MySQL vs PlanetScale for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

MySQL Overview

MySQL is the open-source relational database that powers most of the web. It runs everywhere: $3/mo shared hosts, Docker containers, managed cloud services, and dedicated servers. You install it, create tables, and start writing SQL. The setup is straightforward, the documentation is extensive, and every framework has first-class MySQL support.

For a solo developer, MySQL's value is in its ubiquity and simplicity. You will never struggle to find hosting, tutorials, or answers to your questions. The LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) has been building successful web businesses for over 20 years. Running MySQL on a $5/mo VPS gives you a fully capable database at minimal cost.

MySQL handles read-heavy workloads efficiently, supports replication for scaling, and the InnoDB engine provides ACID compliance. For most solo developer projects, it is more than enough database.

PlanetScale Overview

PlanetScale is a managed MySQL platform built on Vitess, the database clustering system that powered YouTube. It takes MySQL and adds serverless scaling, database branching (like git branches for your schema), and non-blocking schema changes that apply without locking tables or causing downtime.

PlanetScale removed its free tier in 2024. The entry point is now the Scaler plan at $39/mo, which includes 10 GB storage, 1 billion row reads, and 10 million row writes. For a solo developer running side projects, this is a meaningful monthly expense compared to free self-hosted MySQL.

The developer experience is polished. The web dashboard is clean, the CLI tools work well, and the branching workflow for schema changes is genuinely innovative. You create a branch, make schema changes, test them, then merge to production. It is like a pull request for your database.

Key Differences

Cost is the most obvious difference. MySQL is free. You can run it on a $5/mo VPS, on free-tier cloud instances, or on shared hosting that costs a few dollars per month. PlanetScale starts at $39/mo with no free option. For a solo developer with multiple projects, this cost adds up quickly. One MySQL VPS can host databases for all your projects. PlanetScale charges per database.

Both run MySQL, but PlanetScale has restrictions. PlanetScale uses Vitess under the hood, which means some MySQL features are not available. The biggest one: no foreign key constraints by default. PlanetScale handles referential integrity at the application level rather than the database level. For a solo developer without a QA team, losing database-level constraint enforcement means more bugs that slip through.

Database branching is PlanetScale's standout feature. Need to add a column to a table with a million rows in production? With standard MySQL, you run ALTER TABLE and hope for the best (or use pt-online-schema-change). With PlanetScale, you create a branch, make changes, test them, and merge. The schema change applies in the background with zero downtime. This is genuinely valuable for production databases with large tables.

Operational simplicity favors PlanetScale. Self-hosted MySQL means you handle backups, updates, monitoring, security patches, and scaling. PlanetScale handles all of this. For a solo developer who does not enjoy database administration, this is a real benefit. But managed MySQL from providers like Railway, Render, or DigitalOcean offers similar operational simplicity at lower cost.

Scaling is not something most solo devs worry about. PlanetScale's Vitess foundation can handle YouTube-level traffic. A self-hosted MySQL instance on a $20/mo server handles thousands of concurrent users. Unless you are building something with massive scale requirements, the scaling advantage does not matter.

Connection handling is easier on PlanetScale. PlanetScale manages connection pooling automatically, which matters for serverless deployments where each function invocation might create a new connection. Self-hosted MySQL needs PgBouncer (or similar) to handle connection pooling in serverless environments.

When to Choose MySQL (Self-Hosted or Managed)

• You want the cheapest possible database solution
• You need foreign key constraints enforced at the database level
• You are running multiple projects and want one server for all databases
• You are comfortable with basic database administration (or use a managed service)
• You are building a WordPress site or PHP application

When to Choose PlanetScale

• You need zero-downtime schema migrations on large production tables
• You want database branching for safe schema changes
• You are deploying to serverless environments and need managed connection pooling
• You have the budget for $39+/mo per database
• Operational simplicity is worth the premium price

The Verdict

For most solo developers, self-hosted or managed MySQL is the better choice. The 7/10 vs 6/10 ratings reflect the practical reality: MySQL gives you the same database engine for free (or nearly free), and PlanetScale's premium features solve problems that most solo developers do not face.

Database branching and zero-downtime migrations are genuinely innovative features. But they matter most for teams working on large production databases where a schema change can cause minutes of downtime. A solo developer running ALTER TABLE on a database with thousands of rows does not have this problem.

If you need managed MySQL with good developer experience and you have the budget, PlanetScale is solid. But for the typical solo developer, a $5/mo VPS with MySQL or a managed MySQL instance from Railway or DigitalOcean delivers the same reliability at a fraction of the cost. Put the $39/mo toward something that grows your business instead.