What is the difference between Supabase and PlanetScale?

Supabase is best for Developers who want a full backend with Postgres at the core, while PlanetScale is best for Teams running MySQL at scale who need safe schema migrations. Supabase starts at $25/mo and PlanetScale starts at $39/mo.

Is Supabase or PlanetScale cheaper?

Supabase starts at $25/mo with a free tier. PlanetScale starts at $39/mo.

Is there a free alternative to PlanetScale?

Yes, Supabase offers a free tier (Free for 2 projects, pauses after inactivity).

Supabase vs PlanetScale

Supabase is Open-source Firebase alternative providing a Postgres database, authentication, storage, and edge functions, while PlanetScale is Serverless MySQL platform with branching, non-blocking schema changes, and unlimited scalability. Supabase comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Supabase is built for developers who want a full backend with postgres at the core, whereas PlanetScale targets teams running mysql at scale who need safe schema migrations.

At a glance

	Supabase	PlanetScale
Best for	Developers who want a full backend with Postgres at the core	Teams running MySQL at scale who need safe schema migrations
Starting price	$25/mo	$39/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	✓	—
Auth	✓	—
Auto-scaling	—	✓
Database Branching	—	✓
Edge Functions	✓	—
Postgres	✓	—
Query Insights	—	✓
Realtime	✓	—
Schema Migrations	—	✓
Storage	✓	—

Supabase

Strengths

Full Postgres database with SQL access and extensions
Open source with self-hosting option for full control
Built-in auth, storage, and realtime subscriptions
Generous free tier for prototyping and small projects

Weaknesses

Free tier pauses inactive projects after one week
Edge functions are still maturing compared to alternatives
Connection pooling can be tricky at scale
Dashboard can feel overwhelming with many features

Try Supabase → Full review

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

The bottom line

Pricing: Supabase starts at $25/mo. PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. Supabase is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Supabase offers Auth, Edge Functions and Postgres that PlanetScale lacks. PlanetScale brings Auto-scaling, Database Branching and Query Insights that Supabase does not have.

Team fit: Supabase is geared toward any size teams, while PlanetScale is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Supabase 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: Supabase's biggest strengths are: full postgres database with sql access and extensions. open source with self-hosting option for full control. PlanetScale's biggest strengths are: git-like branching for safe schema changes. non-blocking schema migrations with zero downtime.

Watch out for: With Supabase, users commonly note that free tier pauses inactive projects after one week. With PlanetScale, the main complaint is that no free tier — minimum $39/month commitment.

Choose Supabase if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers who want a full backend with postgres at the core
You want to save on per-user costs — Supabase is $14.00/user/mo cheaper
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Auth and Edge Functions
You care about open source with self-hosting option for full control

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
Your team size fits the small teams profile PlanetScale is designed for