PlanetScale
MySQL-compatible serverless database with branching, deploy requests, and connection pooling.
Best for MySQL shops that want serverless scaling with Git-style branch workflows.
Use Cases
Free Tier
1GB storage, 1 production branch, 1 billion row reads/month
How to Maximize the Free Tier
PlanetScale's free tier excels at read-heavy workloads with 1 billion row reads/month — design your app accordingly with aggressive caching and read-optimized queries. The single production branch means all development should happen in a separate branch and merge via deploy request. No automated backups means you should export your schema and data regularly. The write limits are the real bottleneck — batch writes where possible.
Getting Started
Sign up → create database → copy connection string → connect with MySQL client or framework ORM → branch for dev → make schema changes → open deploy request → merge to production.
Pros
- Read capacity: 1 billion row reads/month on the free tier — generous for read-heavy applications and APIs
- Branch workflows: Git-style branching for schema changes — develop, review, and deploy database changes like code
- MySQL compatible: Drop-in MySQL compatibility — works with existing ORMs, SQL clients, and migration tools
Cons
- Write limits: Write operations are more restricted than reads on the free tier — write-heavy apps need paid plans
- No backups: Automated backups are not available on the free plan — manual export required for disaster recovery
- Deploy request friction: Schema changes require deploy requests with approval — adds latency to rapid iteration workflows