PlanetScale
Xata
| Feature | PlanetScale | Xata |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $39/mo | Free / from $8/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | saas-companies, startups, developer-teams, high-traffic-apps | developers, startups, jamstack-apps, full-stack-teams |
| Founded | 2018 | 2020 |
| Database Branching | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schema Changes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Scaling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Read Replicas | ✓ | ✗ |
| Insights Dashboard | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cli Tools | ✓ | ✗ |
| Connection Pooling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Serverless Database | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Text Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vector Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Attachments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Branching | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ PlanetScale Pros
- Git-like branching for database schema changes
- Non-blocking schema changes with no downtime
- Built on Vitess (powers YouTube's database)
- Excellent developer experience and CLI
✗ PlanetScale Cons
- Free tier was removed in 2024
- MySQL-compatible only (no PostgreSQL)
- Foreign key constraints not supported in traditional way
✓ Xata Pros
- Built-in search and AI
- Spreadsheet-like UI
- Generous free tier
- TypeScript SDK
✗ Xata Cons
- Less flexible than raw Postgres
- Newer platform
- Limited for complex queries
The Verdict
PlanetScale is built for saas companies and startups, with a focus on database-branching and schema-changes. Xata targets developers and startups and leads with serverless-database and full-text-search.
On pricing, Xata is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $8/mo compared to $39/mo for PlanetScale. That $31/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Xata has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. PlanetScale requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, PlanetScale offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Xata takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for startups — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.