PlanetScale vs Neon for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

PlanetScale Overview

PlanetScale is serverless MySQL built on Vitess, the database clustering system that powers YouTube. The headline feature is database branching. Create a branch of your schema, make changes, test them, and merge back to production with zero downtime. Tables never lock. Users never notice. Schema migrations just happen.

The non-blocking schema change workflow is genuinely excellent for production databases. Traditional MySQL migrations lock tables while altering them, which means downtime for large tables. PlanetScale applies schema changes in the background. For high-traffic applications, this is a meaningful operational advantage.

The downside for solo developers is the price. PlanetScale removed their free tier. The Scaler plan starts at $39/month. That means you're paying from day one, even for prototypes, side projects, and experiments. When free alternatives exist with comparable features, that's a tough sell.

Neon Overview

Neon is serverless PostgreSQL with a modern feature set. Your database scales to zero when inactive and resumes in milliseconds on the first connection. Database branching lets you create instant copies of your database for development and testing. Autoscaling adjusts compute based on demand.

The free tier is genuinely usable. 0.5 GiB storage, 190 compute hours per month, and 10 branches. For side projects that don't see constant traffic, the scale-to-zero feature means you're essentially running for free. The Pro plan at $19/month gives you more storage, compute, and always-on availability.

Neon focuses on being the best PostgreSQL hosting service. No bundled auth, no file storage, no real-time engine. Just excellent, modern PostgreSQL with serverless capabilities.

Key Differences

Database engine. PlanetScale runs MySQL. Neon runs PostgreSQL. In 2026, the developer community strongly prefers PostgreSQL. Better JSON support (JSONB), richer data types, more extensions, better standard compliance. MySQL works fine, but if you're starting fresh, PostgreSQL is the more capable choice. This alone tilts the comparison toward Neon for most developers.

Free tier. Neon has one. PlanetScale doesn't. For solo developers who experiment frequently, prototype ideas, and run side projects, free tier availability matters enormously. Neon lets you try things without commitment. PlanetScale costs $39/month from the first day.

Pricing. Even at the paid tier, Neon is cheaper. Neon Pro starts at $19/month. PlanetScale Scaler starts at $39/month. That's a 2x difference for comparable serverless database hosting. For a solo developer watching costs, Neon delivers more value per dollar.

Database branching. Both offer branching, and both implement it well. PlanetScale pioneered the concept for databases. Neon adopted it for PostgreSQL. The workflows are similar: branch from production, test changes, merge back. For solo developers who want safe schema development, both deliver. The advantage is neutral.

Schema changes. PlanetScale's non-blocking schema changes are its standout feature. Alter tables without locking, without downtime, without affecting users. Neon uses standard PostgreSQL DDL, which can lock tables during alterations. For large production databases under heavy load, PlanetScale's approach is better. For solo developer databases (which are typically small), standard PostgreSQL DDL is fast enough that table locking isn't a real problem.

Scale to zero. Neon suspends your database when idle and resumes on the first query. PlanetScale also scales down but doesn't scale to true zero on the Scaler plan. For side projects with sporadic traffic, Neon's scale-to-zero is a genuine cost advantage.

Ecosystem compatibility. PostgreSQL has broader ORM, tool, and framework support than MySQL. Prisma, Drizzle, TypeORM, Django, Rails, and most modern frameworks prefer PostgreSQL. Connecting Neon to any of these tools is seamless. PlanetScale works with MySQL tools, which is a smaller ecosystem.

Foreign keys. PlanetScale historically lacked foreign key support due to Vitess limitations. They've since added support, but the history matters. If referential integrity is important to you, Neon's PostgreSQL has had full foreign key support since forever. There's no catching up to do.

When to Choose PlanetScale

• You're committed to MySQL for your project
• You need non-blocking schema changes for a high-traffic production database
• You're already using Vitess or have deep MySQL expertise
• Your framework or legacy system requires MySQL specifically
• Zero-downtime DDL operations are a hard requirement

When to Choose Neon

• You prefer PostgreSQL (or have no strong database preference)
• You want a free tier for side projects and experimentation
• Budget matters and you want cheaper managed database hosting
• You want serverless PostgreSQL that scales to zero
• Database branching is important but you don't need non-blocking DDL

The Verdict

Neon wins this comparison for solo developers. The 9/10 vs 6/10 rating gap reflects real differences in pricing, accessibility, and database engine choice.

Neon gives you serverless PostgreSQL with a free tier, database branching, scale-to-zero, and a $19/month Pro plan. PlanetScale gives you serverless MySQL with branching, non-blocking schema changes, and a $39/month entry price with no free tier.

For solo developers, the math is straightforward. Neon is cheaper, runs the more capable database engine, and has a free tier for experimentation. PlanetScale's non-blocking schema changes are impressive but solve a problem that small databases rarely face. Table alterations on a 10MB database take milliseconds regardless of whether they're blocking or not.

The only compelling reason to choose PlanetScale is MySQL compatibility. If your project must run on MySQL (legacy systems, specific framework requirements, or team expertise), PlanetScale is a solid choice. For everything else, Neon offers better value.

My recommendation: use Neon. You get PostgreSQL (the better database), a free tier for starting out, and lower costs as you grow. PlanetScale's branching and schema change features are available from Neon too (branching) or unnecessary at solo developer scale (non-blocking DDL). Neon is the smarter pick.