--- title: "Neon vs Supabase vs PlanetScale 2026: Best Database for Your Startup" description: "In-depth comparison of Neon, Supabase, and PlanetScale. Compare pricing, features, free tiers, and find the best serverless database for your SaaS application." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/blog/neon-vs-supabase-vs-planetscale-2026 retrieved: 2026-08-21 --- [Back to Blog](https://appstackbuilder.com/blog) Databases2026 Guide # Neon vs Supabase vs PlanetScale 2026 The definitive comparison of serverless databases for SaaS and startups. Compare PostgreSQL and MySQL options, free tiers, pricing, and find the best database for your application. 15 min read Pricing & features analyzed Published February 2026 ## Quick Verdict ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Neon Best for serverless Postgres with branching, scale-to-zero, and pay-per-use. Powers Vercel Postgres. Scale to ZeroBranching ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Supabase Best all-in-one: Postgres + Auth + Storage + Realtime + Edge Functions. Open-source Firebase alternative. All-in-One80K+ GitHub stars ![PlanetScale](https://appstackbuilder.com/planetscale.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) PlanetScale Best for MySQL-only workloads. No free tier since April 2024 — minimum $39/month (Scaler Pro). MySQLNo free tier ### PlanetScale: Free Tier Removed (April 2024) PlanetScale removed its free Hobby tier on April 8, 2024, and deprecated the Scaler plan in February 2024 in favor of resource-based Scaler Pro. The current minimum is **$39/month (Scaler Pro)** — there is no free tier. The company also had staff layoffs in 2024 as it pivoted to profitability. Technology remains excellent (Vitess, branching, non-blocking schema changes), but it's less accessible for indie hackers and early-stage startups. If you need MySQL and can afford $39+/month, PlanetScale is still a strong choice. For $0 or low cost, prefer Neon or Supabase. ## Platform Overview Each platform serves different needs. Here's a quick breakdown of what each offers. ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) ### Neon Serverless Postgres with auto-scaling and branching $0 — Free tier 100 projects, 0.5GB/project, 2 CU compute * ✓Database branching (like git for DBs) * ✓Auto-scale to zero after 5 min inactivity * ✓Instant provisioning * ✓Read replicas, built-in auth * ✓Powers Vercel Postgres * ✓Up to $100K credits for startups Best for: Serverless apps, scale-to-zero, branching, pay-per-use Postgres Best All-in-One ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) ### Supabase Open-source Firebase alternative on PostgreSQL $0 — Free tier 500MB DB, 1GB storage, 50K MAUs * ✓PostgreSQL + Auth + Storage + Realtime * ✓Edge Functions, Vector (pgvector) * ✓Row Level Security (RLS) built-in * ✓Dashboard UI for everything * ✓80,000+ GitHub stars * ✓Founded 2020, YC W20, $116M+ raised Best for: Full backend in one place: DB, auth, storage, realtime ![PlanetScale](https://appstackbuilder.com/planetscale.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) ### PlanetScale Serverless MySQL on Vitess $39/month minimum Scaler Pro — no free tier * ✓Non-blocking schema changes * ✓Horizontal sharding via Vitess * ✓Read replicas, database branching * ✓MySQL-only (not PostgreSQL) * ✓Technology from YouTube/Vitess Best for: MySQL-only workloads; teams with $39+/month budget ## Pricing Breakdown Free tiers and paid plans compared. Storage, compute, and limits vary significantly. ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) #### Neon Free tier$0 — 100 projects, 0.5GB/proj, 2 CU Starter / ProLaunch: $0.106/CU-hr, $0.35/GB Scale / TeamScale: $0.222/CU-hr, up to 56 CU Backups / PITR7-day / 30-day PITR Additional: * • Auto-suspend after 5 min (free) * • Up to 16 CU (64GB RAM) on Launch * • SOC 2, HIPAA on Scale * • 99.95% SLA on Scale ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) #### Supabase Free tier$0 — 500MB DB, 1GB storage, 50K MAUs Starter / ProPro: $25/mo — 8GB DB, 100GB Scale / TeamTeam: $599/mo — SOC2, SSO Backups / PITR7-day / 14-day backup Additional: * • Pauses after 1 week inactivity (free) * • Pro includes $10 compute credit * • Enterprise: custom * • Email / priority support on paid ![PlanetScale](https://appstackbuilder.com/planetscale.