PlanetScale vs Turso (2026)
By Noahlast updated
PlanetScale
PlanetScaleManaged MySQL (Vitess) and Postgres cloud databases with branching workflows and zero-downtime schema changes, starting at $5/month with no free tier.
- Pricing
- From $5/mo
- License
- Paid
Best for teams needing a managed, horizontally-scalable MySQL (Vitess) or Postgres database with Git-style branching workflows, who don't need a permanent free tier
Turso
TursoA distributed SQLite database platform for spinning up thousands of lightweight, per-tenant databases, with an open-source core and a managed cloud starting free.
- Pricing
- Free tier · paid from $4.99/mo
- License
- Open core
Best for developers building AI agent or multi-tenant applications that need thousands of lightweight SQLite databases instead of one large shared database
Which should you choose?
Choose PlanetScale if…
wins 2/6 use cases
- You need MySQL compatibility through Vitess, or managed PostgreSQL, rather than SQLite
- Your database must scale horizontally with automated Vitess sharding
- You need non-blocking, zero-downtime schema changes on a production database
- You want a high-availability Postgres cluster across 3 availability zones from $15/month
- You need private networking through AWS PrivateLink or GCP Private Service Connect
Choose Turso if…
wins 4/6 use cases
- You want one isolated database per user, tenant, or AI agent, with unlimited databases from $4.99/month
- You need a free tier: 100 databases, 5GB of storage, and 500 million monthly row reads with no credit card
- You are building RAG features and want native vector search without a separate vector database
- You want an open-source, MIT-licensed database engine underneath the managed service
- You need HIPAA and SOC2 support, SSO, and BYOK encryption on a published plan ($416.58/month Pro)
PlanetScale vs Turso: feature comparison
| Feature | PlanetScale | Turso |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Noremoved in April 2024 | Yes100 databases, 5GB, 500M row reads/month, no credit card |
| Starting price | Yes$5/mo (single-node Postgres, no HA) | Yes$4.99/mo (Developer) |
| High-availability entry | Yes$15/mo (3-node Postgres across 3 availability zones) | Unknown |
| Higher tiers | Yes$39/mo smallest Vitess cluster; metal tiers into the thousands | Yes$24.92/mo (Scaler), then $416.58/mo (Pro) |
| Database engine | YesVitess (MySQL-compatible) and PostgreSQL | YesSQLite |
| License | Nopaid managed service | Partialopen core: MIT-licensed engine, paid Turso Cloud |
| Hosting | Yesmanaged on AWS and GCP | YesTurso Cloud; dedicated and BYOC on Enterprise |
| Database branching | Yescopy-on-write schema and data branches | Yescopy-on-write forks without duplicating storage |
| Zero-downtime schema changes | Yesnon-blocking on Vitess and Postgres | Unknown |
| Horizontal sharding | YesVitess sharding automation | Unknown |
| Databases per account | Unknown | Yesunlimited from $4.99/mo (Developer); 100 on Free |
| Vector search | Unknown | Yesnative, for RAG workloads |
| Embedded and offline use | Unknown | Partialruns in the browser via WebAssembly and OPFS; embedded engine in beta |
| Point-in-time recovery | Yeson Postgres | Yes1 day (Free) to 90 days (Pro) |
| Private networking | YesAWS PrivateLink, GCP Private Service Connect | Unknown |
| Compliance and security | Unknown | YesSSO, BYOK, HIPAA and SOC2 support from $416.58/mo (Pro) |
| External rating | Yes4.0/5 from 1 review (Capterra) | Yes5.0/5 from 15 reviews (Product Hunt) |
PlanetScale vs Turso: pricing
Every tier both tools publish, as we last checked them — not just the entry price.
PlanetScale
- Postgres, single-node (non-HA)Smallest single-node Postgres development database (PS-5, arm64/x86-64); no high-availability replication.$5/mo
- Postgres, 3-node (HA)Smallest high-availability Postgres cluster: 1 primary plus 2 replicas across 3 availability zones.$15/mo
- Vitess (MySQL-compatible), non-metalSmallest 3-node Vitess cluster (1 primary + 2 replicas) for horizontally-scalable, MySQL-compatible workloads.$39/mo
Turso
- Free100 databases, 5GB storage, 500 million monthly row reads, 10 million monthly row writes, 3GB monthly syncs, 1-day point-in-time restore, community support.Free
- DeveloperUnlimited databases, 9GB storage, 2.5 billion monthly row reads, 25 million monthly row writes, 10GB monthly syncs, 10-day point-in-time restore.$4.99/mo
- ScalerUnlimited databases, 24GB storage, 100 billion monthly row reads, 100 million monthly row writes, 24GB monthly syncs, 30-day point-in-time restore, Teams feature.$24.92/mo
- Pro50GB storage, 250 billion monthly row reads, 250 million monthly row writes, 100GB monthly syncs, 90-day point-in-time restore, SSO, BYOK encryption, HIPAA and SOC2 support.$416.58/mo
- EnterpriseCustom pricing; dedicated Cloud and BYOC deployments, custom SLAs, premium 24x7 support, unlimited usage.Custom
PlanetScale vs Turso pricing: which costs less?
Turso costs less to start, with a free tier of 100 databases and paid plans from $4.99/month, while PlanetScale has had no free tier since April 2024 and starts at $5/month for a single-node Postgres database without high availability.
PlanetScale's smallest high-availability Postgres cluster costs $15/month, its smallest Vitess cluster $39/month, and metal, high-storage tiers run into thousands of dollars per month. Turso's Scaler plan costs $24.92/month for 24GB and 100 billion monthly row reads, but the next step, Pro, jumps to $416.58/month. Turso also charges per-unit overages for storage, row reads and writes, and syncs, which makes monthly costs hard to predict under variable traffic.
