PlanetScale

The world's most advanced serverless MySQL platform

From $0/mo 0

About PlanetScale

PlanetScale brings the power of Vitess (YouTube's database) to every developer. With database branching like Git, you can safely test schema changes before deploying to production. Non-blocking schema migrations mean zero downtime, while automatic scaling handles traffic spikes without manual intervention. The platform is built for high availability with replicas across multiple availability zones. Perfect for modern applications that need MySQL's reliability with the ease of serverless infrastructure, though note that the free Hobby plan was deprecated in 2024.

Key Features

Database branching for safe schema changes

Non-blocking schema migrations

Automatic horizontal sharding

High availability (1 primary + 2 replicas)

Instant deployment rollback

Query insights and analytics

Connection pooling

Managed backups

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Non-blocking migrations are game-changing
• Database branching simplifies development
• Built on battle-tested Vitess
• Excellent for high-scale applications
• Great documentation

Cons

• Hobby plan deprecated in 2024
• More expensive than basic MySQL hosting
• Learning curve for advanced features
• No foreign key constraints (Vitess limitation)

Best For

SaaS applications needing scale Teams wanting safer schema migrations Applications with variable traffic Developers familiar with MySQL High-growth startups