SQLite vs PlanetScale for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

SQLite Overview

SQLite is the zero-configuration relational database. No server to install, no process to manage, no network to configure. Your entire database is a single file. Open it, query it with standard SQL, and close it. Deployments are as simple as copying a file. Backups are as simple as copying a file. Everything about SQLite is simple, and that's exactly why it earns a 9/10 for solo developers.

For prototyping, SQLite is unmatched. Start a new project, add the SQLite driver, and you have a full-featured relational database in seconds. No Docker containers, no cloud dashboards, no connection strings. When I'm exploring an idea, I don't want to spend 20 minutes setting up a database. SQLite lets me start writing application code immediately.

The performance is excellent for single-server deployments. WAL mode enables concurrent reads during writes. With proper indexing, SQLite handles thousands of requests per second. The entire database lives in your application's process, so reads have zero network latency. For many solo developer projects, SQLite is faster than a remote PostgreSQL or MySQL instance.

PlanetScale Overview

PlanetScale is a managed MySQL platform built on Vitess, the database clustering system that powers YouTube. The standout features are database branching (create branches of your schema like git branches) and non-blocking schema changes (alter tables without locking or downtime).

The developer experience is thoughtful. A web dashboard for managing schemas, a CLI for branching and deployment workflows, and seamless integration with popular ORMs and frameworks. Deploy requests work like pull requests for your database schema. Make changes on a branch, review them, and merge into production with zero downtime.

PlanetScale removed their free tier in 2024. The Scaler plan starts at $39/month. For solo developers working on side projects and experiments, that's a significant recurring cost. The value proposition makes more sense for production applications with revenue, where zero-downtime migrations and Vitess-level reliability justify the expense.

Key Differences

Cost is the biggest factor. SQLite is free. Forever. Public domain, no licensing fees, no hosting costs. PlanetScale starts at $39/month with no free tier. For a solo developer running multiple projects, SQLite saves hundreds of dollars per year. PlanetScale's cost only makes sense when your project generates enough revenue to justify it.

Infrastructure requirements. SQLite needs nothing. It runs inside your application. PlanetScale is a cloud service that requires internet connectivity, account management, and connection string configuration. SQLite adds zero infrastructure complexity. PlanetScale adds a managed cloud dependency.

Schema management. PlanetScale's branching and deploy request workflow is genuinely excellent. Branch your schema, make changes, review them, and deploy with zero downtime. SQLite migrations are manual. You write migration scripts and run them during deployment. For complex, evolving schemas in production, PlanetScale's workflow is superior. For simpler applications, SQLite migrations are straightforward enough.

Concurrency. SQLite supports one writer at a time. WAL mode helps, but heavy concurrent writes will queue up. PlanetScale handles multiple concurrent writers without issue because it's built on MySQL with Vitess clustering. If your application needs high write concurrency (real-time collaboration, high-frequency data ingestion), PlanetScale handles it better.

Scaling ceiling. SQLite is limited to a single server. You can scale reads with Turso or Litestream replicas, but the architecture is fundamentally single-node. PlanetScale scales horizontally with Vitess, handling massive throughput across distributed nodes. For applications that might need to scale to millions of users, PlanetScale offers a higher ceiling.

SQL dialect. SQLite uses its own SQL dialect, which is close to standard SQL but has quirks (dynamic typing, limited ALTER TABLE, no stored procedures). PlanetScale uses MySQL. If your application needs MySQL-specific features or your team is experienced with MySQL, PlanetScale is the natural fit.

Portability. SQLite databases are portable files. Copy them anywhere, open them with any SQLite library, on any operating system. PlanetScale data lives in their cloud. Exporting requires mysqldump or their export tools. For data portability and vendor independence, SQLite is unbeatable.

When to Choose SQLite

• You want zero setup, zero cost, and zero infrastructure
• Prototyping and MVPs need to happen fast
• Desktop apps, mobile apps, or CLI tools need an embedded database
• Single-server deployment handles your expected traffic
• Data portability and no vendor lock-in are priorities
• Your project doesn't generate revenue to justify hosting costs

When to Choose PlanetScale

• You need MySQL with zero-downtime schema migrations
• Database branching for testing schema changes safely is important
• High write concurrency is a requirement
• Your application has revenue to justify the $39/month minimum
• You need horizontal scaling beyond what a single server provides
• Your team is experienced with MySQL and Vitess

The Verdict

For most solo developers, SQLite is the better choice.

The 9/10 vs 6/10 rating gap tells the story. SQLite is free, instant to set up, and handles the workload of most solo developer projects without breaking a sweat. PlanetScale's strengths (branching, zero-downtime migrations, horizontal scaling) solve problems that matter at scale but rarely affect individual developers building their first or fifth product.

PlanetScale becomes relevant when your application outgrows a single server, needs high write concurrency, or when zero-downtime schema changes are critical for a production service with paying users. At that point, the $39/month is a reasonable business expense.

My recommendation: start every project with SQLite. Build your application, validate the idea, get users. If and when SQLite's limitations become real (not theoretical), migrate to PlanetScale, Neon, or Supabase. That migration is a well-understood process, and your ORM likely abstracts most of the database differences.

The developer who ships with SQLite today beats the developer who spends a week setting up the "perfect" database infrastructure. Ship first. Scale later.