Upstash vs PlanetScale for Solo Developers

Upstash and PlanetScale are both serverless database platforms, but they serve completely different purposes. PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL database built for relational data. Upstash provides serverless Redis and messaging infrastructure. They are not substitutes for each other in most architectures, but solo developers evaluating their stack often need to understand where each fits.

I have used both on production projects and can say confidently that the decision is less about which is better and more about what problem you are solving.

Upstash Overview

Upstash offers serverless Redis, Kafka, QStash, and Vector as managed services with per-request pricing. Their Redis implementation works over HTTP, making it uniquely suited for edge runtimes and serverless functions where persistent connections are not available.

For solo developers, Upstash is the go-to for caching, session management, rate limiting, feature flags, and lightweight queuing. The pay-per-request model means your bill is zero when your app is idle, which is important for side projects and early-stage products.

The free tier provides 10,000 Redis commands per day. Paid usage starts at $0.2 per 100K commands.

PlanetScale Overview

PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL-compatible database built on Vitess, the same system that runs YouTube's databases. It provides a managed MySQL experience with Git-like branching for schema changes, non-blocking migrations, and automatic scaling.

For solo developers, PlanetScale means you get a production-grade MySQL database without managing servers, replicas, or connection pooling. The branching workflow lets you test schema changes on a separate branch before deploying to production, reducing the risk of breaking migrations.

PlanetScale removed their free tier in 2024. The Scaler plan starts at $39/month, which includes 10GB of storage, 1 billion row reads, and 10 million row writes.

Comparison Table

When to Pick Upstash

Choose Upstash when you need a fast data layer alongside your primary database. The classic use cases are caching frequently accessed queries, storing user sessions, implementing rate limiting, managing feature flags, and processing background jobs through queues.

Upstash is the strongest option when you are working with edge runtimes. If you are building API routes on Vercel Edge, middleware on Cloudflare Workers, or any serverless function that cannot maintain persistent database connections, Upstash's HTTP-based Redis is designed exactly for that constraint.

For solo developers on a budget, Upstash's pay-per-request model and free tier make it easy to start. You do not commit to a monthly fee until your usage actually demands it. This matters when you are running multiple projects and only some of them generate revenue.

When to Pick PlanetScale

Choose PlanetScale when you need a primary relational database for your application. If your data has complex relationships, you need joins across multiple tables, you rely on transactions, or you write analytical queries, MySQL is the right tool and PlanetScale is one of the best ways to run it serverlessly.

PlanetScale's schema branching is a standout feature for solo developers who iterate quickly. Instead of writing and praying with migration scripts, you create a branch, make your changes, test them, and merge when ready. It removes one of the most stressful parts of database management.

If your application is a traditional web app with users, products, orders, relationships between entities, and reporting needs, PlanetScale gives you a database that handles all of that and scales without you thinking about it.

Verdict

Upstash and PlanetScale are not competing tools. They are complementary. Upstash is your performance and messaging layer. PlanetScale is your primary relational database. The ideal stack for many applications includes both: PlanetScale for your main data and Upstash Redis for caching, sessions, and edge data access.

If you must pick one: choose PlanetScale when your app's core value depends on structured relational data. Choose Upstash when you need fast serverless data access and your primary database lives elsewhere. For most solo developers building data-driven applications, PlanetScale comes first and Upstash gets added when performance optimization becomes necessary.