CockroachDB vs PlanetScale comparison

Cockroach and PlanetScale are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Cockroach is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.4, while PlanetScale is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.2. Additionally, 83% of Cockroach users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of PlanetScale users who would recommend it.

CockroachDB

Read 12 CockroachDB reviews

2,677 Views
1,856 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

PlanetScale

Read 6 PlanetScale reviews

105 Views
27 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

CockroachDB

PlanetScale

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

CockroachDB and PlanetScale compete in the distributed database space. CockroachDB appears to have the upper hand in global data distribution and strong consistency, making it suitable for robust infrastructure needs, while PlanetScale's emphasis on developer ease makes it popular for rapid deployment.

Features: CockroachDB provides auto-healing capabilities, a distributed SQL model for seamless scaling, and geo-partitioning for data residency solutions. PlanetScale offers schema change workflows, branching capabilities for development flexibility, and integration ease with tools like Prisma.

Room for Improvement: CockroachDB could enhance its user interface and simplify tuning processes for better developer usability. In contrast, PlanetScale might improve by offering more in-depth analytical features, expanding its documentation clarity, and providing more comprehensive enterprise-level options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CockroachDB offers a traditional deployment method with detailed documentation and enterprise-level support, suitable for mission-critical applications. PlanetScale emphasizes cloud-first deployments with an intuitive developer experience and smooth integration.

Pricing and ROI: CockroachDB's pricing includes free tiers, suitable for initial implementations, but enterprise-level demands could increase costs. PlanetScale's pricing structure appeals to smaller teams with a focus on speed, providing better ROI for developer-centric projects.

To learn more, read our detailed CockroachDB vs. PlanetScale Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CockroachDB vs. PlanetScale

April 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

CockroachDB

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

12th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

PlanetScale

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

16th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Antonio Tringali

Software Engineer at a consultancy with self employed

Open source with extensive documentation and a University for training

I am a freelancer. A client of mine wanted a solution that would allow them to scale yet not abandon the familiar PostgreSQL front-end (and rewrite a part of their source code). Scalability aside, CockroachDB is a fine way forward from PostgreSQL and is not changing the client source code part of the system. If you are lucky and you do not use newer features from recent versions of PostgreSQL or PostgreSQL extensions, it's fine. There are nice-to-have features for big organizations like regional tables. At the moment, my client simply does not use these. However, the serverless offer from CockroachDB is reacting well as data grows.

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Neeraj Sameer Allu

Founder at Tuft

Manages databases in serverless environments and easy to get started with

The main thing I didn't like about PlanetScale was that we couldn't run analytical queries on it. They bill based on the number of rows read, so even a simple count query could easily use up our allocated resources. Apart from that, I actually loved it. It's based on MySQL, so it doesn't have foreign key constraints or cascades. We have to delete manually or use an ORM. As it's based on MySQL, we can use log posters for complex queries, but it only supports MySQL. I feel like Postgres is more useful for custom or complex queries.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I use CockroachDB to test big data samples and to create the best structure for databases. We have four users and required 10 people for deployment and maintenance."

"What I like best is its ability to solve data residency issues. The main advantage is auto geo partitioning, built into the product. This means we don't have to spin up separate servers in each region, which would be much more costly."

"The subset of SQL that my client is using is completely supported."

"The product has valuable security features."

"The availability and the easy to use feature is the most valuable. The documentation is also good."

"CockroachDB is highly reliable."

"The most valuable feature is that CockroachDB is a distributed database, which can deploy nodes running in different regions."

"The best feature of CockroachDB is the ability to keep the nodes in different locations."

More CockroachDB pros

"The solution is beginner-friendly. Like any new platform, it can be a bit confusing at first. But after spending about an hour with it, you can get a clear idea of what everything is for. It's not very confusing; I think they've improved it recently."

"I like the solution's developer experience. When you deploy changes to the database in the portal, you can use different deployment strategies and see how things work. You can put changes into different branches, like deployment and staging. This is built into the product, allowing you to navigate changes through different branches."

"The branching feature is also good for developer experience."

"I did not face any downtime when using the product."

"The database is accessible 24/7, ensuring my project runs smoothly without interruptions."

Cons

"I would like CockroachDB to have more compatibility with PostgreSQL, especially with the connection string and technical integrations."

"The product must improve its disaster recovery features."

"The closer they can make CockroachDB to being completely compatible with Postgres, the better. It's almost compatible, but not completely. If it was, it would be nice to just be able to use Postgres libraries without any fiddling."

"The platform could be more extensible."

"The initial setup and pricing could be improved."

"I find the serverless offer a bit confusing."

"I think the engine itself could be improved. If you miss a partition key, it should be able to be modeled. This is where AI could be really helpful. For example, if a user is from Australia, the system should know to look for their data there first instead of searching in the US or another continent."

