PlanetScale

PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL-compatible database platform built on Vitess, the open-source database clustering system that powers YouTube, Slack, and GitHub at massive scale. Founded in 2018 by Vitess creators from YouTube, PlanetScale brings horizontal scaling capabilities previously available only to tech giants to developers of all sizes. Unlike traditional MySQL hosting, PlanetScale introduces a revolutionary workflow borrowed from Git—database branching that lets you develop schema changes in isolated branches, test them safely, and deploy with confidence. This eliminates the anxiety of database migrations while providing tools like non-blocking schema changes, automatic query analytics, and connection pooling that make databases invisible infrastructure rather than operational burdens.

What makes PlanetScale exceptional is its serverless architecture that auto-scales compute and storage independently, charging only for actual usage with no idle costs. You never provision servers, manage connection pools, or worry about running out of connections—PlanetScale handles it automatically. The platform provides enterprise-grade reliability with horizontal sharding capabilities that can scale to billions of rows and millions of queries per second, yet maintains simplicity for small projects with a generous free tier. Deploy requests enable safe schema changes without downtime through non-blocking migrations, while comprehensive observability tools provide query insights, slow query detection, and performance recommendations. Whether you're building a side project or scaling a unicorn startup, PlanetScale adapts to your needs while maintaining MySQL compatibility with your favorite frameworks and ORMs.

Database Architecture and Vitess

PlanetScale is built on Vitess, proven technology for massive-scale MySQL deployments:

• MySQL Compatibility: Works with standard MySQL clients, drivers, and tools
• Horizontal Sharding: Automatically distribute data across multiple servers
• Vitess Protocol: Optimized query routing and connection pooling
• VTGate: Intelligent query proxy that routes queries to correct shards
• No Single Point of Failure: Distributed architecture for high availability
• Battle-Tested: Same technology powering YouTube for over a decade

Database Branching Workflow

Revolutionary Git-like workflow for database schema development:

• Development Branches: Create isolated database copies for testing changes
• Schema Changes: Modify tables, indexes, columns in separate branches
• Deploy Requests: Review and approve schema changes before production
• Automatic Migrations: Non-blocking schema changes with zero downtime
• Branch Protection: Prevent direct changes to production branches
• Schema Diffs: Visual comparison of schema changes before deployment
• Rollback Safety: Revert problematic changes without data loss

Serverless Architecture

True serverless with automatic scaling and pay-per-use pricing:

• Auto-Scaling: Compute scales automatically with traffic (no manual intervention)
• No Idle Costs: Pay only for storage when database is inactive
• Connection Pooling: Built-in pooling eliminates connection limit issues
• Instant Resume: Cold starts in milliseconds, not seconds
• Elastic Storage: Storage grows automatically as data increases
• Global Distribution: Deploy databases in multiple AWS regions

Non-Blocking Schema Changes

Deploy schema changes without downtime or locking tables:

• Online DDL: Add columns, indexes, modify tables without blocking reads/writes
• Ghost Migration: Creates shadow tables to apply changes incrementally
• Safe Defaults: Automatically detects and prevents dangerous migrations
• Progress Tracking: Monitor migration status in real-time
• Automatic Revert: Built-in safety mechanisms for failed migrations

Query Insights and Performance

Comprehensive observability for database performance optimization:

• Query Analytics: Identify slow queries and optimization opportunities
• Execution Plans: EXPLAIN output for every query automatically captured
• Query Latency: Percentile-based latency tracking (p50, p95, p99)
• Row Reads: Track how many rows each query examines
• Index Recommendations: Suggestions for missing or redundant indexes
• Slow Query Log: Automatic detection of queries needing optimization
• Query History: 30 days of query metrics and trends

Horizontal Scaling and Sharding

Scale beyond single-server MySQL limitations:

• Automatic Sharding: Distribute tables across multiple database servers
• Transparent Routing: Application code remains unchanged with sharding
• Shard Key Selection: Choose optimal sharding strategy for your data
• Reshard Operations: Rebalance data as your application grows
• Billions of Rows: Proven to scale to massive datasets
• Query Parallelization: Execute queries across shards simultaneously

Connection Management

Eliminate connection pool exhaustion with serverless connections:

• Unlimited Connections: No connection limit worries with serverless architecture
• Built-in Pooling: Automatic connection pooling and management
• HTTP API: Connect via HTTPS for serverless function compatibility
• Prisma Support: Native integration with Prisma Data Proxy
• No PgBouncer Needed: Connection handling built into platform

Data Import and Migration

Move existing databases to PlanetScale easily:

• Import Tool: CLI-based import from existing MySQL databases
• Connection Strings: Compatible with standard MySQL connection format
• Schema Import: Import existing schemas with automatic compatibility checks
• Data Migration: Tools for moving data from MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
• Zero Downtime: Migrate live databases without service interruption

Backups and Recovery

Automated backups with point-in-time recovery:

