Which is cheaper, CockroachDB or PlanetScale?

Pricing varies by tier and usage. Check both tools for current rates.

Does CockroachDB have a free tier?

Yes, CockroachDB offers a free tier with .

CockroachDB has moderate switching cost. PlanetScale has moderate switching cost. Both have similar switching complexity.

Database

CockroachDB

Distributed SQL database built for cloud-native applications with PostgreSQL compatibility and multi-region support

Switching Cost: moderate

PlanetScale

Managed MySQL-compatible and Postgres database platform with horizontal sharding via Vitess

Switching Cost: moderate

For experimentation and testing, CockroachDB wins with its free tier option — something PlanetScale doesn't offer.

You'll notice different pricing structures: usage-based for CockroachDB versus flat-rate for PlanetScale.

For early-stage teams or experimental projects, CockroachDB's free tier provides valuable runway without commitment.

For early-stage teams or experimental projects, CockroachDB's free tier provides valuable runway without commitment.

Free Tier

CockroachDB

Has a free tier option

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies