Which strategy should I use for PlanetScale Without a Free Plan?
Choose whether PlanetScale still fits side projects or prototypes now that all new databases require paid Base and the old Hobby plan is gone.
Blockers
- breaking_change_in: capability/free-plan → vendor/planetscale
- capability/hobby-plan — EOL 2026
- requires_version: vendor/planetscale → capability/base-plan
- breaking_change_in: capability/hobby-plan → vendor/planetscale
- breaking_change_in: capability/free-plan → vendor/neon
Who this is for
- cost-sensitive
- low-ops
- small-team
Candidates
Use PlanetScale Base for a paid prototype that may grow
As of 2026-03-20, PlanetScale does not offer a free plan. PlanetScale's docs say all databases now require a paid subscription starting with the Base plan, and the former Scaler Pro name has been renamed to Base; a 2025 support article still says new databases are created on paid Scaler Pro. PlanetScale Postgres single-node databases start at $5/month for development and low-traffic workloads, while HA uses a 3-node topology. This keeps PlanetScale viable for side projects only if a paid floor is acceptable and you value PlanetScale features such as branching, managed operations, and an upgrade path into larger production shapes.
When to choose
Use this for low-ops plus small-team projects where paying from day one is acceptable and avoiding a later database migration matters more than preserving a free tier. It is the better fit when you expect the prototype to become a real product and want to stay on the same vendor as you scale.
Tradeoffs
You get managed branching and a cleaner path upward, but the old zero-cost entry point is gone. Even the cheapest current option is paid, so dormant hobby databases are no longer cost-free by default.
Cautions
PlanetScale's support article still uses the old Scaler Pro terminology, but the plans docs say Scaler Pro was renamed to Base. If your workload needs MySQL-compatible Vitess rather than Postgres, check the pricing calculator because costs are resource-based and not as simple as the $5 single-node Postgres entry point.
Use Neon Free or Launch instead for cost-sensitive prototypes
As of 2026-03-20, Neon still offers a Free plan at $0 with 100 projects, 100 CU-hours per project per month, 0.5 GB storage per project, sizes up to 2 CU, and scale-to-zero after 5 minutes of inactivity. Its paid Launch plan is usage-based, with typical spend shown as $15/month, compute at $0.106 per CU-hour, and storage at $0.35 per GB-month. That makes Neon a stronger fit when the main blocker is PlanetScale's loss of a free entry tier rather than a need for PlanetScale-specific features.
When to choose
Use this for cost-sensitive plus low-ops prototypes where free idle time and scale-to-zero matter more than vendor continuity with PlanetScale. It is the decisive option when you want to keep experiments live without immediately committing to monthly database spend.
Tradeoffs
The free tier is materially better for experiments and bursty workloads, and billing stays usage-based as you grow. The tradeoff is that choosing Neon means accepting a different platform and migration path instead of standardizing on PlanetScale early.
Cautions
Neon's free limits are per project and still cap storage and monthly compute, so sustained traffic or always-on workloads can push you into Launch quickly. Validate branch, auth, and restore-window needs against the current pricing table before treating it as a production default.
Sources
Try with your AI agent
$ npm install -g pocketlantern $ pocketlantern init # Restart Claude Code, Cursor, or your MCP client, then ask: # "Which strategy should I use for PlanetScale Without a Free Plan?"