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PlanetScale VS Aiven

Compare PlanetScale VS Aiven and see what are their differences

PlanetScale logo PlanetScale

The last database you'll ever need. Go from idea to IPO.

Aiven logo Aiven

Leverage the complete open source ecosystem of extensions and tools to create highly-performant data pipelines for event-driven applications on all major clouds.
  • PlanetScale Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15
  • Aiven Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-23

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.

Aiven features and specs

  • Managed Services
    Aiven offers fully managed cloud data infrastructure services, allowing businesses to save time and resources on maintenance and management of their databases.
  • Multi-Cloud Support
    Aiven supports various cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, providing flexibility in choosing or migrating across different cloud environments.
  • High Availability and Scalability
    With Aivenโ€™s infrastructure, businesses can easily scale their services and ensure high availability, which is critical for handling growing workloads and avoiding downtime.
  • Comprehensive Security Features
    Aiven offers robust security measures, including encryption, access control, and compliance with major industry standards, ensuring data is secure and protected.
  • Variety of Supported Technologies
    Aiven supports a wide range of open-source technologies such as PostgreSQL, Apache Kafka, and Elasticsearch, providing versatility in building diverse applications.

Possible disadvantages of Aiven

  • Cost
    Managed services can be significantly more expensive than self-hosted solutions, potentially increasing overall business costs, especially for startups or small businesses with limited budgets.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    While Aiven offers multi-cloud support, businesses using proprietary features or integrations might experience challenges if they decide to migrate away from Aiven to another provider.
  • Limited Customization
    Managed services might not offer the same level of customization as self-managed solutions, limiting specific configurations or optimizations that businesses might require.
  • Dependence on Network Performance
    Performance is highly dependent on the quality and reliability of network connections, which can affect data access speeds and service availability.
  • Potential Learning Curve
    Despite being designed for ease of use, some teams may experience a learning curve when adopting new tools and technologies provided by Aiven.

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

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

Aiven videos

Introduction to Aiven Postgres Cloud Database

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PlanetScale and Aiven)
Databases
73 73%
27% 27
Cloud Infrastructure
0 0%
100% 100
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Vitess
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlanetScale should be more popular than Aiven. 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.

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 / 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

Aiven mentions (35)

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What are some alternatives?

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

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

Ninox - Ninox is a human-friendly database. Create your own Business Application with Ninox that matches your workflow. Ninox lets you integrate CRM, ERP, HR and many more...

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

SAP HANA - SAP HANA is an in-memory, column-oriented, relational database management system.

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

Amazon Aurora - MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud. Performance and availability of commercial-grade databases at 1/10th the cost.