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) #### PlanetScale Free tierNone (removed Apr 2024) Starter / ProScaler Pro: $39/mo min Scale / TeamEnterprise: custom Backups / PITRPlan-dependent Additional: * • No free tier available * • Resource-based pricing * • Branching, read replicas ## Feature Comparison A detailed breakdown of what each platform offers. Feature ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Neon ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Supabase ![PlanetScale](https://appstackbuilder.com/planetscale.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) PlanetScale #### Core Free tier ✓ ✓ ✗ Database engine PostgreSQL PostgreSQL MySQL Serverless / scale to zero ✓ Pause on free ✗ Database branching ✓ ✗ ✓ Read replicas ✓ ✓ ✓ Open source Partial ✓ Vitess OSS #### Backend services Built-in Auth Basic ✓ ✗ File storage ✗ ✓ ✗ Realtime ✗ ✓ ✗ Edge Functions ✗ ✓ ✗ Vector / pgvector ✓ ✓ ✗ Row Level Security (RLS) ✓ ✓ MySQL equiv. #### Operations Point-in-time recovery (PITR) 7–30 day 7–14 day Plan-based Dashboard / UI ✓ ✓ ✓ SOC 2 / HIPAA Scale plan Team+ Enterprise High availability ✓ ✓ ✓ Instant provisioning ✓ ✓ ✓ ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) ## Deep Dive: Neon Neon is serverless Postgres from the team behind PostgreSQL development at Zenith. It offers **database branching** (create copies of your DB in seconds, like git for databases), **auto-scaling to zero** after 5 minutes of inactivity on the free tier, and usage-based pricing so you pay for compute and storage only when you use it. It powers **Vercel Postgres** under the hood, so if you're on Vercel, you may already be using Neon. Free tier: $0/month, 100 projects, 0.5GB storage per project, compute up to 2 CU (8GB RAM), auto-suspend after 5 min. Launch tier is usage-based: $0.106/CU-hour compute, $0.35/GB-month storage, up to 16 CU, 7-day PITR. Scale tier adds $0.222/CU-hour, up to 56 CU (224GB RAM), 30-day PITR, SOC 2, HIPAA, 99.95% SLA. Neon also offers up to **$100K in credits** for early-stage startups. **Best for:** Teams that want Postgres with minimal ops, scale-to-zero, branching for preview environments, and pay-per-use. Less ideal if you need built-in auth, storage, or realtime — pair Neon with other services or choose Supabase for all-in-one. ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) ## Deep Dive: Supabase Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL. Founded in 2020 (YC W20), it has raised $116M+ and has over **80,000 GitHub stars**. You get **PostgreSQL + Auth + Storage + Realtime + Edge Functions + Vector (pgvector)** in one platform, with a dashboard to manage everything and Row Level Security (RLS) built-in. Free: $0/month, 500MB database, 1GB file storage, 50K MAUs, community support; projects pause after 1 week of inactivity. Pro: $25/month (includes $10 compute credit), 8GB database, 100GB file storage, 100K MAUs, email support, 7-day backup. Team: $599/month with SOC 2, SSO, 14-day backup, priority support. Enterprise is custom. **Best for:** Teams that want a single backend for DB, auth, storage, and realtime without wiring multiple services. Ideal for MVPs and startups. If you only need a database and prefer scale-to-zero or branching, Neon can be a better fit. ![PlanetScale](https://appstackbuilder.com/planetscale.