PlanetScale vs Supabase
Two sides of the database decision: managed database and backend platform. When each fits, what it costs, who moves from one to the other, and what makers who chose it say.
SupabaseBackend platformllms.txtMCPCLIIn Bolt, Lovable, v0Ask your AI about this, with this page as the source:ChatGPT ↗Claude ↗Perplexity ↗
Which fits you
Choose PlanetScale if- Apps that expect heavy scale and want zero-downtime schema changes.
Use it whenYour tables are big and busy enough that a locking migration would mean downtime.
Trade-offNo free tier.
Choose Supabase if- You want the database, auth and file storage in one project, and plain SQL you can take elsewhere
Use it whenYou want one service for most of the backend and a SQL database you can take with you.
Trade-offAuth, storage and database in one vendor makes leaving harder later, and free projects pause after a week without activity.
At a glance
| PlanetScale | Supabase | |
|---|---|---|
| Used by | 29 makers' products · 9 open-source projects | 564 makers' products · 75 open-source projects |
| Cost at default usagedatabase size 8 GB, data transfer 50 GB, document or row reads 10 million reads, document or row writes 2 million writes | $7.40/mo Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $25/mo Pro |
| Downloads | 265.6k/wk−35% vs npm | 25.4M/wk+96% vs npm |
| Pricing | Paid plans only, from $5/month for a single-node Postgres database. · paid from $5/mo | Free tier (inactive projects pause); paid plans per project plus usage. · paid from $25/mo |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes · self-hostable |
| Incidents, 90 daysfrom its status page | 9 (5 major) | 50+ (16 major) |
Cost as you grow
At 0.5 GB Supabase costs less ($0 vs $5.00); from about 1 GB PlanetScale does ($5.00 vs $25). They're different kinds of tool — managed database and backend platform — so the prices don't buy the same thing.
The numbers, plan by plan
| Database size | PlanetScale | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | $5.00 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $0 Free |
| 1 | $5.00 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $25 Pro |
| 5 | $6.28 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $25 Pro |
| 8 | $7.40 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $25 Pro |
| 20 | $13 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $27 Pro |
| 50 | $28 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $36 Pro |
| 100 | $53 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $70 Pro |
| 500 | $253 Postgres PS-5 (single node) | $345 Pro |
From each vendor's pricing page: PlanetScale, Supabase.
What makers say
Makers on using it for database, from Product Hunt and Starter Story interviews, each linked to the source. Products with a page of their own and fuller notes first.
On PlanetScaleA joy to work with. Branching, schema changes, and zero-downtime deploys make PlanetScale perfect for our evolving data models. Developer-friendly + production-safe = rare combo.
If you want really fast and reliable database technology this is the way to go. Not only does it allow us to have super fast performance of our service, their analytics help us make it even better.
As a NextJS and Rails app, Planetscale is the backbone of Campsite. Our database is incredibly fast, secure, and easy to manage. Deploy Requests are GOATed.
On SupabaseOne Postgres with RLS on every table is the reason a solo founder can ship contracts, invoices and a client portal without a backend team. Auth, storage and realtime came for free.
Supabase made it dead simple to manage db and the best part is that we can connect it to Claude for product analysis without having to set up Posthog or other event tracking tools.
For powering our backend and database. Managing user uploads and conversion jobs efficiently is critical, and Supabase's real-time capabilities keep everything running smoothly! 🔥
Loved and watch-outs
Themes that recur in makers' words and Hacker News comments, each linked to what it summarises.