• Daily Backups: Automatic backups retained for 7 days (Hobby, Scaler) or 30 days (Enterprise)
• Point-in-Time Recovery: Restore database to any moment in time (Enterprise)
• Backup Branches: Create database branches from any backup
• Manual Backups: On-demand snapshots before major changes
• Geo-Redundant: Backups stored across multiple availability zones

Security Features

Enterprise-grade security for database access and data protection:

• TLS Encryption: All connections encrypted in transit by default
• Encryption at Rest: Data encrypted on disk with AES-256
• IP Restrictions: Whitelist allowed IP addresses (Scaler and above)
• SSO/SAML: Enterprise identity integration (Enterprise plan)
• Audit Logging: Complete activity logs for compliance (Enterprise)
• SOC 2 Type II: Certified compliance for enterprise customers
• Password Management: Secure credentials with automatic rotation

CLI and Developer Tools

Powerful command-line tools for database management:

• PlanetScale CLI: Create branches, deploy changes, manage databases from terminal
• Local Development: Connect to development branches for testing
• Shell Access: MySQL shell directly to any branch
• Schema Management: View schema diffs and deployment history
• CI/CD Integration: Automate deployments with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI

Framework and ORM Support

Works seamlessly with popular frameworks and database tools:

• Prisma: First-class support with Prisma Data Proxy integration
• Drizzle ORM: Native PlanetScale adapter for type-safe queries
• TypeORM: Full compatibility with TypeORM entity management
• Sequelize: Works with Sequelize migrations and models
• Rails: Active Record integration for Ruby on Rails apps
• Django: Django ORM compatibility with MySQL backend
• Next.js: Optimized for Vercel and serverless deployments

Regions and Availability

Deploy databases close to your users globally:

• AWS Regions: US East (Virginia), US West (Oregon), EU West (Dublin), Asia Pacific (Mumbai, Sydney, Tokyo)
• Multi-Region: Read replicas in multiple regions for global apps (Enterprise)
• Low Latency: Sub-10ms queries when app and database are co-located
• Automatic Failover: High availability across availability zones

Monitoring and Alerts

Stay informed about database health and performance:

• Real-Time Metrics: Live dashboard with query rates, latency, storage
• Custom Alerts: Notifications for slow queries, high load, errors
• Slack Integration: Deploy request notifications and alerts in Slack
• Webhook Support: Custom webhooks for external monitoring systems
• Query Trends: Historical analysis of query performance over time

Team Collaboration

Built for teams with role-based access and approval workflows:

• Organizations: Manage multiple databases and team members
• Role-Based Access: Admin, Developer, Viewer permissions
• Deploy Request Reviews: Require approval before schema changes
• Audit Trail: Track who made what changes and when
• Branch Protection: Prevent accidental changes to production

Pricing Tiers

Flexible plans from free hobby projects to enterprise scale:

• Hobby (Free): 5GB storage, 1 billion row reads/month, 10M row writes/month, 1 production branch
• Scaler ($29/month): 10GB storage, 100B row reads, 50M row writes, 3 production branches, IP restrictions
• Scaler Pro ($59/month): 25GB storage, 250B row reads, 150M row writes, 5 production branches
• Enterprise (Custom): Unlimited, PITR, multi-region, SSO, dedicated support, SLA
• Overage Charges: $1.50 per additional GB storage, $1 per 1B row reads, $1.50 per 10M row writes

Documentation and Community

Extensive resources for learning and troubleshooting:

• Documentation: Comprehensive guides, tutorials, API references
• Video Tutorials: Learn database branching, deployments, optimizations
• Migration Guides: Step-by-step instructions from MySQL, Heroku, AWS RDS
• Community Forum: GitHub Discussions for questions and feature requests
• Blog: Regular content on database scaling and best practices
• Discord Community: Active developer community for real-time help
• Status Page: Real-time platform status and incident history

Use Cases and Ideal For

PlanetScale excels in various application scenarios:

• Serverless Applications: Perfect for Next.js, Vercel, Netlify deployments
• SaaS Platforms: Scale from MVP to millions of users seamlessly
• E-commerce: Handle traffic spikes without manual scaling
• API Services: Support high-throughput read-heavy workloads
• Mobile Backends: Global distribution for low-latency access
• High-Traffic Apps: Proven to scale to billions of queries per day

Ideal For

PlanetScale is perfect for developers seeking MySQL compatibility with modern serverless benefits and Git-like database workflows. It's ideal for teams tired of managing connection pools and scaling database servers, applications requiring zero-downtime schema changes without complex migration scripts, startups that need to scale from prototype to production without architectural rewrites, developers using Prisma or modern ORMs seeking optimal integration, projects with unpredictable traffic patterns benefiting from automatic scaling, and teams wanting database branching for safe development and testing. With its unique combination of Vitess-powered horizontal scaling, serverless architecture, and developer-friendly branching workflow, PlanetScale eliminates traditional database operational complexity while maintaining MySQL compatibility with your existing tools and frameworks. The platform scales from free hobby projects to enterprise applications handling billions of queries, all while providing enterprise-grade reliability and performance insights that help you build faster and more confidently.