PlanetScale vs Supabase: Which One Fits Your Solo Dev Stack?
Free tier limits, real costs for 1-10 users, and honest "not for" warnings. The Solo Dev decision guide for PlanetScale vs Supabase.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Supabase edges ahead with a 4.8/5 rating. However, the best choice depends on your team size, budget, and workflow needs. Read on for the full breakdown.
💰 Cost by Team Size
| Team Size | PlanetScale | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Solo (1 user) | $0/mo | $0/mo |
| Small (5 users) | $29/mo | $25/mo |
| Growing (10 users) | $39/mo | $25/mo |
| Free Tier | ✅ 1 database, 5 GB storage, 1 billion row reads/mo. Hobby plan discontinued for new users in 2024. | ✅ 500MB database. 1GB file storage. 50K monthly active users (auth). 500K edge function invocations. 2 projects. |
Pricing Plans
| Plan | PlanetScale | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Scaler | $29/mo | $25/mo |
| Scaler Pro | $39/mo | $599/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | PlanetScale | Supabase |
|---|
Pros & Cons
PlanetScale
✅ Pros
- Non-blocking schema changes — no more migration downtime
- Git-like branching for database schemas
- Vitess-powered, horizontally scalable
- Excellent integration with Prisma and Drizzle
❌ Cons
- Free tier removed for new users (2024)
- No support for foreign key constraints (Vitess limitation)
- Can get expensive at scale compared to self-hosted
Supabase
✅ Pros
- Full PostgreSQL with Row Level Security — real database, not NoSQL
- Free tier is incredibly generous (500MB DB, 50K MAU auth)
- Built-in auth, storage, and edge functions — full backend in one
- Open source — can self-host to avoid vendor lock-in
- Dashboard with SQL editor is developer-friendly
❌ Cons
- Free tier pauses after 7 days of inactivity (can lose data if not careful)
- Limited to 2 free projects (need Pro for more)
- Edge Functions are Deno-based (not Node.js — learning curve)
- Pro plan jumps from $0 to $25/mo with no middle tier
- Some features (Branching, Log Explorer) are Pro-only
Who Should Use What?
✅ Choose PlanetScale if...
- You are a startups needing zero-downtime deployments
- You are a teams using prisma/drizzle orm
🚫 Skip if...
- Projects requiring foreign key enforcement
- Budget-sensitive solo devs
✅ Choose Supabase if...
- You are a solo devs building full-stack apps who want a real database
- You are a startups needing auth + db + storage without managing infrastructure
- You are a developers who want firebase-like dx with postgresql power
🚫 Skip if...
- Apps needing sub-10ms latency (consider PlanetScale)
- Teams requiring MongoDB/NoSQL
- Production apps that can't tolerate free tier auto-pausing
🏆 Our Verdict
Both PlanetScale (4.3/5) and Supabase (4.8/5) are excellent tools in their category. Supabase takes a slight edge overall, but the best choice ultimately depends on your team's specific needs, budget, and existing tool ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PlanetScale better than Supabase?
It depends on your needs. PlanetScale excels in some areas while Supabase has its own strengths. Read our full comparison above to see which tool fits your specific requirements.
How does PlanetScale pricing compare to Supabase?
PlanetScale starts at Free / $29/mo, while Supabase starts at Free / $25/mo. Both offer different value propositions — check our pricing comparison section for a detailed breakdown.
Can I migrate from PlanetScale to Supabase?
Yes, most B2B tools offer data import/export features. Supabase typically provides migration guides and sometimes even dedicated support for switching from PlanetScale.
Which is easier to use, PlanetScale or Supabase?
Ease of use depends on your team's experience and workflow preferences. We evaluated both tools on usability — see our feature comparison scores above for details.
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