Which database model fits my app, PlanetScale or Turso?
PlanetScale fits apps built on one large shared MySQL-compatible or Postgres database that must scale and stay highly available, while Turso fits apps that need thousands of lightweight SQLite databases, one per user, tenant, or agent.
PlanetScale's Vitess line adds horizontal sharding automation and a global edge network for read-heavy, multi-region workloads, and its Postgres line adds read replicas, connection pooling, and curated extensions like pg_cron and TimescaleDB. Turso spins up isolated SQLite databases on demand, replicates them to devices, and can run inside the browser through WebAssembly and OPFS for offline-first apps. Turso's embedded engine is still in beta; only the hosted Turso Cloud is called production-ready.
Do PlanetScale and Turso both support database branching?
Yes, PlanetScale and Turso both offer copy-on-write branching, but PlanetScale pairs it with non-blocking, zero-downtime schema changes for production migrations.
PlanetScale branches copy a production database's schema and data so developers can test a migration and merge it back without downtime, a workflow modeled on Git. Turso's copy-on-write branching forks a database for testing without duplicating storage costs. PlanetScale also offers Query Insights for slow queries and point-in-time recovery on Postgres, while Turso includes point-in-time restore from 1 day on Free to 90 days on Pro.
Is Turso open source, unlike PlanetScale?
Partly, since Turso's core database engine is open source under the MIT license while Turso Cloud, its managed hosting layer, is a paid service, and PlanetScale is sold only as a paid managed service.
The MIT-licensed Turso engine is maintained with community contributions on GitHub, and Turso Enterprise adds dedicated cloud and bring-your-own-cloud deployments with custom SLAs and 24x7 support. PlanetScale runs Vitess, a MySQL-compatible database originally built at YouTube, and PostgreSQL as fully managed services on AWS and GCP.
Strengths and weaknesses
PlanetScale
Pros
- Database branching lets developers test schema migrations on an isolated copy before merging to production.
- Zero-downtime, non-blocking schema changes on both the Vitess and Postgres product lines.
- Offers both a MySQL-compatible (Vitess) and a native Postgres option under one platform.
- Multi-cloud support across AWS and GCP with multi-region deployment options.
Cons
- No free tier since April 2024; every database, including tiny side projects, costs at least $5/month.
- Pricing scales into thousands of dollars per month for high-availability metal tiers with meaningful storage.
- Vitess-specific concepts like sharding add operational complexity compared to a plain managed Postgres instance.
Turso
Pros
- Free tier supports 100 databases and 500 million monthly row reads with no credit card required.
- Database branching via copy-on-write lets teams fork a database for testing without duplicating storage costs.
- Native vector search built in for AI/RAG applications without a separate vector database.
- Embedded/offline-first support via WebAssembly and OPFS lets databases run inside the browser or on-device.
Cons
- Pricing jumps sharply between tiers: $24.92/month (Scaler) to $416.58/month (Pro) with no smaller step in between.
- Per-unit overage charges for storage, row reads/writes, and syncs make monthly costs hard to predict under variable traffic.
- The embedded database engine is still in beta; only the hosted Turso Cloud is called production-ready.
Which fits your use case?
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-tenant SaaS giving each customer its own database | Turso | Turso is built for per-tenant databases, with unlimited databases from $4.99/month and 100 on the free tier. |
| High-traffic MySQL app that needs to shard | PlanetScale | PlanetScale's Vitess line is MySQL-compatible and automates horizontal sharding, from $39/month for the smallest cluster. |
| Side project or prototype with no budget | Turso | Turso's free tier covers 100 databases and 500 million monthly row reads with no credit card; every PlanetScale database costs at least $5/month. |
| Team running production Postgres that needs high availability and safe migrations | PlanetScale | PlanetScale offers a 3-node Postgres cluster across 3 availability zones from $15/month, plus non-blocking schema changes and branching. |
| AI agent product that needs per-agent storage and vector search | Turso | Turso spins up a database per agent on demand and includes native vector search for RAG without a separate vector database. |
| Healthcare app that needs HIPAA support on a published plan | Turso | Turso Pro lists HIPAA and SOC2 support, SSO, and BYOK encryption at $416.58/month; the PlanetScale listing does not cover compliance certifications. |
Neither a match?
Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.
Popular comparisons
PlanetScale vs Turso: migration FAQ
Should I use PlanetScale or Turso?
- Use PlanetScale if you need a managed, horizontally scalable MySQL-compatible (Vitess) or Postgres database with zero-downtime schema changes; use Turso if you need many small SQLite databases with vector search and a free tier. Turso starts free, while PlanetScale starts at $5/month.
Is PlanetScale cheaper than Turso?
- No — PlanetScale has no free tier and starts at $5/month for a non-HA Postgres database, while Turso is free for up to 100 databases and starts paid plans at $4.99/month. At the high end, PlanetScale metal tiers run into thousands per month and Turso Pro costs $416.58/month.
Can Turso replace PlanetScale?
- Turso can replace PlanetScale only for workloads that fit SQLite and benefit from many small databases. Teams that need MySQL compatibility, Postgres extensions like pg_cron and TimescaleDB, horizontal sharding, or private networking should stay with PlanetScale.
Does PlanetScale have a free tier?
- No — PlanetScale removed its free Hobby tier in April 2024, so every database costs at least $5/month. Turso's free tier covers 100 databases, 5GB of storage, and 500 million monthly row reads with no credit card.
Is Turso open source?
- Partly — Turso's core database engine is open source under the MIT license, while Turso Cloud, the managed hosting layer, is a paid service with a free tier. PlanetScale is sold only as a paid managed service.