"We are looking for more features to support distributed high availability and geo-partitioning."

More CockroachDB cons

"I used PlanetScale for hobby projects, so my perspective differs from someone using it commercially. Unfortunately, they've removed the free tier in recent months and pivoted to a business-to-business model. This is sad for hobby developers like me because it's a great product, but I understand they have costs to cover."

"I am not sure, but I think recently, the tool removed the free version."

"The main thing I didn't like about PlanetScale was that we couldn't run analytical queries on it."

"We encountered some initial issues during the product deployment, which required me to search for solutions on forums."

"When I tried to integrate the solution with Firebase for authentication, I faced some interruptions. Also, when using it with Next.js and NextAuth.js for Google and social logins, I had some troubles."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's price depends on the user's company and the contract model they enter into with CockroachDB. Depending on the contract model one enters into with CockroachDB, the product may or may not be expensive."

"The platform is affordable even for the enterprise version. It provides value for investment in terms of performance."

"The pricing is good but can be made cheaper. I would rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"I've used CockroachDB at a small scale on the free accounts because we are only testing."

"The solution's pricing is not cheap. However, the good thing is that customers are willing to pay for it if they want it."

"Last time, when I wanted to use the tool in a project, I could see it was only paid, so I didn't use the service."

"The solution is expensive for beginners. That's why I wasn't motivated to use it more. But they were already providing many features for free for beginners, which was great."

"I am currently using the product's free version, which has been sufficient for my portfolio project."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

37%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about CockroachDB?

The subset of SQL that my client is using is completely supported.

See all answers

What needs improvement with CockroachDB?

I would like CockroachDB to have more compatibility with PostgreSQL, especially with the connection string and technical integrations.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for CockroachDB?

I am studying how to deploy CockroachDB and YugaByteDB, and learning some basic information about them. I am testing these databases as part of my school application to find a suitable database for...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PlanetScale?

I am currently using the product's free version, which has been sufficient for my portfolio project. The paid version ranges from $39 to $1,000, depending on the features and scale required.

See all answers

What needs improvement with PlanetScale?

I would like PlanetScale to have a feature where the database can be accessed in the cloud with a link, allowing for a more user-friendly interface compared to the terminal. This would make it easi...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for PlanetScale?

I have used PlanetScale as it is an advanced version of MySQL. It functions as a platform where MySQL is live, similar to AWS. I use PlanetScale to store data in a live environment where queries ca...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CockroachDB

April 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

March 2025

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Overview

CockroachDB is a distributed SQL database built on a transactional and strongly-consistent key-value store. It scales horizontally; survives disk, machine, rack, and even datacenter failures with minimal latency disruption and no manual intervention; supports strongly-consistent ACID transactions; and provides a familiar SQL API for structuring, manipulating, and querying data.

CockroachDB is inspired by Google’s Spanner and F1 technologies, and it’s completely open source.

Cockroach

PlanetScale offers seamless database management with features tailored for modern development environments, enabling enhanced project operations through efficient integration and ease of use.

PlanetScale is designed to support modern developer workflows through features like automated connection pooling and constant availability, making it ideal for serverless applications. Its integration with tools like GitHub and Prisma enhances the developer experience, allowing fast setup and effortless database interactions. However, users note challenges with analytical queries due to row-based billing and the absence of foreign key constraints. Integration with platforms such as Firebase and Next.js presents additional hurdles. Recent changes, such as the removal of the free tier, have impacted adoption by hobby developers, highlighting a need for more accessible pricing plans.

What are the most important features of PlanetScale?

Automated Connection Pooling: Optimizes database connections for serverless environments.
Constant Availability: Ensures uninterrupted operations and workflow efficiency.
Developer-Friendly: Integrates seamlessly with GitHub and Prisma for enhanced project management.
Quick Setup: Simplifies setup processes in corporate environments, allowing immediate use.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating PlanetScale?

Uninterrupted Project Operations: Facilitates constant availability for high-performance applications.
Enhanced Developer Experience: Offers intuitive integrations and project management capabilities.
Ease of Integration: Works well with popular tools like Prisma and MySQL for efficient workflows.

PlanetScale finds significant use in hosting databases for portfolios, company websites, and academic projects. Its compatibility with Prisma facilitates seamless MySQL database management online. Users leverage its capabilities for analytical queries and manage data environments effectively. Teams value the platform for specialized tasks such as URL shortening and social media automation, which are crucial in rapidly evolving digital industries.

PlanetScale

Sample Customers

Baidu, Kindred, Tierion, Heroic Labs, Gorgias

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

CockroachDB vs. PlanetScale

April 2025

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