PlanetScaleMost loved
- Database branching, deploy requests and zero-downtime schema changes let teams change data models as fast as code. PHHN
- It stays fast and reliable from launch to billions of rows, often with a single engineer running it. PHPH 2HN
- Vitess-based sharding gives battle-tested write scaling that the big clouds' managed databases do not offer in the same package. HNHN 2HN 3
Watch-outs
On Product Hunt: 4.8★, 27 reviews · mentioned most: scalability, developer-friendly, database branching- Newer features like Neki sharding and TIN search are proprietary and cloud-only, raising vendor lock-in worries. HNHN 2HN 3HN 4
- Dropping the free tier forced hobby projects to move elsewhere and cost it goodwill with indie developers. HNHN 2
- Postgres databases cannot yet get in-place major version upgrades. HN
SupabaseMost loved
- One project covers Postgres, auth, storage and realtime, so a solo founder ships without stitching vendors or hiring a backend team. PHPH 2PH 3PH 4
- It is real Postgres with SQL, row-level security and pgvector rather than a proprietary store. PHPH 2PH 3PH 4
- Open source and self-hostable, which reduces vendor lock-in. PHPH 2HNPH 3
Watch-outs
On Product Hunt: 5.0★, 899 reviews · mentioned most: authentication features, easy setup, PostgreSQL integration · complaints: documentation gapsWho uses each
PlanetScale29 makers' products
Campsite
Graphy
Heima
Langtail
Octolens
Alpaca ChatUsed by both — often one replacing the other, or each for a different part of the product
What makers pair each with
With PlanetScaleTransactional Email
PlanetScale + Resend:
Cushion
Eververse
Hoplite
MindFort
Reworkd
Supafax
Human Behavior
papermark
Context.dev
Superwall
Blacksmith
CushionEververseHopliteMindFortReworkdSupafaxHuman BehaviorpapermarkContext.devSuperwallBlacksmith
Sailhouse
LinearPlanetScale + SendGrid:
RunLLM
Trellis AI
Supademo
RunLLMTrellis AISupademoHosting
valvPlanetScale + Google Cloud Platform:RunLLM
SEO GetsContext.dev
RunLLMSEO GetsContext.devWith SupabaseFrontend Framework
Supabase + Next.js:21st
a0.dev
Accordio AI
Aident AI
Airbook AI
Almanac
appdesigns
AppReplyAppSignalsAudienceCue
BeamUp
BeforeSunset AIand 149 more
a0.devAccordio AIAident AIAirbook AIAlmanacappdesignsAppReplyAppSignalsAudienceCueBeamUpBeforeSunset AIand 149 more
documenso
giselle
Moneo AI
onlook
Pluto Door
Rankfender
RPCForge
VisionAR
Howdy
Chinilla
Flowmo
Katalog
UXAudit.Now
Dodo PaymentsTransactional Email
Supabase + Resend:21sta0.devAccordio AIAirbook AI
AlaiAlmanacappdesignsAppReplyBeam AnalyticsBland AI
Blink.new
BrandMyLaptopand 129 more
a0.devAccordio AIAirbook AIAlaiAlmanacappdesignsAppReplyBeam AnalyticsBland AIBlink.newBrandMyLaptopand 129 more
Atla
Browzer
Curiosity Quench
FirstQuadrant
Formcrafts
Gradient Bang
CopyCopter
Forecastio
Korl
Lamatic.ai
Midday
ProspectEchoHosting
Supabase + Amazon Web Services:Blink.new
Flexprice
Glitter AI
Laminar
Minicule
Notte
PallyPrimeshot AI
QualGent
Reloop
RemyRerunand 22 more
Blink.newFlexpriceGlitter AILaminarMiniculeNottePallyPrimeshot AIQualGentReloopRemyRerunand 22 more
BurnLink
Chronock
Contrive
CubeOne AI
Integral
Greta
Klariqo AI Voice Assistants
LinkedditLLM API
Supabase + OpenAI API:AnamapArcitext.comBeforeSunset AIBevellBlink.new
CatDoes
Chat ThingCheers GEO (YC S24)
Church LoomClaroCohesive AI
CreatorCube AIand 79 more
BeforeSunset AIBevellBlink.newCatDoesChat ThingCheers GEO (YC S24)Church LoomClaroCohesive AICreatorCube AIand 79 more
dr.aft
fyli
gptengineer.app
Konfide
Prism AI
Slashy
WebhoundNeither quite right?
See the whole database decision →
ConvexBackend platformRealtime, collaborative apps written entirely in TypeScript.vs PlanetScale →vs Supabase →
Firebase
NeonManaged databaseServerless Postgres that scales to zero, with a branch per preview deploy.vs PlanetScale →vs Supabase →
Turso
MongoDB
PostgreSQLRun it yourselfThe engine behind most of the hosted options above, run on your own server or container for full control and a flat cost.vs Supabase →