Which is cheaper, MotherDuck or PlanetScale?

PlanetScale is 50.0x cheaper than MotherDuck. MotherDuck starts at $0/mo, PlanetScale starts at $5/mo.

Does MotherDuck have a free tier?

Yes, MotherDuck offers a free tier with activeUsers: 3, serviceAccounts: 2.

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

Database

MotherDuck

Serverless analytics platform built on DuckDB with hybrid local/cloud execution

Switching Cost: moderate

PlanetScale

← More affordable

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

Switching Cost: moderate

The pricing gap between PlanetScale and MotherDuck runs about 50.0x — significant consideration for scaling.

Startups take note: MotherDuck provides a free tier, while PlanetScale requires payment from day one.

Cost modeling varies: usage-based drives MotherDuck pricing, while PlanetScale uses flat-rate.

If budget is your primary constraint, PlanetScale is the clear winner with its more wallet-friendly pricing structure.

If budget is your primary constraint, PlanetScale is the clear winner with its more wallet-friendly pricing structure.

Price Difference

50.0x

PlanetScale is cheaper by $245/mo

Free Tier

MotherDuck

Has a free tier option

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies