Cloudflare D1 vs PlanetScale
A comparison of Cloudflare D1, the SQLite-based database built for Cloudflare's edge network, and PlanetScale, the managed database platform that pivoted from MySQL/Vitess to also offering Postgres, covering scale, edge-readiness, and free tier availability.
Quick Answer
Cloudflare D1 is a SQLite-based database purpose-built to run at Cloudflare's edge alongside Workers, ideal for lightweight, globally distributed applications; PlanetScale is a managed database platform (originally MySQL/Vitess, now also offering Postgres) built for reliability and scale at companies like Cursor and Intercom, but removed its free tier in April 2024 and remains a paid-only, traditionally-hosted (non-edge) service.
Reviewed by TechLogHub Engineering Team. Last updated October 13, 2026. Updated to reflect PlanetScale's continued lack of a free tier since its April 2024 removal, its September 2025 Postgres general availability, and Cloudflare D1's continued maturation as an edge-native SQLite database.
| Feature | Cloudflare D1 | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying Engine | SQLite | MySQL (Vitess-based) and Postgres (GA Sept 2025) |
| Deployment Model | Edge-native, runs alongside Cloudflare Workers | Traditional managed, always-on, not edge-distributed |
| Free Tier Availability | Yes, generous free tier (~5GB) | None since April 2024 |
| Write Concurrency Model | SQLite-based, single-writer constraints | Full concurrent write support (MySQL/Postgres) |
| Ecosystem Tie-In | Cloudflare Workers, KV, R2, Durable Objects | None — platform-agnostic managed database |
| Primary Use Case | Edge-native, globally distributed lightweight applications | Production applications needing proven scale and reliability |
Pricing at a glance
Entry prices and free tiers as listed on TechLogHub for PlanetScale; the other tool is not listed in the directory yet.
| Tool | Free tier | Starts at | Billing | Plans listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlanetScale pricing | No | $5 | monthly | PlanetScale Postgres starts at $5 per month, fully managed PostgreSQL clusters with automatic failover across three availability zones. Available on AWS and GCP. · PlanetScale Metal starts at $50 per month for NVMe‑backed performance with unlimited IOPS, offering the fastest Postgres in the cloud with high availability and automated backups. |
Prices as written by the maker on their listing; medians and context on each tool's pricing page. See the 2026 pricing report for the directory-wide picture.
Cloudflare D1
A SQLite-based database built specifically to run alongside Cloudflare Workers at the edge, distributing lightweight database instances geographically close to users for low-latency access as part of Cloudflare's broader edge computing platform.
Pros
- Purpose-built for edge computing — runs alongside Cloudflare Workers with minimal latency for globally distributed applications
- Generous free tier (around 5GB storage) makes it accessible for prototyping and smaller production applications without cost
- SQLite's simplicity and zero-configuration nature translate naturally to D1's lightweight, edge-native design
- Deep integration with the rest of Cloudflare's platform (Workers, KV, R2, Durable Objects) for building fully edge-native architectures
- Well suited to applications where global low-latency read access matters more than heavy write concurrency
Cons
- Built on SQLite's underlying model, meaning the same write-concurrency constraints (single-writer locking) that apply to SQLite generally also apply to D1
- Tied specifically to the Cloudflare ecosystem — using D1 outside a Cloudflare Workers-based architecture isn't the intended use case
- Smaller feature set than a full managed relational database platform like PlanetScale, given its more specialized, edge-focused scope
- Newer product with a shorter production track record than PlanetScale's more established managed database service
Best For
Applications built on Cloudflare Workers wanting an edge-native database with low-latency global read access, particularly lightweight applications and prototypes benefiting from D1's generous free tier.
PlanetScale
A managed database platform, originally built on Vitess-powered MySQL and now also offering Postgres (GA since September 2025), known for battle-tested reliability and scale, powering companies like Cursor, Intercom, and Block, but with no free tier since April 2024.
PlanetScaleon TechLogHub: reviews, pricing & alternativesPros
- Battle-tested reliability and scale, powering demanding production workloads at companies like Cursor, Intercom, and Block
- Now offers both MySQL (via its original Vitess-based architecture) and Postgres (GA since September 2025), giving teams flexibility in database choice
- Strong branching and schema-change workflow tooling, refined over years of managing MySQL at scale
- Traditional, always-on managed database architecture that's well understood and predictable for typical application workloads
- Vitess itself, decoupled from PlanetScale, is now a CNCF graduated project with broad independent adoption beyond PlanetScale specifically
Cons
- No free tier since April 2024 — its removal was widely cited as one of the most impactful free-tier removals in developer tooling history, breaking many hobby projects built on the assumption of free access
- Not an edge-native database — it's a traditional, centrally-hosted managed database, unlike D1's edge-distributed model
- Entry-level paid plans (e.g., PS-10 at $39/month) provide relatively modest resources (1/8 vCPU, 1GiB RAM) for the price compared to some serverless Postgres alternatives
- Migrating from its MySQL/Vitess-based history to its newer Postgres offering, or vice versa, involves real architectural decisions rather than a simple toggle
Best For
Production applications needing proven reliability and scale from a traditional, centrally-hosted managed database, teams with existing MySQL/Vitess investment, or those specifically wanting PlanetScale's newer managed Postgres offering.
Fundamentally Different Deployment Philosophies
These two databases aren't really solving the same problem: D1 is purpose-built for Cloudflare's edge computing model, distributing lightweight SQLite database instances geographically close to users to minimize latency for globally distributed applications. PlanetScale is a traditional, centrally-hosted managed database platform, optimized for the reliability and scale that comes from a more conventional, single-region-primary (with read replicas) architecture. Choosing between them is really a choice between architectural philosophies, not just feature comparison.
PlanetScale's Free Tier Removal Remains a Cautionary Tale
PlanetScale removed its free Hobby plan in April 2024, a decision widely cited in developer tooling circles as one of the most impactful free-tier removals in recent memory, since its free tier had been widely recommended in tutorials, courses, and starter templates, and its removal broke many existing hobby projects overnight. This is worth factoring into any long-term platform decision — not as a reason to avoid PlanetScale for production use where you're paying anyway, but as a reminder that free tiers can disappear even from well-funded, popular platforms, which is a relevant consideration when comparing it against D1's currently generous free offering.
PlanetScale's Postgres Pivot
PlanetScale's original identity was built entirely around Vitess-powered, horizontally-scalable MySQL, but the company added Postgres support, reaching general availability in September 2025. This reflects the broader industry-wide shift toward Postgres as the default relational database choice (which shows up repeatedly across comparisons in this space), and gives PlanetScale customers more flexibility, though teams should note that the MySQL and Postgres offerings aren't simply interchangeable — they represent genuinely different underlying architectures with their own tooling and migration considerations.
Write Concurrency: The Practical Deciding Factor for Many Teams
D1's SQLite foundation means it inherits SQLite's fundamental single-writer locking constraint, which is a reasonable trade-off for its target use case (globally distributed, read-heavy edge applications) but a genuine limitation for applications with many simultaneous writers. PlanetScale's MySQL/Postgres foundation offers full concurrent write support suited to typical high-traffic application backends. For applications with significant concurrent write volume, this is often the most practically decisive factor in choosing between the two, more than edge-latency considerations.
Verdict
Choose Cloudflare D1 if you're building on Cloudflare Workers and want an edge-native database with globally distributed low-latency reads, particularly for lightweight applications or prototypes benefiting from its generous free tier. Choose PlanetScale for production applications needing proven reliability and scale from a traditional, centrally-hosted managed database — either MySQL (its original strength) or its newer Postgres offering — but budget accordingly since there's no free tier to prototype on, unlike D1.