Supabase
Free / Pro from ~$25 per mo
PlanetScale
Paid plans from ~$39 per mo
Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative on Postgres with auth, storage, and instant APIs. PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL platform built for scale with schema branching. Supabase wins as an all-in-one backend; PlanetScale wins on MySQL scaling and branching.
Pick Supabase if you want an all-in-one Postgres backend with auth, storage, and instant APIs, plus a free tier.
Pick PlanetScale if you want a highly scalable MySQL database with a safe schema-branching workflow.
Supabase and PlanetScale are both popular developer database platforms, but they start from different databases and goals. Supabase is an all-in-one backend built on Postgres: it bundles a database with authentication, storage, edge functions, and instant auto-generated APIs, positioning itself as an open-source Firebase alternative. PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL platform engineered for scale and reliability, famous for its database branching workflow that lets teams develop and deploy schema changes safely.
On price, Supabase has a free tier and Pro from around $25 a month, while PlanetScale's paid plans start around $39 a month. The choice is mostly an all-in-one Postgres backend (Supabase) versus a highly scalable MySQL platform with branching (PlanetScale).
We compare database engine, features, scaling, branching, and price.
| Quick facts | Supabase | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Postgres | MySQL |
| Free tier | Yes | Limited |
| Starting paid price | Pro from ~$25/mo | From ~$39/mo |
| All-in-one backend | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Best for | Postgres backend + APIs | MySQL scale + branching |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | S Supabase | P PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Managed database | Best-in-class (Postgres) | Best-in-class (MySQL) |
| Built-in auth | Best-in-class | No |
| Storage & edge functions | Best-in-class | No |
| Instant auto-generated APIs | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Database branching | Growing | Best-in-class |
| Horizontal scaling | Strong | Best-in-class |
| Open source | Yes | Partly |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed June 2026.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Supabase bundles a full backend and is great for shipping fast, but it is Postgres-centric and its scaling story differs from PlanetScale's.
PlanetScale excels at MySQL scale and branching, but it is just the database — no built-in auth, storage, or APIs.
For an all-in-one backend Supabase wins; for pure MySQL scale and branching PlanetScale wins.
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