What is the difference between PlanetScale and Hasura?

PlanetScale is best for Teams running MySQL at scale who need safe schema migrations, while Hasura is best for Developers wanting instant GraphQL APIs on their database. PlanetScale starts at $39/mo and Hasura starts at Free.

Is PlanetScale or Hasura cheaper?

PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. Hasura starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to PlanetScale?

Yes, Hasura offers a free tier (Free for 1 project).

PlanetScale vs Hasura

PlanetScale is Serverless MySQL platform with branching, non-blocking schema changes, and unlimited scalability, while Hasura is Instant GraphQL and REST APIs on Postgres, SQL Server, and other data sources. The biggest difference up front: Hasura is free, while PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. PlanetScale is built for teams running mysql at scale who need safe schema migrations, whereas Hasura targets developers wanting instant graphql apis on their database.

At a glance

	PlanetScale	Hasura
Best for	Teams running MySQL at scale who need safe schema migrations	Developers wanting instant GraphQL APIs on their database
Starting price	$39/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Auth	—	✓
Auto-scaling	✓	—
Database Branching	✓	—
GraphQL	—	✓
Query Insights	✓	—
Real-Time	—	✓
Remote Schemas	—	✓
Schema Migrations	✓	—

PlanetScale

Strengths

Git-like branching for safe schema changes
Non-blocking schema migrations with zero downtime
Built on Vitess for proven horizontal scalability
Excellent developer experience and CLI tools

Weaknesses

No free tier — minimum $39/month commitment
No foreign key constraint support by default
MySQL only — no Postgres option
Vendor lock-in with proprietary branching features

Try PlanetScale → Full review

Hasura

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes GraphQL as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
Free for 1 project — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in database
Community support can be slower than the dedicated support teams at commercial alternatives

Try Hasura → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Hasura is completely free (Free for 1 project), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: PlanetScale offers Auto-scaling, Database Branching and Query Insights that Hasura lacks. Hasura brings Auth, GraphQL and Real-Time that PlanetScale does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target small teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Hasura is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. PlanetScale is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: PlanetScale's biggest strengths are: git-like branching for safe schema changes. non-blocking schema migrations with zero downtime. Hasura's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes graphql as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows.

Watch out for: With PlanetScale, users commonly note that no free tier — minimum $39/month commitment. With Hasura, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose PlanetScale if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams running mysql at scale who need safe schema migrations
You specifically need Auto-scaling and Database Branching
You care about non-blocking schema migrations with zero downtime

Choose Hasura if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting instant graphql apis on their database
Budget is a hard constraint — Hasura is free, PlanetScale is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Auth and GraphQL
You care about includes graphql as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows