PlanetScale vs ScaleWay Database
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
PlanetScale delivers a fully managed, serverless MySQL platform built on Vitess, offering developers instant scaling, automatic failover, and a developer‑friendly workflow. It eliminates the need for manual database ops, letting teams focus on building applications. The service provides branch‑based development, built‑in sharding, and global replication, making it ideal for high‑traffic web apps, SaaS products, and micro‑service architectures that require strong consistency and low latency.
ScaleWay Database is a fully managed Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) offering reliable PostgreSQL and MySQL hosting. It removes the operational burden of database administration by automating routine tasks such as backups, patching, and scaling. Designed for developers and businesses of all sizes, the platform ensures high availability, security, and performance for critical data workloads. Users can easily spin up instances via console or API and focus entirely on application development rather than infrastructure management.
- Zero‑ops serverless experience
- Automatic sharding for massive scale
- Branch‑based workflow for safe development
- Strong MySQL compatibility
- Fully managed infrastructure reduces operational overhead
- Predictable hourly and monthly pricing models
- Seamless integration with Scaleway cloud ecosystem
- Automated backups and point-in-time recovery
- Limited to MySQL (no native Postgres support)
- Advanced features may require paid tier
- Vendor lock‑in to PlanetScale platform
- Limited to PostgreSQL and MySQL engines
- Fewer advanced enterprise features compared to AWS RDS
- Data centers primarily focused in Europe
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to PlanetScale
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Alternatives to ScaleWay Database
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataPlanetScale offers a free tier, higher SLA and global regions with serverless MySQL scaling, while ScaleWay provides a managed PostgreSQL/MySQL service with European‑only data centers and predictable paid pricing.
Key differences
- •Engine support: ScaleWay offers PostgreSQL and MySQL; PlanetScale only MySQL.
- •Pricing model: ScaleWay is paid only; PlanetScale has a freemium tier.
- •Scaling architecture: PlanetScale is serverless with automatic horizontal sharding; ScaleWay scales compute/storage manually.
- •Developer workflow: PlanetScale includes branch‑based development and zero‑downtime schema changes; ScaleWay does not.
- •Geographic coverage: ScaleWay limited to three European regions; PlanetScale spans US, EU, and APAC.
Pricing & value
PlanetScale provides a free tier; ScaleWay has no free tier and requires subscription.
Uptime & reliability
PlanetScale SLA is 99.99% vs ScaleWay 99.95%.
Performance
No performance metrics provided for either service.
Developer experience
PlanetScale adds branch‑based dev, zero‑downtime migrations, and serverless ops; ScaleWay lacks these features.
Regions & compliance
PlanetScale covers US, EU, APAC; ScaleWay only Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw.
Support
Support details not specified for either product.
Lock‑in
Both are proprietary platforms; each requires using its own ecosystem.
Choose PlanetScale if…
Startups or SaaS teams needing MySQL‑only, serverless scaling, free tier, global latency, and advanced dev workflows.
Choose ScaleWay Database if…
Enterprises needing PostgreSQL or MySQL with European data residency and predictable subscription pricing.
Common questions
Can I run PostgreSQL on PlanetScale?
No, PlanetScale only supports MySQL.
Is there a free option to try the service?
PlanetScale offers a freemium tier; ScaleWay has no free tier.
Which service provides higher availability?
PlanetScale, with a 99.99% SLA versus ScaleWay’s 99.95% SLA.