because they hinder the platform's ability to shard data across multiple nodes effectively; instead, developers use functional indexes to maintain query performance.

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PlanetScale

Freemium

databasemysql

PlanetScale is a high-scale serverless MySQL database platform powered by Vitess, designed to provide developers with database branching, non-blocking schema changes, and horizontal scaling capabilities.

Try it out

Serverless MySQL platform with branching, built on Vitess.

PlanetScale reimagines the database workflow by treating database schemas like code, offering a branching model that allows developers to test changes in isolated environments before merging them into production. Built on Vitess, the same technology used to scale YouTube, it provides a distributed MySQL architecture that handles massive connection counts and horizontal sharding automatically. The platform features an advanced Rewind capability to undo problematic schema migrations and integrates deeply with frameworks like Prisma and Next.js for modern full-stack development.

Pros

Enables Git-style database branching to test schema migrations in isolated environments before deploying them to the production database.
Utilizes the Vitess engine to support millions of concurrent connections and automatic horizontal sharding for massive scale-out potential.
Provides detailed Query Insights and monitoring tools to identify slow-performing SQL statements and optimize database resource consumption in real-time.

Cons

The platform lacks support for foreign key constraints, requiring developers to manage data integrity at the application level to ensure Vitess compatibility.
Pricing can become unpredictable for high-traffic applications due to the consumption-based model focused on row reads and writes.
Users are restricted to the MySQL ecosystem, making it unsuitable for projects that require PostgreSQL-specific features or non-relational data structures.

Key features

Database branching
Serverless
Insights

Integrations

VercelNetlifySupabasePrismaNext.js

Target audience

Developers, Modern web applications, SaaS companies

Ratings & Reviews

0.0

Based on 0 reviews

Key Metrics

Active Users

50,000+

Founded

2018

Headquarters

Palo Alto, CA

Pricing Tiers

Hobby

Start with a free database, perfect for personal projects and prototypes.

Free

Scaler

Scalable production-ready database with higher limits and support.

$29/mo

Enterprise

Advanced features, dedicated support, and custom scaling for large organizations.

Custom

Frequently Asked Questions

Top Alternatives to PlanetScale

Neon

Consider choosing Neon over PlanetScale if you specifically require a serverless Postgres experience with bottomless storage rather than a MySQL-compatible environment built on the Vitess engine.

Amazon RDS

Consider choosing Amazon RDS over PlanetScale if your application requires a traditional, non-serverless database management approach with dedicated hardware control and broad multi-engine support beyond MySQL.

Supabase

Consider choosing Supabase over PlanetScale if you want an all-in-one backend-as-a-service that includes authentication, edge functions, and real-time subscriptions alongside a managed PostgreSQL database.

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Join thousands of users and see how PlanetScale can transform your workflow today.

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