PlanetScale specializes in MySQL database hosting with branching and built-in scaling for $29-$500/month, while Railway offers a broader platform-as-a-service for deploying apps, databases, and services starting at $5/month with pay-as-you-go pricing. PlanetScale is database-focused; Railway is application-focused.
PlanetScale vs Railway — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
MySQL-focused database platform with git-like branching and Vitess scaling
Full-stack platform-as-a-service for deploying apps, databases, and services with pay-as-you-go pricing
Primary Focus. Minimum Monthly Cost. Database Engine Support. Git Branching/Environments. Application Hosting. Maximum Storage (Hobby/Starter). Backup Retention Days
Choose PlanetScale if you need a specialized MySQL database with sophisticated branching for development workflows, Prisma integration, and don't mind a higher minimum cost. Choose Railway if you want an all-in-one platform to host your entire application stack (frontend, backend, databases) with flexible pay-as-you-go pricing and multi-database support.
PlanetScale: 5-10 minutes | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Automatic, built-in | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Native Git-like branching | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 10,000+ with pooling | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 2.5 thousand | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Full with savepoints | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: SQL Standard | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Automatic via Vitess | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Full support | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: No (polling only) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: No (requires integration) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 1000+ TB (unlimited via sharding) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Native (Vitess) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Manual setup required | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 1,000+ GB (1TB+) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: MySQL 8.0 compatible | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 10-15 minutes | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Yes (Git-like branching) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: No (closed source) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 1 (MySQL) | Railway: 5+ (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, ElasticSearch)
PlanetScale: <100ms | Railway: 30-60 seconds
PlanetScale: 1 (GitHub only) | Railway: 3+ (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
PlanetScale: Yes (native, git-like) | Railway: No (manual snapshots)
PlanetScale: No (database only) | Railway: Yes (native runtime)
Production Cost (100GB Storage, 1 Month)
PlanetScale: Paid add-on (Pro plan $29+) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 200-500ms | Railway: 2-5 seconds
PlanetScale: Native (Vitess-based) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: MySQL-compatible only | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: 0% (MySQL only) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: MySQL 8.0 fully compatible | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: $0 (pay-per-use from $0.01/hour) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: $8-15 (read-based) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: No (manual replication needed) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Full ACID per-shard (cross-shard eventual consistency) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Unlimited (sharded) | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Limited to 5GB storage | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Unlimited via sharding | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: Native multi-region replication | Railway: N/A
PlanetScale: $29/month (Hobby) | Railway: $5/month (pay-as-you-go)
PlanetScale: 10GB (Hobby plan) | Railway: 20GB (standard)
PlanetScale: MySQL 8.0 | Railway: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis
PlanetScale: Native git-like branching with preview databases | Railway: Environment-based configuration only
PlanetScale: No (database only) | Railway: Yes (full stack)
PlanetScale: 30 days (all plans) | Railway: 7 days (free), 30 days (paid)
PlanetScale: Built-in with multiplexing | Railway: Available via configs
PlanetScale: 100GB (Pro plan at $99/mo) | Railway: Unlimited (custom pricing)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Available with trial
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Active development
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Yes (modern)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: 10+ via Docker
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Regional deployment
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: N/A (always-on)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Full Docker/OCI support
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Manual configuration
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Basic security features
Supported Languages (via Framework/Docker)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Unlimited (Docker)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: 5 GB (PostgreSQL)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Full native support
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: $5/month recurring
Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: 6+ (Node, Python, Go, Ruby, Java, Rust)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: 4 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis)
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Standard deployment
PlanetScale: N/A | Railway: Free (with $5 credit)
How to choose between PlanetScale and Railway
PlanetScale vs Railway — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for PlanetScale vs Railway. Contains 115 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
PlanetScale vs Railway — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for PlanetScale vs Railway.
Can I use PlanetScale and Railway together?
Yes, many developers use PlanetScale for their MySQL database and Railway to host their application code. PlanetScale provides the database with branching features, while Railway handles the app deployment, creating a combined solution that uses both platforms' strengths.
Which is cheaper for a small project with low traffic?
Railway is significantly cheaper for small projects, starting at $5/month with pay-as-you-go pricing. PlanetScale's minimum Hobby tier is $29/month. However, if you only need a database and use external hosting, PlanetScale's specialized features may justify the cost for MySQL-specific workflows.
Yes, PlanetScale has native Prisma integration with automatic preview databases that sync with git branches. Prisma queries work directly with PlanetScale's MySQL instances, and the branching model aligns perfectly with Prisma's development workflow.
Can Railway handle database-only deployments like PlanetScale?
Yes, Railway can deploy PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis databases standalone. However, Railway is optimized for full-stack deployments. If you only need MySQL with sophisticated branching features, PlanetScale's database-first approach is more specialized for that use case.
Which platform scales better for high-traffic applications?
PlanetScale uses Vitess technology for horizontal database scaling without sharding, making it excellent for scaling large MySQL databases. Railway handles application scaling with auto-scaling containers, but relies on standard database scaling. For massive database workloads, PlanetScale's Vitess architecture provides better native scaling.
How to Choose Between PlanetScale and Railway
Primary Focus: PlanetScale has MySQL database platform, while Railway has Full application deployment platform.
Minimum Monthly Cost: PlanetScale has $29 (Hobby plan), while Railway has $5 (pay-as-you-go).
Database Engine Support: PlanetScale has MySQL 8.0 only, while Railway has PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis.
Git Branching/Environments: PlanetScale has Native git-like branching with automatic preview databases, while Railway has Environment variables and deployment configs.
Application Hosting: PlanetScale has Database-only (requires external hosting), while Railway has Full app hosting with auto-scaling.
Consider: Maximum Storage (Hobby/Starter)
Maximum Storage (Hobby/Starter): PlanetScale has 10GB (Hobby tier), while Railway has 20GB (standard).
Backup Retention Days: PlanetScale has 30 days (all plans), while Railway has 7 days (free tier).