PlanetScale is completely free with 3 features included. No paid tiers offered, making it perfect for budget-conscious users.
PlanetScale is highly compatible with standard MySQL applications but has limitations. Foreign keys aren't supported due to distributed architecture, and some MySQL features like stored procedures have restrictions. Most applications require minimal changes, but review compatibility docs before migration.
You create a branch, make schema changes, test with sample data, create a deploy request (like a pull request), and merge to main branch. This workflow integrates with CI/CD pipelines and ensures schema changes are tested before production deployment.
Large migrations use online DDL operations that process changes incrementally without locking tables. The system automatically handles the complexity of maintaining data consistency during migration. Most schema changes complete without affecting application performance or availability.
Pricing is based on storage, reads, and writes rather than fixed instance sizes. The free tier is generous (5GB storage, 1B row reads). Costs scale with usage, which benefits variable workloads but may be more expensive than dedicated instances for consistently high-utilization databases.
Yes, PlanetScale provides data export capabilities and migration tools. Since it's MySQL-compatible, you can migrate to other MySQL providers using standard tools like mysqldump. However, you'll need to adapt any schema changes that used PlanetScale-specific workflows.
It's completely free — no credit card required.
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Last verified March 2026