Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

EdgeDB VS PlanetScale

Compare EdgeDB VS PlanetScale and see what are their differences

EdgeDB logo EdgeDB

EdgeDB is a next-generation graph-relational database that lets you easily build flexible, scalable applications in real-time.

PlanetScale logo PlanetScale

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

EdgeDB features and specs

  • Graph-Relational Model
    EdgeDB combines the features of relational and graph databases, allowing for complex queries and relationships while maintaining data integrity typical in relational databases.
  • Advanced Query Language (EdgeQL)
    EdgeQL offers a more intuitive and expressive query syntax compared to traditional SQL, facilitating easier and more efficient data retrieval.
  • Schema Evolution
    EdgeDB provides robust tools for schema migrations and versioning, making it easier to evolve the database schema without downtime or data loss.
  • Type Safety
    With its strong typing system, EdgeDB reduces runtime errors by ensuring data type consistency across the database operations.
  • Integrated Indexing and Constraints
    EdgeDB supports advanced indexing and constraints, improving query performance and maintaining data integrity natively.

Possible disadvantages of EdgeDB

  • Relative Newness
    Being relatively new in the market, EdgeDB might lack extensive community support and third-party integrations compared to more established databases.
  • Learning Curve
    Technicians accustomed to traditional SQL or other database paradigms might face a learning curve when adapting to EdgeDB's unique features and query language.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    EdgeDB's ecosystem, including tooling, documentation, and community resources, is less mature compared to other well-established database systems.
  • Potential for Rapid Changes
    As a developing technology, EdgeDB may undergo rapid changes and updates, which may lead to instability or additional maintenance overhead.
  • Hosting and Compatibility Concerns
    Deploying EdgeDB might have specific hosting requirements, and compatibility with existing infrastructure could be a concern for some users.

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

EdgeDB videos

Checking out EdgeDB - The Developer Database (Better than Prisma ORM?!)

More videos:

  • Review - EdgeDB 2.0 Launch
  • Review - The architecture of EdgeDB โ€”ย Fantix King | EdgeDB Day

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 EdgeDB and PlanetScale)
Databases
20 20%
80% 80
NoSQL Databases
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Network & Admin
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using EdgeDB and PlanetScale. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlanetScale seems to be a lot more popular than EdgeDB. While we know about 105 links to PlanetScale, we've tracked only 4 mentions of EdgeDB. 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.

EdgeDB mentions (4)

  • Beyond SQL: A relational database for modern applications
    A new DB, with a new query language that's like "SQL done right"? This immediately reminded me of EdgeDB: https://edgedb.com/ Is there anyone here who knows enough about these two products to do a compare/contrast? - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Beyond SQL: A relational database for modern applications
    See also https://edgedb.com/ which is another relational database without sql. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • DuckDB 0.8.0
    >relational no-sql Do you mean something like edgeDB?[0] Or do you mean some non-declarative language completely? I don't see the latter making much sense. The issue with SQL for me is the "natural language" which quickly loses all intended readabilty when you have SELECT col1, col2 FROM (SELECT * FROM ... WHERE 1=0 AND ... Which is what edgeDB is trying to solve. [0]https://edgedb.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • GraphQL Is a Trap?
    You have to do your own optimiser to avoid, for instance, the N+1 query problem. (Just Google that, plenty of explanations around.) Many GraphQL frameworks have a โ€œnaiveโ€ subquery implementation that performs N individual subqueries. You either have to override this for each parent/child pairing, or bolt something on the back to delay all the โ€œSELECT * FROM tbl_subquery WHERE id = ?โ€ operations and convert them... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago

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 / 3 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 / 11 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 / over 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

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

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

MarkLogic Server - MarkLogic Server is a multi-model database that has both NoSQL and trusted enterprise data management capabilities.

Valentina Server - Valentina Server is 3 in 1: Valentina DB Server / SQLite Server / Report Server

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

Firestore - Easily develop rich applications using a fully managed, scalable, and serverless document database.