Recently, Planetscale reentered the small business and hobbyist market with a new $5 a month plan after eliminating their free tier last year. The company's CEO claimed this shift wasn't due to financial troubles but a decision to avoid getting caught in the competitive trap their Postgres rivals have fallen into. I currently use Neon for my small projects because it allows for scaling down to zero, which is ideal for my unutilized experimentation. However, I'm considering Planetscale for future serious projects, especially for better availability. I'm curious about what backend others are using for their small projects, and do you think $5 is an attractive price point to make the switch?
4 Answers
If it’s just for you, why does it need to be online? Setting up Docker Postgres locally is super easy, only takes a couple of commands!
I don’t get why people wouldn’t just use SQLite or a local database for testing. It feels unnecessary to make a trip around the globe for simple data access.
I hadn’t heard of Planetscale until now. Is it possible to use their smaller plans to practice building scalable infrastructure both horizontally and vertically? I'm looking to break into infrastructure but need affordable ways to practice without overspending.
That sounds intriguing! It could definitely help you practice skills that are used in big projects. I'm still a novice, so I can't weigh in too much.
Honestly, I'm not sure why I would pay $5 for a single database node when I could get an entire VPS for the same price. If you're looking to spend anything on hobby projects, a VPS seems like a much better option.
But some people do pay extra for convenience, just like spending $10 on a burrito instead of buying the ingredients. It's all about what you value.
Yeah, but managing a VPS means I still have to handle the database myself. These services provide management, which can save you time.
Absolutely! Planetscale is highly regarded for its performance and scalability. Their resources can really help you understand database management on a larger scale. I’ve been following them for a while, waiting for affordable options to dive into.