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Firebase vs PlanetScale
Side-by-side comparison of Firebase and PlanetScale.
Quick summary
Firebase — Google's app development platform. Firebase is Google's mobile and web app development platform offering realtime database, authentication, hosting, and serverless functions.
PlanetScale — The MySQL-compatible serverless database. PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible serverless database built on Vitess with branching and non-blocking schema changes.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Firebase | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | Pay as you go | $39/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Open source | No | No |
| Auth | Yes | — |
| Storage | Yes | — |
| Database | Firestore (NoSQL) | — |
| Realtime | Yes | — |
| Free Tier | Spark plan (generous) | Discontinued |
| Self-hosted | No | — |
| Edge Functions | Yes | — |
| Row Level Security | No | — |
| Engine | — | MySQL (Vitess) |
| Branching | — | Yes |
| Serverless | — | Yes |
| Scale-to-zero | — | No |
| Point-in-time Recovery | — | Yes |
Firebase
Google's app development platform
Pros
- Battle-tested at massive scale
- Excellent mobile SDKs
- Deep Google Cloud integration
Cons
- Vendor lock-in with Firestore
- Costs can surprise you at scale
- NoSQL-only data model
PlanetScale
The MySQL-compatible serverless database
Pros
- Horizontal scaling via Vitess
- Schema branching workflow
- Non-blocking migrations
Cons
- No free tier
- No foreign key constraints by default
- MySQL only
Which should you choose?
Choose Firebase if a free tier is important for your stage. Choose PlanetScale if you need production-grade features and are ready to pay.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Firebase or PlanetScale?
There is no universal “better.” For most teams, Firebase is the safer default because Firebase offers a free tier (paid plans from Pay as you go), while PlanetScale requires a paid plan. For edge cases, the comparison table above highlights where each tool wins.
Is Firebase cheaper than PlanetScale?
Firebase starts at Pay as you go, while PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.
Can I migrate from Firebase to PlanetScale?
Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Firebase-specific features (APIs, SDK conventions, data schemas) are baked into your app. Most backend as a service migrations take days to weeks. Both vendors typically publish migration guides — check their docs.
Is Firebase or PlanetScale open source?
No — both Firebase and PlanetScale are proprietary managed services. If open source is a requirement, see our alternatives pages.
Does Firebase or PlanetScale have a free tier?
Firebase has a free tier; PlanetScale does not.
Which is best for startups and indie hackers?
Startups usually optimize for the lowest friction to ship and the cheapest possible free tier. The one with the most generous free tier here is Firebase. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.