PlanetScale pricing
MySQL · PlanetScale · snapshot captured June 2026
PlanetScale is a managed MySQL offering from PlanetScale. It uses fixed monthly cluster tiers (vitess). Its representative entry tier is PS-10 (smallest realistic production cluster) at ~$39/mo. Storage included on Metal NVMe tiers; metered on EBS-backed tiers. None. PlanetScale removed its free Hobby tier in April 2024 and has not reinstated it. Prices are a June-2026 snapshot; verify on the linked vendor pricing page before relying on them.
Source: PlanetScale pricing. Data as of June 2026.
PlanetScale pricing tiers
| Tier | Specs | Hourly | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS-5 | 1/16 vCPU / 512 MiB, 3-node HA | — | ~$15/mo | Smallest cluster on the live pricing page. |
| PS-10 | Small 3-node HA cluster | — | ~$39/mo | Smallest cluster commonly cited as production-ready. |
| Metal M-10 | NVMe-backed, unlimited IOPS | — | ~$50/mo | Entry Metal tier with locally-attached NVMe. |
Source: PlanetScale pricing. Prices are a June-2026 snapshot; verify on the linked vendor pricing page before relying on them.
At a glance
| Cost factor | PlanetScale |
|---|---|
| Engine | MySQL |
| Vendor | PlanetScale |
| Pricing model | Fixed monthly cluster tiers (Vitess) |
| Representative tier | PS-10 (smallest realistic production cluster) (~$39/mo) |
| Storage / extras | Storage included on Metal NVMe tiers; metered on EBS-backed tiers. |
| Free tier | None. PlanetScale removed its free Hobby tier in April 2024 and has not reinstated it. |
| Region note | US regions; MySQL delivered via Vitess clusters (PS-* and Metal tiers). |
Source: PlanetScale pricing page. Data as of June 2026.
Cost pros & cons
Where PlanetScale saves money
- Vitess-based horizontal sharding and non-blocking schema changes
- Branching workflow and deploy requests for safe schema migrations
- Metal tiers include unlimited IOPS with locally-attached NVMe
Watch-outs
- No free tier since April 2024
- Smallest production cluster (~$39/month) costs more than a hyperscaler burstable instance
- MySQL is delivered through Vitess, which adds operational concepts to learn
Accuracy note: PlanetScale's MySQL is delivered via Vitess clusters; the PS-5 ($15/mo) figure is from the live page, the PS-10 (~$39/mo) framing is from third-party summaries.
PlanetScale vs similar offerings
How PlanetScale compares with other managed MySQL and adjacent offerings:
| Offering | Engine | Representative tier | Est. monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlanetScale (this offering) | MySQL | PS-10 (smallest realistic production cluster) | ~$39/mo |
| Amazon RDS for MySQL | MySQL | db.t3.medium (2 vCPU / 4 GiB) | ~$52/mo |
| Google Cloud SQL for MySQL | MySQL | 2 vCPU / 8 GB (Enterprise edition, compute only) | ~$101/mo |
| Azure Database for MySQL | MySQL | D2ds_v5 (2 vCore / 8 GiB, compute only) | ~$125/mo |
| Aiven for MySQL | MySQL | Startup-4 (2 CPU / 4 GB / 80 GB storage) | ~$75/mo |
| Amazon ElastiCache | Redis / Valkey | cache.t4g.micro (0.5 GiB) | ~$12/mo |
Frequently asked questions
How much does PlanetScale cost?
PlanetScale uses fixed monthly cluster tiers (vitess). Its representative entry is PS-10 (smallest realistic production cluster) at ~$39/mo. Storage included on Metal NVMe tiers; metered on EBS-backed tiers. snapshot captured June 2026 — verify on the vendor's pricing page.
Does PlanetScale have a free tier?
Not really. None. PlanetScale removed its free Hobby tier in April 2024 and has not reinstated it.
What is the cheapest PlanetScale tier?
The smallest tier is PS-5 (1/16 vCPU / 512 MiB, 3-node HA): ~$15/mo. Smallest cluster on the live pricing page. Prices are a June-2026 snapshot; verify on the linked vendor pricing page before relying on them.
What should I watch for in PlanetScale pricing?
Watch-outs: No free tier since April 2024; Smallest production cluster (~$39/month) costs more than a hyperscaler burstable instance; MySQL is delivered through Vitess, which adds operational concepts to learn. PlanetScale's MySQL is delivered via Vitess clusters; the PS-5 ($15/mo) figure is from the live page, the PS-10 (~$39/mo) framing is from third-party summaries.
Keep exploring
Source & accuracy
Figures are a dated snapshot from PlanetScale's pricing page (snapshot captured June 2026). Managed-database pricing is volatile and varies by region, tier, storage and discounts — verify current prices on the vendor's page before purchasing. This is an informational comparison, not a quote. See our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20