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) ## Deep Dive: PlanetScale PlanetScale is a serverless MySQL platform built on **Vitess** (technology created at YouTube). It offers non-blocking schema changes, horizontal sharding, read replicas, and database branching. The technology is excellent — but **PlanetScale removed its free Hobby tier on April 8, 2024**, deprecated the Scaler plan in February 2024, and moved to resource-based Scaler Pro with a **$39/month minimum**. There is no free tier. The company had staff layoffs in 2024 as it pivoted to profitability. For MySQL-only workloads and teams that can afford $39+/month, PlanetScale remains a strong option. For indie hackers and early-stage startups, Neon and Supabase are more accessible with generous free tiers. **Best for:** MySQL-only stacks and teams with budget for at least $39/month. Not ideal if you want PostgreSQL or a $0 option. ## Decision Guide ### Best free tier **Supabase** (most features at $0: DB, auth, storage, realtime) or **Neon** (true serverless Postgres with branching, scale-to-zero). PlanetScale has no free tier. ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) or ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Supabase or Neon ### Best all-in-one (DB + Auth + Storage + Realtime) **Supabase**. Neon is database-only; PlanetScale is MySQL-only with no auth/storage/realtime. ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Supabase ### Best for serverless / scale-to-zero **Neon**. Auto-scales to zero, pay per use, branching. Supabase free tier pauses after 1 week; PlanetScale has no scale-to-zero free option. ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Neon ### Best for MySQL **PlanetScale** is the only MySQL option of the three. Note: no free tier; minimum $39/month. ![PlanetScale](https://appstackbuilder.com/planetscale.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) PlanetScale ### Best for startups / indie hackers **Supabase** or **Neon** — both have generous free tiers. PlanetScale's removal of the free tier makes it less competitive for bootstrapped teams. ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) or ![Neon](https://appstackbuilder.com/neon.svg?dpl=dpl_CEJQKbepVziR4LuwQ9p3GDMfbwir) Supabase or Neon ## Find the Perfect Stack for Your Business Your database is one piece of the stack. Use our AI-powered generator to build a complete tech stack — hosting, auth, databases, payments, and more — tailored to your budget and team size. [Generate Your Tech Stack](https://appstackbuilder.com/?budget=100&appType=saas&teamSize=solo) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does PlanetScale still have a free tier? No. PlanetScale removed its free Hobby tier on April 8, 2024\. The minimum paid plan is Scaler Pro at $39/month. For a free database, use Neon or Supabase. ### Neon vs Supabase: which should I choose? Choose **Neon** if you want a database-only, serverless Postgres with branching and scale-to-zero. Choose **Supabase** if you want Postgres plus Auth, Storage, Realtime, and Edge Functions in one platform. Many teams use Neon for DB and other tools for auth; others prefer Supabase all-in-one. ### Is Neon the same as Vercel Postgres? Vercel Postgres is powered by Neon under the hood. If you use Vercel Postgres, you're using Neon. You can also use Neon directly for non-Vercel projects. ### Can I use Supabase as just a database without Auth/Storage? Yes. Supabase is built on PostgreSQL; you can use only the database and ignore Auth, Storage, Realtime, and Edge Functions. You'll still get the free tier limits (500MB DB, 1GB storage, 50K MAUs for auth if you use it). ### PostgreSQL vs MySQL: does it matter for Neon vs Supabase vs PlanetScale? Neon and Supabase are **PostgreSQL**; PlanetScale is **MySQL** (via Vitess). If your stack or team is committed to MySQL, PlanetScale is the only option of the three. If you're flexible, PostgreSQL (Neon or Supabase) has a rich ecosystem and features like JSONB and extensions (e.g. pgvector). ### Which is best for a solo founder or MVP? **Supabase** or **Neon**. Both have free tiers. Supabase gives you DB + Auth + Storage + Realtime in one place. Neon gives you serverless Postgres with branching and scale-to-zero. 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