Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FaunaDB VS PlanetScale

Compare FaunaDB VS PlanetScale and see what are their differences

FaunaDB logo FaunaDB

FaunaDB is a serverless cloud database that offers fast global access to data via modern APIs like GraphQL without sacrificing data consistency. Ubiquitous, flexible and secure, FaunaDB helps modern developers build applications fearlessly.

PlanetScale logo PlanetScale

The last database you'll ever need. Go from idea to IPO.
  • FaunaDB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-29
  • PlanetScale Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15

FaunaDB features and specs

  • Global Distribution
    FaunaDB is globally distributed, which means it can handle data replication across multiple regions, ensuring low latency and high availability around the world.
  • Serverless Architecture
    FaunaDB features a fully managed, serverless architecture, which eliminates the need for manual scaling, provisioning, and maintenance of database infrastructure.
  • Strong Focus on Security
    FaunaDB incorporates strong security measures, including access control, data encryption, and multi-region data isolation, to protect sensitive information.
  • Consistency Model
    It offers a strong consistency model called 'serializability,' which ensures transactions are processed in a safe and reliable manner across distributed systems.
  • GraphQL API Support
    FaunaDB natively supports GraphQL, allowing for flexible and modern data fetching capabilities in applications without the need for middleware.
  • ACID Transactions
    FaunaDB supports ACID transactions, ensuring data integrity and consistency even in complex and distributed operations.
  • Scalability
    FaunaDB is designed to scale automatically and seamlessly with your application’s needs, without requiring complex configuration or management.

Possible disadvantages of FaunaDB

  • Pricing Complexity
    The pricing model can be complex and may become expensive as usage scales, which might be challenging for small startups or cost-conscious projects.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers might face a learning curve when dealing with FaunaDB's unique query languages and operational model, particularly for those used to traditional SQL databases.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established databases, FaunaDB has a smaller ecosystem of third-party tools, libraries, and community support, which might limit flexibility or integration options.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Due to its proprietary nature and specific features, moving applications from FaunaDB to another database solution might involve significant work and could lead to vendor lock-in concerns.
  • Performance Tuning Limitations
    Being serverless and fully managed, there may be fewer options for manual performance tuning or optimizations compared to self-hosted databases.

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 Vitess’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 FaunaDB

Overall verdict

  • FaunaDB is a strong choice for developers looking for a flexible, scalable, and modern database solution that supports serverless architectures. Its ease of use, coupled with robust features, often makes it a preferred choice for teams building cloud-native applications.

Why this product is good

  • FaunaDB is often considered a good option due to its globally distributed, serverless architecture, which allows for automatic scaling and real-time data access. It supports modern application development with ACID-compliant transactions, GraphQL capabilities, and seamless integration with serverless platforms. Additionally, its consistent query model and built-in authentication and access control make it attractive for developers seeking efficiency and security.

Recommended for

  • Developers building serverless applications
  • Teams requiring globally distributed data solutions
  • Projects needing ACID compliance and data consistency
  • Applications that benefit from built-in authentication
  • Use cases requiring GraphQL support

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

FaunaDB videos

FaunaDB Basics - The Database of your Dreams

More videos:

  • Review - An Intro to FaunaDB - The First Serverless Database

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 FaunaDB and PlanetScale)
Developer Tools
43 43%
57% 57
Databases
19 19%
81% 81
GraphQL
100 100%
0% 0
Vitess
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

PlanetScale might be a bit more popular than FaunaDB. We know about 103 links to it since March 2021 and only 71 links to FaunaDB. 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.

FaunaDB mentions (71)

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PlanetScale mentions (103)

  • 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 / 5 days ago
  • Ask HN: What's the best free database provider out there?
    Https://planetscale.com/ would be a good bet. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • List of 45 databases in the world
    PlanetScale — Serverless database platform built on MySQL and Vitess. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Good alternatives to Heroku
    Planetscale - Directly from their website: "PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible serverless database that brings you scale, performance, and reliability — without sacrificing developer experience.". - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • MySQL or Top Alternatives in 2024 and How to Choose One
    PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible database that offers scale, performance, and reliability, and many more powerful database features. Leveraging cloud-native architecture, PlanetScale enables organizations to deploy, manage, and scale MySQL-compatible databases with ease. With features such as automatic sharding, distributed transactions, and high availability, PlanetScale enables businesses to handle large... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

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

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.

DynamoDB - Amazon DynamoDB is a fast and flexible NoSQL database service for all applications that need consistent, single-digit millisecond latency at any scale. It is a fully managed cloud database and supports both document and key-value store models.

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