MySQL vs PlanetScale comparison

Oracle and PlanetScale are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Oracle is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.2, while PlanetScale is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.2. Oracle holds a 7.6% mindshare in SQL, compared to PlanetScale’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Oracle users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of PlanetScale users who would recommend it.

MySQL

Read 150 MySQL reviews

9,581 Views
4,599 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

PlanetScale

Read 6 PlanetScale reviews

199 Views
199 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

MySQL

PlanetScale

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

MySQL and PlanetScale are both competing in the database management system category. PlanetScale appears to have the upper hand due to its cloud-native features and scalability enhancements.

Features: MySQL offers reliable performance with its robust querying capabilities, strong community support, and multi-threaded architecture. PlanetScale provides cutting-edge features like horizontal scaling, a sophisticated branching system, and zero-downtime schema changes.

Room for Improvement: MySQL can improve its cloud capabilities, modern development tools, and scalability to match the needs of larger enterprises. PlanetScale could enhance user documentation, offer more granular pricing options, and increase support for legacy system integrations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: MySQL provides straightforward on-premise deployment backed by extensive community resources. PlanetScale simplifies scaling and management with its cloud-based deployment and seamless cloud integration, offering automated operations for faster setup.

Pricing and ROI: MySQL's low initial costs make it ideal for budget-conscious projects. PlanetScale, while costlier, offers greater ROI potential due to advanced scalability and reduced maintenance needs, appealing to companies prioritizing growth and modern infrastructure.

To learn more, read our detailed MySQL vs. PlanetScale Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

MySQL vs. PlanetScale

September 2025

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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

MySQL

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

150

Ranking in other categories

Open Source Databases (1st)

PlanetScale

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

16th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of MySQL is 7.6%, down from 7.9% 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
Product	Market Share (%)
MySQL	7.6%
PlanetScale	0.3%
Other	92.1%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Prabir Kumar Kundu

SR AVP–Presales Cloud & Platform Management Services at Path Infotech ltd

Offers robust security and availability with impressive replication capabilities

Regarding their documentation and interface, there is room for improvement. Documentation is definitely required when running multiple databases on a cluster system. The load balancer, MySQL LB, which is used to connect to the application, lacks clear documentation. When there are multiple application servers connecting to the MySQL cluster and going through the MySQL load balancer, the documentation is not user-friendly. It's there, but only technical persons with deep knowledge of the MySQL database can implement it. Most of the community users or ISVs who use MySQL don't have many technical persons or DBA experts, so they face some challenges for the high availability of connecting high available databases from high available applications. That documentation should be simplified.

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Arpita Bahedia

Software Engineer at Bit & Binary

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is a small application and is very easy to deploy."

"I like the JSON stuff."

"The feature I found most valuable is activity performance."

"I use MySQL for employee service in an OLTP database."

"It has a community version. When I have to create a new database, I have no problems with licenses."

"It is free, which is probably its most valuable feature. It is a pretty full-featured relational database. It really does everything we need it to do."

"Compared to other databases, MySQL is cheaper and we were using the community edition which was free of cost. ML is fully integrated with the database in HeatWave. It has also many other features. MySQL is a far better solution in terms of pricing."

"What I really like about MySQL is the opportunity to search for information and organize it any way I like."

More MySQL pros

"The database is accessible 24/7, ensuring my project runs smoothly without interruptions."

"I did not face any downtime when using the product."

"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 branching feature is also good for developer experience."

"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

"The GUI could improve to make MySQL better."

"If it had something similar to Microsoft’s DTS engine then it would be the best database system out there."

"The GUI could improve in MySQL."

"The auto-tuning and NDB cluster has some limitations regarding foreign keys."

"The solution could improve the monitoring. At the present time, you need to use third-party monitoring solutions."

"It is not as powerful as SQL Server. It can be more powerful. It is not scalable and has certain limitations, which is not the case with SQL Server."

"When it comes to supporting big data, there is space to improve upon the database engines that are supported by MySQL."

"Sometimes, not because the version is not the latest version, there are some issues with it. Sometimes there's an issue with the server which creates issues with it."

More MySQL cons

"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."

"The main thing I didn't like about PlanetScale was that we couldn't run analytical queries on it."

"We encountered some initial issues during the product deployment, which required me to search for solutions on forums."

"I am not sure, but I think recently, the tool removed the free version."

"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."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the solution’s pricing a six out of ten. The solution is not cheap but it’s a fair value. The pricing depends on the use cases of our customers. Some of our customers use the community edition which is license free and a good fit for their use cases. However, we encourage our bigger customers to sign up because of the scalability issues. The paid versions get direct technical support from Oracle."

"MySQL is released under an open-source license, so you have nothing to pay to use it."

"The solution’s pricing depends on customer requirements. A license is not required for the community edition."

