Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

MariaDB vs PlanetScale comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

MariaDB
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Open Source Databases (4th)
PlanetScale
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
16th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
8.3
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of MariaDB is 5.9%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PlanetScale is 0.3%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Relational Databases Tools Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
MariaDB5.9%
PlanetScale0.3%
Other93.8%
Relational Databases Tools
 

Featured Reviews

KumarManish - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to deploy, cost-effective, and integrates seamlessly with other products
We had planned for an RDBMS version and not NoSQL. We use MariaDB Galera Cluster. It's a good product. It is cheap, scalable, performs well, and is efficient. We use GCP’s BigQuery for machine learning. We must follow the best practices of the tool. We missed some best practices like the storage engine and InnoDB. It was very difficult to identify why we were having performance issues. Then, we realized that some of our tables were still on MyISAM, the default storage engine. When we switched it back to the InnoDB, it was very smooth. InnoDB is the recommended one. We must follow the best practices given in the documentation during the initial setup. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Arpita Bahedia - PeerSpot reviewer
Database management becomes seamless with automatic command execution
One feature I appreciate about PlanetScale is its ability to handle migrations and commands without the need to run them manually in the database. I can enter commands locally, connect with the database, and the changes will automatically be applied to the server, making debugging easier. Additionally, I use PlanetScale with Prisma, and it integrates well for my needs.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"A valuable feature is that we can use it for quite a few things, all the things you'd expect from a server—along the lines of Linux's Lightweight Directory."
"It's easy to set up."
"The most valuable feature is that it uses multiple cores, which is better than some of the other databases."
"MariaDB is a fast and flexible tool."
"What I like best about MariaDB is that it is open-source and reliable."
"MariaDB is stable and the initial setup is straightforward."
"The most valuable feature of MariaDB is that it is open-source and we can easily migrate from other databases, such as Oracle to MariaDB."
"The integration with other products is seamless."
"The branching feature is also good for developer experience."
"The solution is beginner-friendly. Like any new platform, it can be a bit confusing at first. But after spending about an hour with it, you can get a clear idea of what everything is for. It's not very confusing; I think they've improved it recently."
"The database is accessible 24/7, ensuring my project runs smoothly without interruptions."
"I did not face any downtime when using the product."
"I like the solution's developer experience. When you deploy changes to the database in the portal, you can use different deployment strategies and see how things work. You can put changes into different branches, like deployment and staging. This is built into the product, allowing you to navigate changes through different branches."
 

Cons

"Integration with AWS could be improved."
"The maintenance and performance could be a bit better."
"It should work across all fields like SQLite, as it is the basis of any application, even apps for phones and the like."
"The price could be less expensive."
"Master-master replication is something that needs to be simplified."
"MariaDB doesn't handle long or complex SQL queries quite as well as Oracle Database."
"The configuration could be improved. It should be easier."
"There could be a command-line prompt for repairing the database and fixing indexes, similar to what was available in the old MyISAM storage engine."
"I used PlanetScale for hobby projects, so my perspective differs from someone using it commercially. Unfortunately, they've removed the free tier in recent months and pivoted to a business-to-business model. This is sad for hobby developers like me because it's a great product, but I understand they have costs to cover."
"When I tried to integrate the solution with Firebase for authentication, I faced some interruptions. Also, when using it with Next.js and NextAuth.js for Google and social logins, I had some troubles."
"We encountered some initial issues during the product deployment, which required me to search for solutions on forums."
"The main thing I didn't like about PlanetScale was that we couldn't run analytical queries on it."
"I am not sure, but I think recently, the tool removed the free version."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost is quite good. You can have the open source, free version, which has adequate capacity."
"MariaDB is available for free."
"My company uses the free version of the solution."
"MariaDB is an open-source software, meaning I don't need to pay for the product."
"The product is not expensive."
"MariaDB is open-source and self-hosted."
"We pay for a yearly license."
"The price could be less expensive."
"The solution is expensive for beginners. That's why I wasn't motivated to use it more. But they were already providing many features for free for beginners, which was great."
"I am currently using the product's free version, which has been sufficient for my portfolio project."
"Last time, when I wanted to use the tool in a project, I could see it was only paid, so I didn't use the service."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Relational Databases Tools solutions are best for your needs.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise25
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about MariaDB?
The integration with other products is seamless.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MariaDB?
I have found the price of commercial MariaDB to be pretty steep, although not as high as Oracle. Customers often prefer the Community Edition because it's free.
What needs improvement with MariaDB?
The only potential area for improvement could be the pricing model, which might benefit from being more flexible or a bit cheaper.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PlanetScale?
I am currently using the product's free version, which has been sufficient for my portfolio project. The paid version ranges from $39 to $1,000, depending on the features and scale required.
What needs improvement with PlanetScale?
I would like PlanetScale to have a feature where the database can be accessed in the cloud with a link, allowing for a more user-friendly interface compared to the terminal. This would make it easi...
What is your primary use case for PlanetScale?
I have used PlanetScale as it is an advanced version of MySQL. It functions as a platform where MySQL is live, similar to AWS. I use PlanetScale to store data in a live environment where queries ca...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Google, Wikipedia, Tencent, Verizon, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, Telefónica, Huatai Securities
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about MariaDB vs. PlanetScale and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.