Software Alternatives & Startups

PlanetScale VS BlockCypher

Compare PlanetScale VS BlockCypher and see what are their differences

PlanetScale

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

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Freemium Free trial $29 / Monthly (250GB)
BlockCypher

AWS for Block Chains

Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, PlanetScale seems to be a lot more popular than BlockCypher. While we know about 105 links to PlanetScale, we've tracked only 2 mentions of BlockCypher.

social mentions
105 vs 2
Databases popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
217 vs 84

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

PlanetScale
BlockCypher
Website planetscale.com blockcypher.com
Pricing
Open source Freemium Free trial $29 / Monthly (250GB) Official pricing
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Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

PlanetScale 8 features
BlockCypher 6 features
  • 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

  • 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.
  • Ease of Use
    BlockCypher offers a simple API structure that makes integration with blockchain services straightforward, even for developers who are new to blockchain technology.
  • Multi-Blockchain Support
    Supports multiple blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, allowing developers to work with different cryptocurrencies in a unified platform.
  • Detailed Documentation
    Comprehensive and well-maintained documentation that helps developers understand and implement their APIs efficiently.
  • High Availability
    Designed for high availability and reliability, which ensures minimal downtime and consistent performance for applications.
  • Advanced Features
    Offers advanced APIs for tracking, creating, and managing transactions, contracts, and wallet functionalities, making it suitable for both basic and complex use cases.
  • Support for Microtransactions
    Offers support for microtransactions, which is beneficial for applications requiring small payments or tipping systems.

Possible disadvantages

  • Costs
    While BlockCypher offers a free tier, higher usage plans can get expensive, which may not be suitable for startups or low-budget projects.
  • Limited Customization
    Some users might find that the service provides limited customization options, which can be restrictive for highly specialized use cases.
  • Dependency on Third Party
    Relying on a third-party service for blockchain interactions introduces dependency risks, including potential service downtime or changes in API terms.
  • Performance Overhead
    Using an external API can introduce performance bottlenecks due to network latency, compared to running a local solution.
  • Security Concerns
    Although secure, delegating sensitive operations to a third-party service raises security concerns, especially for high-stakes transactions.
  • Limited Control Over Nodes
    Developers do not have direct control over the blockchain nodes, which can occasionally lead to limitations in managing the blockchain environment.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

PlanetScale
BlockCypher

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

No analysis of BlockCypher yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

PlanetScale 3 videos + Add
BlockCypher 2 videos + Add

PlanetScale Beta - Release Radar

More videos

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

Building with Blockchains and BlockCypher - Josh Cincinnati

More videos

  • - FinDEVr SF 2015 / BlockCypher

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
PlanetScale
BlockCypher
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

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

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

PlanetScale no reviews yet
BlockCypher no reviews yet

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

PlanetScale 105 mentions
BlockCypher 2 mentions
  • 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... - Source: Hacker News / 4 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 world’s fastest and most scalable cloud databases the second line: > PlanetScale brings you the fastest databases available in the cloud.... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year 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

View more

  • Wallet balance not correct?
    So I added old keys to MultiDoge and the wallets synced up but the balances show in MultiDoge doesn't seem to be correct. I've checked all addresses that I've added against blockcypher.com and it shows 0 balance on all but one which... Source: almost 5 years ago
  • Bitcoin newbie - sent 2 transactions with too low a fee (non replaceable).
    Thanks for that - really helpful video. Looks like my only option is to wait it out and have the transaction bounced back, but what I can't understand is that the receiver reckons they have it, yet when I try and look at the transaction... Source: over 5 years ago

Alternatives to PlanetScale and BlockCypher

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