Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Dropbox VS PlanetScale

Compare Dropbox VS PlanetScale and see what are their differences

Dropbox logo Dropbox

Online Sync and File Sharing

PlanetScale logo PlanetScale

The last database you'll ever need. Go from idea to IPO.
  • Dropbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05
  • PlanetScale Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15

Dropbox features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Dropbox offers a user-friendly interface that makes file sharing, syncing, and storage simple for users of any technical skill level.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Dropbox supports multiple operating systems including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, making it accessible from almost any device.
  • Collaboration Features
    The service includes features like shared folders, file comments, and real-time collaboration on documents, which are ideal for team projects.
  • File Versioning
    Dropbox maintains previous versions of files, allowing users to recover older versions if needed, which is helpful in case of accidental deletions or edits.
  • Third-Party Integrations
    The platform integrates seamlessly with various third-party apps such as Microsoft Office, Slack, and Trello, enhancing its utility in workflow management.
  • Strong Security Measures
    Dropbox offers robust encryption both at rest and in transit, along with two-factor authentication to secure user data.

Possible disadvantages of Dropbox

  • Cost
    Dropbox can be expensive, especially for businesses or advanced individual users who require more storage than what is available in the free plan.
  • Privacy Concerns
    There have been concerns around Dropbox's privacy policies and data handling practices, which might not be ideal for users particularly concerned about privacy.
  • Storage Limits
    The free version of Dropbox offers limited storage capacity (only up to 2GB), which may not be sufficient for users with extensive storage needs.
  • Sync Performance Issues
    Some users have reported issues with the speed and reliability of file syncing, which can be disruptive, especially for large files or bulk uploads.
  • File Size Restrictions
    There are file size limitations for both free and certain paid plans, which may be inconvenient for users who need to store or share particularly large files.
  • Limited Offline Access
    While Dropbox allows files to be made available offline, the process is not always straightforward and can lead to accessibility issues when internet access is not available.

PlanetScale features and specs

  • Scalability
    PlanetScale is designed for massive scale, leveraging the Vitess engine that powers YouTube. This makes it suitable for applications requiring high scalability for both read and write operations.
  • Global Distribution
    Offers multi-region deployment, ensuring low-latency access and higher availability, beneficial for globally distributed applications.
  • Serverless Approach
    The platform takes a serverless approach to database management, which means automatic scaling, less infrastructure to manage, and potential cost savings.
  • Branching and Sharding
    Supports database branching for isolated environments like development, testing, and production. It also supports sharding, which helps in distributing data across multiple nodes for better performance and reliability.
  • High Availability
    PlanetScale provides high availability with automated failover mechanisms, ensuring minimal downtime.
  • Strong Data Integrity
    Uses Vitessโ€™s strong consistency models to ensure data integrity across distributed systems.
  • Developer Friendly
    Includes tools and features that make it easier for developers to manage, such as automatic migrations and simplified schema management.
  • Integration
    Can be easily integrated with various cloud service providers, making it flexible for different deployment environments.

Possible disadvantages of PlanetScale

  • Learning Curve
    The platform comes with a learning curve, especially for teams unfamiliar with Vitess or managing distributed databases.
  • Cost
    While it can offer cost savings in some areas, the pricing for large-scale deployments and multi-region setups can be relatively high.
  • Complexity of Advanced Features
    Advanced features like sharding and branching can add complexity to the database management operations.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established databases, the ecosystem and community around PlanetScale might be smaller, which can affect the availability of third-party tools and community support.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using a proprietary platform can lead to vendor lock-in, making it harder to switch to other database services if needed.
  • Early-stage Platform
    While promising, PlanetScale is relatively new compared to some other established database services, which means it may lack some maturity or have bugs that older platforms have ironed out.

Analysis of PlanetScale

Overall verdict

  • PlanetScale is a strong choice for developers and companies looking for a scalable, reliable, and developer-friendly database solution. Its foundations on proven technology and modern features make it a good option for various use cases.

Why this product is good

  • PlanetScale is known for its serverless database platform designed to be simple, scalable, and efficient. It is built on Vitess, which powers companies like YouTube and Slack, offering great performance at scale. PlanetScale provides features such as branching, sharding, and horizontal scaling without downtime, appealing to developers who need robust infrastructure. Additionally, it's designed to integrate seamlessly with developer workflows, providing tools like a CLI and a web console for easy database management.

Recommended for

  • Developers building cloud-native applications
  • Teams needing scalable databases with no downtime
  • Organizations requiring seamless integration with existing development workflows
  • Startups and tech companies looking for robust infrastructure

Dropbox videos

Dropbox API / JavaScript ES6 Tutorial - Expense Organizer

More videos:

  • Review - Dropbox Update 2019 - Is it Worth It?
  • Tutorial - How To Build With Dropbox Webinar October 2020 | Dropbox API | Dropbox
  • Review - Everything You Need to Know: The NEW Dropbox ๐Ÿ“ฆ
  • Review - Dropbox Paper: Full Review (2019)
  • Review - Dropbox Review: Best Cloud Storage for File Sharing?
  • Review - Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive: The Ultimate Cloud Storage Showdown
  • Review - 2021 Best Cloud Storage | Dropbox vs OneDrive vs Google Drive vs iCloud vs Box vs Mega