"I think that MySQL is a premium product."

"I use the open-source free community version."

"MySQL is cheaper than Microsoft SQL Server."

"We do have a couple of clients who choose to use the paid, enterprise version of the solution and who take full advantage of it."

"This is an open-source product that can be used free of charge."

More MySQL pricing and cost advice

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	73
Midsize Enterprise	31
Large Enterprise	61

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

Why are MySQL connections encrypted and what is the biggest benefit of this?

MySQL encrypts connections to protect your data and the biggest benefit from this is that nobody can corrupt it. If you move information over a network without encryption, you are endangering it, m...

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Considering that there is a free version of MySQL, would you invest in one of the paid editions?

I may be considered a MySQL veteran since I have been using it since before Oracle bought it and created paid versions. So back in my day, it was all free, it was open-source and the best among sim...

See all answers

What is one thing you would improve with MySQL?

One thing I would improve related to MySQL is not within the product itself, but with the guides to it. Before, when it was free, everyone was on their own, seeking tutorials and how-to videos onli...

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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.

See all answers

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...

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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...

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Comparisons

Firebird SQL vs MySQL

Compared 23% of the time

PostgreSQL vs MySQL

Compared 14% of the time

SAP HANA vs MySQL

Compared 8% of the time

MariaDB vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

SQL Server vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

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Citus Data vs PlanetScale

Compared 100% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

MySQL

August 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

August 2025

Download PlanetScale product report

Overview

MySQL is an open-source database known for its ease of use and high performance. It offers features like replication and clustering, making it ideal for diverse applications. Its cost-effectiveness and LAMP integration are key advantages for businesses.

MySQL supports a variety of languages and platforms, providing reliable, scalable data management. Its graphical interface and LAMP architecture integration enhance its usability, while community support further strengthens its appeal. Challenges include scalability issues with large databases, lack of advanced clustering, and limited high-availability features. Complex queries may affect performance, and integration can pose difficulties. The outdated interface and insufficient documentation are also concerns, along with replication and backup reliability issues.

What are MySQL's key features?

Open-source nature: Freely available and customizable.
Cross-platform compatibility: Supports multiple operating systems.
Scalability: Capable of handling large volumes of data.
Replication and clustering: Ensure data redundancy and load balancing.
Full-text search: Provides powerful search capabilities.
LAMP integration: Seamlessly integrates with Linux, Apache, and PHP.

What benefits should users consider?

Cost-effectiveness: Reduces expenses due to its open-source nature.
High performance: Efficiently processes large volumes of data.
Active community support: Access to a wide range of resources and expertise.
Versatile use cases: Suitable for varied applications including web development and IoT.

MySQL is widely implemented in industries such as web development, e-commerce, and finance. It's used for managing dynamic websites, powering e-commerce platforms, and supporting financial applications. Its compatibility with PHP and cost-effectiveness make it suitable for CMS platforms like WordPress. With cloud services integration, MySQL is a backend choice for scalable applications in various sectors.

Oracle

PlanetScale offers seamless database management with features tailored for modern development environments, enabling enhanced project operations through efficient integration and ease of use.

PlanetScale is designed to support modern developer workflows through features like automated connection pooling and constant availability, making it ideal for serverless applications. Its integration with tools like GitHub and Prisma enhances the developer experience, allowing fast setup and effortless database interactions. However, users note challenges with analytical queries due to row-based billing and the absence of foreign key constraints. Integration with platforms such as Firebase and Next.js presents additional hurdles. Recent changes, such as the removal of the free tier, have impacted adoption by hobby developers, highlighting a need for more accessible pricing plans.

What are the most important features of PlanetScale?

Automated Connection Pooling: Optimizes database connections for serverless environments.
Constant Availability: Ensures uninterrupted operations and workflow efficiency.
Developer-Friendly: Integrates seamlessly with GitHub and Prisma for enhanced project management.
Quick Setup: Simplifies setup processes in corporate environments, allowing immediate use.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating PlanetScale?

Uninterrupted Project Operations: Facilitates constant availability for high-performance applications.
Enhanced Developer Experience: Offers intuitive integrations and project management capabilities.
Ease of Integration: Works well with popular tools like Prisma and MySQL for efficient workflows.

PlanetScale finds significant use in hosting databases for portfolios, company websites, and academic projects. Its compatibility with Prisma facilitates seamless MySQL database management online. Users leverage its capabilities for analytical queries and manage data environments effectively. Teams value the platform for specialized tasks such as URL shortening and social media automation, which are crucial in rapidly evolving digital industries.

PlanetScale

Sample Customers

Facebook, Tumblr, Scholastic, MTV Networks, Wikipedia, Verizon Wireless, Sage Group, Glassfish Open Message Queue, and RightNow Technologies.

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

MySQL vs. PlanetScale

September 2025

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