Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Upstash VS PlanetScale

Compare Upstash VS PlanetScale and see what are their differences

Upstash logo Upstash

Upstash provides Serverless Redis and Kafka as a service.

PlanetScale logo PlanetScale

The last database you'll ever need. Go from idea to IPO.
  • Upstash Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-16
  • PlanetScale Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15

Upstash features and specs

  • Scalability
    Upstash is a serverless database service that can automatically scale with your application's needs, ensuring high availability and performance without manual intervention.
  • Cost Efficiency
    With a pay-per-request pricing model, Upstash can be cost-effective, especially for applications with variable workloads, since you only pay for what you use.
  • Ease of Use
    Upstash simplifies database management with straightforward APIs and integration with popular platforms like AWS Lambda, making it easy to set up and use.
  • Low Latency
    Being geographically distributed, Upstash offers low-latency access, which can improve the speed of data retrieval for end-users around the world.

Possible disadvantages of Upstash

  • Limited Database Options
    Upstash currently focuses on a limited range of databases like Redis, which may not meet the needs of all projects requiring different types of databases.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using a specialized platform like Upstash could lead to vendor lock-in, making it more challenging to migrate to other database providers or solutions in the future.
  • Feature Parity
    Some advanced features found in fully-fledged, self-managed databases may not be supported by Upstash, potentially limiting functionality for complex applications.
  • Dependency on External Service
    Reliance on an external service means that any downtime or service disruption on Upstash's part could directly impact your applications.

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 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

Upstash videos

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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 Upstash and PlanetScale)
Developer Tools
43 43%
57% 57
Databases
25 25%
75% 75
Data
100 100%
0% 0
Vitess
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlanetScale should be more popular than Upstash. It has been mentiond 103 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.

Upstash mentions (24)

  • Suna AI: Open-Source General Software: Cost and Deployment Tutorial🔥
    - [Upstash Redis](https://upstash.com/) (recommended for cloud deployment) Local installation: - [Mac](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/redis): `brew install redis` - [Linux](https://redis.io/docs/getting-started/installation/install-redis-on-linux/): Follow distribution-specific instructions - [Windows](https://redis.io/docs/getting-started/installation/install-redis-on-windows/): Use WSL2 or Docker. - Source: dev.to / 28 days ago
  • Managed Redis Services: 22 Service Compared
    Create an account at Upstash Redis and deploy a Redis instance via the web interface or API. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Introducing keyv-upstash: Seamless Key-Value Storage for Serverless Redis
    Keyv-upstash is a storage adapter for Keyv that connects it to Upstash Redis, a serverless Redis platform. With this adapter, you get a simple, efficient, and flexible solution for key-value storage in serverless applications. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • How to Generate and Verify OTPs in Next.js:
    Create a free Upstash Redis instance at https://upstash.com. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Create a blog using JStack(Nextjs, Neon, Prisma)
    Upstash - upstash - Redis database on cloud. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
View more

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 / 7 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
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Unbounded - Serverless NoSQL database you query with JavaScript

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.

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

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

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