PlanetScale videos

PlanetScale Beta - Release Radar

More videos:

  • Review - Using PlanetScale (MySQL) with Next.js and Vercel!
  • Review - PlanetScale and Prisma: building in the cloud - Nick Van Wiggeren | Prisma Day 2021

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Dropbox and PlanetScale)
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0
Databases
0 0%
100% 100
File Sharing
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Dropbox and PlanetScale

Dropbox Reviews

  1. good cloud service

    It's much more convenient than GoogleDrive. I frequently use it to share my projects on freelance platforms. This is reliable cloud storage with many features

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Google Drive
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Reliable|Convenient|Easy to use
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Found none

Best Free Cloud Storage for 2024: What Cloud Storage Providers Offer the Most Free Storage?
Another big problem with Dropbox is the lack of features on the free plan. You can see the full list in the table at the end of the article, but features like the vault, smart sync, Dropbox Transfer, e-signatures, unlimited devices and offline access are all either completely missing or severely limited. You can find out more about these features in our Dropbox review.
Best Cloud Storage Services for Linux
Koofr is a cloud storage provider thatโ€™s a good option for Linux because of its Linux GUI desktop client. They have an online version, desktop and mobile versions, browser extensions, and more. The best thing about Koofr is that you can connect Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive to your Koofr account and search through all files from all accounts from Koofr.
Source: linuxstans.com
Best Top 12 MEGA Alternatives in 2024
In the world of cloud storage, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The best MEGA alternative for you depends on your specific requirements and preferences. Whether it's Google Drive's integration, Dropbox's simplicity, or OneDrive's security, you have plenty of options to choose from. Evaluate your needs and make an informed decision to ensure your digital life is...
13 WeTransfer Alternatives (Free) in 2022
Dropbox is a file hosting service providing personal cloud, file synchronization, cloud storage, and client software. It is designed to collaborate on your projects, whether you are working alone or in a team.
Source: www.guru99.com
Best alternatives to WeTransfer of 2022
Microsoft OneDrive works like the other well-known consumer cloud storage options, the likes of Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud: you specify the files and folders you want it to back up, and they get automatically synced with copies in the cloud, as well as all the other computers and devices where you've got OneDrive set up.

PlanetScale Reviews

We have no reviews of PlanetScale yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlanetScale should be more popular than Dropbox. It has been mentiond 105 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Dropbox mentions (28)

  • Excel What if Analysis Issue
    Even better: upload an example Excel file to a file-sharing website (box.net/files, dropbox.com, onedrive.live.com, etc), and post a download link that does not require that we log in. Source: over 2 years ago
  • How to save data on Obsidian? Worried about data loss
    Note that Dropbox automatically backs up all your files. So if you delete a file, you can recover it on dropbox.com, even 6 months later. Source: about 3 years ago
  • How long would a USB stick last in storage?
    Upload what is on that stick to a cloud based system that is not vulnerable to degradation of hardware, you can get a lot of storage for free on sites like dropbox.com, mega.nz, or icloud. You can also always make multiple backups. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Dropbox data gone
    Did you try logging into dropbox.com and checking there? Often the files remain online even if they are removed locallY. You have to log in with the same account you deleted Locally. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Author Resources: Tools and Software
    Dropbox: You absolutely NEED backups. Ideally, both physical and cloud backups, because if you only have one backup, you're not backed up. I can't even begin to tell you how many writers have lost days, weeks, or even entire novels worth of work because they failed to back up their work, then had their computer break or had some weird software snafu. Dropbox is my preferred cloud backup solution, because you can... Source: about 3 years ago
View more

PlanetScale mentions (105)

  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (June 2026)
    PlanetScale | https://planetscale.com/ | Software Engineer - PlanetScale Postgres | Remote (AMER, LATAM & EMEA) | Base range: $120,000 - $290,000 USD I'm the hiring manager for this position. Come build the best Postgres product on the planet with super talented folks, very high autonomy, tier-zero databases for some of the biggest and fastest growing data sets. Apply at... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • PlanetScale announces Postgres is GA
    i'll take the opposite side. I was very impressed with their website. The very first line: > The worldโ€™s fastest and most scalable cloud databases the second line: > PlanetScale brings you the fastest databases available in the cloud. Both our Postgres and Vitess databases deliver exceptional speed and reliability, with Vitess adding ultra scalability through horizontal sharding. I know exactly what they do. Zero... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Serverless Backend: A New Era for Developers
    Database: It helps storing, managing and retriving data in a structured manner (e.g. NeonDB, PlanetScale, DynamoDB). - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What's the best free database provider out there?
    Https://planetscale.com/ would be a good bet. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • List of 45 databases in the world
    PlanetScaleโ€Šโ€”โ€ŠServerless database platform built on MySQL and Vitess. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Dropbox and PlanetScale, you can also consider the following products

Google Drive - Access and sync your files anywhere

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

Box - Box offers secure content management and collaboration for individuals, teams and businesses, enabling secure file sharing and access to your files online.

Datomic - The fully transactional, cloud-ready, distributed database

Mega - Secure File Storage and collaboration

Vercel - Vercel is the platform for frontend developers, providing the speed and reliability innovators need to create at the moment of inspiration.