SurrealDB vs PlanetScale: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
PlanetScale
Fast MySQL & Postgres Database Platform
PlanetScale
Fast MySQL & Postgres Database Platform
What are SurrealDB and PlanetScale?
SurrealDB is a database that handles multiple types of data storage without needing different database systems. Think of it as one tool that can work like a traditional database with rows and columns, a document store like MongoDB, and a graph database for connected data—all at the same time.
It is built with Rust programming language, which makes it fast and reliable. You can use it directly from web browsers, mobile apps, or servers. The database includes built-in security features, so you can control who sees what data without writing extra code.
SurrealDB supports real-time updates, meaning your application sees changes instantly without constantly checking for updates. This makes it perfect for chat apps, live dashboards, and similar tools.
PlanetScale is a database hosting service that runs on cloud platforms like AWS and Google Cloud. It supports two database types: Vitess for MySQL workloads and native Postgres for PostgreSQL applications. Both options come with high availability built in, using one primary database and two backup copies spread across different data centers.
The platform stands out with features like database branching, which works similar to Git branches for code. You can test changes safely before applying them to production. It also includes query monitoring tools that show which database operations are slow or using too many resources.
PlanetScale offers different service levels from pay-as-you-go pricing for startups to enterprise plans where they manage databases in your own cloud account.
Features of SurrealDB and PlanetScale
Combines document, graph, relational, time-series, and vector data models
SQL-like query language (SurrealQL)
Real-time data updates and notifications
Built-in authentication and permissions
Cloud, self-hosted, or embedded deployment
WebSocket and HTTP API support
Multiple programming language SDKs
ACID transactions across tables
Vector similarity search
Graph traversal capabilities
High availability with automatic failover across three zones
Database branching for safe schema testing
Real-time query monitoring and performance insights
Zero-downtime schema migrations
Both Vitess MySQL and native Postgres support
Horizontal sharding for massive scale
Automated daily backups with recovery
API and CLI for automation
Multi-region deployment options
Enterprise security and compliance features
Use Cases of SurrealDB and PlanetScale
Pricing of SurrealDB and PlanetScale
SurrealDB offers clear pricing that grows with your needs. The Free Plan provides a great starting point with 1GB storage, 0.25 vCPU, and 1GB memory—ideal for testing ideas and small projects. Your database runs temporarily and resets periodically.
The Start Plan costs $0.021 per hour (around $15 monthly for continuous use) and includes vertical scaling up to 16 vCPU and 512GB storage. You get daily backups and basic support, making it suitable for development and staging environments.
The Scale Plan (coming soon) adds horizontal scaling across multiple nodes and fault tolerance for production applications. Pricing will depend on your configuration.
The Dedicated Plan provides single-tenant infrastructure with up to 1PB storage and enterprise security features. Contact the sales team for custom pricing based on your requirements.
PlanetScale offers flexible pricing based on the resources you use. Cluster pricing starts at $34 per month for a high-availability setup with three database instances.
The Scaler Pro plan uses pay-as-you-go billing where you pay for your chosen instance size, storage, and any add-ons. Storage costs $0.50 per GB per instance after the first 10 GB. You can save money with annual commitments that offer 2.5% off, or get 12.5% total discount by paying upfront for the year.
The Enterprise plan includes everything in Scaler Pro plus enhanced support options, the ability to deploy in your own AWS or GCP account, and access to database experts through a private Slack channel. Enterprise pricing is customized based on your needs.
PlanetScale is also available through AWS Marketplace and Google Cloud Marketplace for simplified billing.
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