Supabase vs PlanetScale: Choosing the Right Database for Your Next App

In the ever-evolving landscape of app development, choosing the right database can feel like a daunting task. As indie hackers and solo founders, we often juggle multiple roles and need to make decisions that are both practical and cost-effective. In 2026, Supabase and PlanetScale have emerged as two popular choices, but which one is right for your next project? Let’s break it down.

1. Overview of Supabase and PlanetScale

Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative that provides a full backend stack, including a PostgreSQL database, authentication, and storage. It’s designed for rapid development and is particularly appealing for those who want to get up and running quickly.

PlanetScale, on the other hand, is a serverless MySQL-compatible database platform built on top of Vitess. It’s optimized for scalability and performance, making it a solid choice for applications that anticipate high traffic and require complex queries.

2. Feature Comparison

| Feature | Supabase | PlanetScale | |-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| | Database Type | PostgreSQL | MySQL-compatible | | Scalability | Good for small to medium apps | Excellent for large-scale applications | | Real-time Capabilities | Yes (via subscriptions) | No real-time support | | Authentication | Built-in Auth | External authentication needed | | Pricing | Free tier + $25/mo for Pro | Free tier + $49/mo for Pro | | Deployment | Self-hosted or managed | Fully managed |

3. Pricing Breakdown

Supabase Pricing

• Free Tier: Limited to 500 MB of storage and 2 concurrent connections.
• Pro Plan: $25/month, includes up to 8 GB of storage and 20 concurrent connections.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger needs.

PlanetScale Pricing

• Free Tier: Includes 5 databases and up to 1 GB of storage.
• Pro Plan: $49/month for up to 10 GB of storage with additional features.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing available for larger teams.

4. Use Cases and Limitations

Supabase

• Best For: Rapid prototyping, applications needing built-in authentication, and smaller projects.
• Limitations: Not ideal for complex SQL queries or very high-scale applications due to its connection limits.
• Our Take: We use Supabase for smaller side projects and MVPs where speed is crucial.

PlanetScale

• Best For: Applications expecting significant growth, high traffic, or requiring complex queries.
• Limitations: No built-in real-time capabilities and requires additional setup for authentication.
• Our Take: We prefer PlanetScale for projects that need robust scalability and performance from the start.

5. Decision Framework: Choose the Right Database for Your Needs

• Choose Supabase if:

  • You need a quick setup and built-in features for authentication and storage.
  • Your app is relatively small and won’t require extensive SQL features.
  • You prefer a PostgreSQL database for its advanced features.

• Choose PlanetScale if:

  • You anticipate heavy traffic and need a database that can scale seamlessly.
  • You’re comfortable with MySQL and need to run complex queries.
  • You require a fully managed service that handles scaling automatically.

Conclusion: Start Here

If you're building a small to medium app and want to get started quickly, go with Supabase. It's user-friendly and has a generous free tier that can help you validate your idea without upfront costs. However, if you plan on scaling quickly and need a robust database solution, PlanetScale is the better choice.

In our experience, we often start with Supabase for quick iterations and then transition to PlanetScale as our user base grows.

What We Actually Use

• For MVPs: Supabase (quick development, easy integration)
• For scaling apps: PlanetScale (performance, scalability)