Alternatives / PlanetScale
Looking for an open source PlanetScale alternative? We compared 8 open source databases and backend platforms by license, scaling, branching, and maintenance. Supabase and Neon are Postgres-based, TiDB is MySQL-compatible, and SlateDB is an embedded library rather than a database service.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Postgres backend with auth, APIs, and realtime | Apache-2.0 |
| TiDB | MySQL-compatible distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 |
| Neon | Serverless Postgres with branching | Apache-2.0 core |
| Turso | SQLite-compatible multi-tenant databases | MIT |
| Instant | Real-time offline-capable apps | Apache-2.0 |
| OceanBase | Distributed MySQL/Oracle-compatible database | Apache-2.0 |
| SlateDB | Embedded storage engine (a library) | Apache-2.0 |
| CrateDB | SQL for time-series and IoT data | Apache-2.0 |
We looked for open-source databases that scale and branch like PlanetScale. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository, and flag the entries that are libraries or backend platforms rather than SQL databases. See our methodology for the full criteria.
TiDB is a distributed SQL database that is MySQL compatible with horizontal scaling and high availability. Neon is serverless Postgres with instant branching, and Supabase is a Postgres backend with auth, auto-generated APIs, realtime, storage, and edge functions.
Turso is a SQLite-compatible database for multi-tenant apps with unlimited databases and offline SDKs. Instant is a database for real-time, offline-capable apps aimed at frontend-heavy teams.
OceanBase is a distributed relational database with MySQL and Oracle compatibility. CrateDB is a distributed SQL database for fast ingestion and time-series data. SlateDB is an embedded storage engine on object storage, a library rather than a hosted database.
Neon's open-source core is Apache-2.0, but running the full service yourself is complex. Supabase is broader than a database, and TiDB and OceanBase are heavy to operate. Managed offerings for most are paid.
Supabase, TiDB, Neon, Instant, OceanBase, CrateDB, and SlateDB are Apache-2.0. Turso is MIT.
All had commits within days or weeks of this update. Neon's last commit was in August 2026 and Instant's in September 2026.
PlanetScale is a proprietary managed database platform built on Vitess and Postgres, and it removed its free plan in 2024, so costs start with the paid tier. Open-source databases can run on your own infrastructure, avoid vendor lock-in, and use standard protocols, at the cost of operating them.
Supabase is an open-source backend platform built on Postgres, with authentication, auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs, realtime subscriptions, file storage, edge functions, and vector search, and a dashboard for managing it all. It is Apache-2.0 and can be self-hosted with Docker, with the hosted Supabase platform offered as a paid service.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; hosted plans have a free tier and paid plans.
TiDB is a distributed SQL database combining OLTP and OLAP with horizontal scalability, high availability, strong consistency, MySQL compatibility, and a cloud-native architecture, for large-scale e-commerce, financial services, and IoT data.
Pricing: Free open source; managed TiDB Cloud is paid.
Turso is an in-process SQL database written in Rust and compatible with SQLite, with a Postgres frontend now available as an experimental feature. It targets embedded, on-device, and multi-tenant use, with bindings for Rust, JavaScript, Python, Java, and .NET, and a managed Turso Cloud. It is a database only: it does not include authentication, storage, or functions.
Pricing: Free and open source; Turso Cloud plans are paid.
Neon is an Apache-2.0-core PostgreSQL system separating compute from storage with autoscaling, scale-to-zero, database branching, extensions, and object-backed storage.
Pricing: Open-source core; managed hosted infrastructure and services may be paid.
Instant is an Apache-2.0 realtime backend with a reactive database, authentication, permissions, file storage, presence, streams, offline caching, optimistic updates, and relational queries.
Pricing: Free and self-hostable under Apache-2.0; hosted services may be paid.
OceanBase is a distributed relational database supporting OLTP, OLAP, and hybrid workloads with Multi-Paxos consensus, petabyte scalability, MySQL and Oracle protocol compatibility, real-time analytics, and multi-tenancy.
Pricing: Free open source; commercial editions and cloud are paid.
CrateDB is a distributed SQL database for high-speed ingestion and complex queries on large datasets, with horizontal scalability, time-series optimization, Lucene-based full-text search, and geospatial support, suited to IoT and log analytics.
Pricing: Free open source; managed cloud and enterprise support are paid.
Apache-2.0 embedded LSM-tree storage engine that uses an object store such as Amazon S3 as its durable storage layer. It enables database-style systems without managing local persistent disks, but is not an S3 server or S3 replacement.
Pricing: Open-source embedded library; an underlying object store is required.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Backend platform | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Full backend |
| TiDB | Distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Horizontal scaling |
| Neon | Postgres | Apache-2.0 (core) | Complex | Branching workflows |
| Turso | SQLite database | MIT | Yes | Per-tenant databases |
| Instant | Backend platform | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Frontend-heavy apps |
| OceanBase | Distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Large OLTP and OLAP |
| SlateDB | Storage engine | Apache-2.0 | Embedded | Building databases |
| CrateDB | Distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Machine data |
Want a MySQL-compatible scalable database
TiDB is MySQL compatible, horizontally scalable, and highly available.
Want Postgres with branching
Neon separates storage and compute and offers instant branching for dev and CI.
Want a complete Postgres backend
Supabase adds auth, APIs, realtime, storage, and edge functions to Postgres.
Want a database per tenant
Turso offers SQLite-compatible databases with unlimited databases and offline SDKs.