Neon
Free / paid from ~$19 per mo
PlanetScale
Paid plans from ~$39 per mo
Neon is a serverless Postgres platform with database branching and scale-to-zero pricing. PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL platform built for scale with branching workflows. Neon wins for serverless Postgres and cost efficiency; PlanetScale wins for MySQL scale and maturity.
Pick Neon if you want serverless Postgres with branching and scale-to-zero cost efficiency for variable workloads.
Pick PlanetScale if you want a highly scalable, mature MySQL platform with a safe schema-branching workflow.
Neon and PlanetScale are both modern serverless database platforms with developer-friendly branching, but they start from different engines. Neon is serverless Postgres: it separates storage and compute, offers database branching for safe development, and can scale compute to zero when idle, which keeps costs low for variable workloads. PlanetScale is serverless MySQL engineered for scale and reliability, known for its safe schema-branching workflow and the ability to handle large, high-traffic databases.
On price, Neon has a free tier and paid plans from around $19 a month, while PlanetScale's paid plans start around $39. The choice is mostly serverless Postgres with scale-to-zero efficiency (Neon) versus highly scalable MySQL with branching (PlanetScale).
We compare database engine, branching, scaling, pricing, and serverless model.
| Quick facts | Neon | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Postgres | MySQL |
| Free tier | Yes | Limited |
| Starting paid price | From ~$19/mo | From ~$39/mo |
| Scale-to-zero | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Best for | Serverless Postgres | MySQL scale + maturity |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | N Neon | P PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Serverless database | Best-in-class (Postgres) | Best-in-class (MySQL) |
| Database branching | Best-in-class | Best-in-class |
| Scale-to-zero idle compute | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Horizontal scaling | Strong | Best-in-class |
| Storage / compute separation | Best-in-class | Strong |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Maturity at large scale | Growing | Best-in-class |
| Lower entry price | Yes | No |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-26.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Neon is cost-efficient and great for Postgres with scale-to-zero, but it is younger than PlanetScale at very large scale.
PlanetScale is proven for MySQL scale and branching, but it is pricier to start and lacks scale-to-zero.
Postgres vs MySQL and scale-to-zero economics often decide it.
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