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Last reviewed: 2026-07-15

Best Free Alternatives to PlanetScale

PlanetScale is a managed MySQL-compatible platform, but teams looking for a free hobby database often need a different current offer. Neon is the closest database-first free option in spirit, while Supabase and Firebase add broader backend services.

Choose Neon for a focused no-card serverless PostgreSQL database.

Choose Supabase when the app also needs auth, storage, realtime and APIs.

Choose Firebase when a client-first document database fits better than relational SQL.

Why look for an alternative

  • You need a current permanent free database for a hobby prototype.
  • PostgreSQL compatibility matters more than MySQL compatibility.
  • You want authentication and storage bundled with the database.
  • The app does not require PlanetScale's Vitess-oriented workflow.

Best alternatives

Neon

Best database-first alternative

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Limit

Django, Node.js and serverless apps that can use PostgreSQL

Neon provides standard serverless Postgres, branching and a no-card Free plan.

Watch out: Migrating from MySQL requires schema, SQL syntax, driver and type review.

Supabase

Best complete app backend

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Limit

Products needing PostgreSQL, auth, storage, realtime and APIs

Supabase turns PostgreSQL into a broader application backend.

Watch out: Free projects can pause and integrated products create a larger migration surface.

Firebase

Best client-first alternative

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Limit

Mobile and web apps that naturally fit Firestore documents

Firebase Spark provides no-cost allowances without requiring a payment method.

Watch out: Firestore is not SQL and requires a substantial data-model rewrite.

Choose the engine deliberately

A free offer is temporary product policy; MySQL versus PostgreSQL is an architectural choice. Prefer Neon or Supabase only when the application can genuinely adopt PostgreSQL. Keep PlanetScale when its workflow, compatibility and operational behavior justify the current price.

Migration checklist

Export and restore into staging, compare row counts and checksums, run application tests and inspect query plans. Rehearse rollback before changing production writes. Database migration risk deserves more weight than a headline monthly allowance.

Services

Neon NEW Neon Inc.

Neon is serverless Postgres. Neon separates storage and compute to offer autoscaling, branching, and bottomless storage.

Database #postgres#serverless#branching

Free tier

100 projects, 100 CU-hours/month per project, 0.5GB storage/project

Paid from $15/mo · Multi-region

Visit Neon
Supabase NEW Supabase Inc.

Supabase is an open source Firebase alternative with Postgres, Auth, instant APIs, Edge Functions and Realtime subscriptions.

BaaS #database#auth#realtime

Free tier

500MB database, 1GB storage, 2GB bandwidth

Paid from $25/mo · Multi-region

Visit Supabase
Firebase Google

Firebase is Google's mobile and web application development platform that helps you build, improve, and grow your app.

BaaS #database#auth#hosting

Free tier

Spark plan with generous limits

Pay-as-you-go · Multi-region

Visit Firebase

FAQ

What is the best free PlanetScale alternative?

Neon is the strongest database-only option when PostgreSQL is acceptable. Supabase is better when the project also needs managed backend services.

Can I migrate PlanetScale MySQL directly to PostgreSQL?

Data can be moved, but it is not a drop-in switch. Audit types, indexes, SQL syntax, constraints, ORM configuration and application drivers.

Should I switch only because the free tier changed?

Compare migration engineering with the cost of the current paid plan. For a working product, paying can be cheaper and safer than changing database engines.