Turso vs PlanetScale vs Neon (2026)
Three modern databases competing for your next project. Turso brings SQLite to the edge. PlanetScale brings MySQL with Git-like branching. Neon brings serverless Postgres. Each has a fundamentally different architecture and sweet spot.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Turso | PlanetScale | Neon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | libSQL (SQLite fork) | MySQL (Vitess) | PostgreSQL |
| Architecture | Embedded + edge replicas | Distributed MySQL | Serverless Postgres |
| Edge support | Native (embedded) | Via connection | Via serverless driver |
| Branching | ❌ | ✅ (best-in-class) | ✅ |
| Scale to zero | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Read replicas | Global (embedded) | Regional | Regional |
| Free tier | 9 GB, 500 DBs | Hobby deprecated | 0.5 GB |
| Extensions | Limited (SQLite) | MySQL ecosystem | Full Postgres |
| Best for | Edge-first, embedded | High-traffic MySQL | Serverless Postgres |
Turso: SQLite at the Edge
What Makes Turso Different
Turso is built on libSQL, a fork of SQLite. Your database can literally run inside your application — embedded in the edge runtime, on the device, or replicated globally with millisecond read latency.
Strengths
Embedded replicas. The database runs inside your application process. Reads are local memory access — microseconds, not network roundtrips. This is fundamentally faster than any network-based database.
Edge-native. Works in Cloudflare Workers, Deno Deploy, and other edge runtimes natively. No connection pooling needed, no cold start latency from database connections.
Global read replicas. Primary database in one region, read replicas in every region. Users worldwide get local read performance. Writes go to the primary and replicate.
Multi-database architecture. Create a database per user or per tenant. 500 databases on the free tier. This enables true data isolation for multi-tenant applications.
Free tier is generous. 9 GB storage, 500 databases, 25 billion row reads/month. Most side projects and small apps never pay.
Weaknesses
- SQLite limitations. No stored procedures, limited concurrent writers (single-writer), fewer data types than Postgres/MySQL. Advanced SQL features (CTEs, window functions) are supported but the ecosystem is smaller.
- Write performance. Single-writer architecture means writes are serialized. High-write workloads need careful design.
- Ecosystem. Fewer ORMs, tools, and community resources compared to Postgres or MySQL. Drizzle supports Turso well; Prisma support is limited.
- Not Postgres. No PostGIS, no pgvector (Turso has its own vector search), no Postgres extensions.
Best Use Cases
- Edge applications (Cloudflare Workers, Deno)
- Per-tenant databases (SaaS with data isolation)
- Read-heavy apps with global users
- Mobile/desktop apps with local-first sync
Pricing
| Plan | Cost | Storage | Row Reads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0 | 9 GB | 25B/mo |
| Scaler | $29/mo | 24 GB | 100B/mo |
| Pro | $79/mo | 50 GB | 250B/mo |
PlanetScale: Scalable MySQL
What Makes PlanetScale Different
PlanetScale runs on Vitess — the same MySQL scaling technology that powers YouTube. It brings Git-like branching to MySQL databases with zero-downtime schema changes.
Strengths
Branching is best-in-class. Create database branches, make schema changes, open a "deploy request" (like a PR), review the schema diff, and merge with zero downtime. This workflow is unmatched.
Schema changes without downtime. PlanetScale handles online DDL — add columns, modify indexes, change schemas on multi-terabyte databases without locking tables or dropping connections.
Horizontal scaling. Built on Vitess, PlanetScale shards automatically. It handles traffic that would crush a single-node database.
MySQL compatibility. If your app uses MySQL, PlanetScale works with minimal changes. Laravel, Rails, Django — all work out of the box.
Insights. AI-powered query analysis shows slow queries, missing indexes, and optimization opportunities.
Weaknesses
- No free tier (anymore). PlanetScale deprecated the Hobby plan. The cheapest plan is $39/mo (Scaler). This pushed many developers to alternatives.
- No foreign keys (by default). Vitess doesn't support traditional foreign key constraints. You enforce referential integrity at the application level. This is a dealbreaker for some.
- MySQL, not Postgres. The industry trend is toward Postgres. If you want pgvector, PostGIS, or the Postgres extension ecosystem, PlanetScale isn't an option.
- No scale to zero. You pay for always-on compute. No cost savings during idle periods.
- No edge/serverless driver. Connecting from edge runtimes requires their serverless driver, which adds some latency.
Best Use Cases
- High-traffic MySQL applications
- Teams needing zero-downtime schema changes
- Laravel/Rails/Django applications
- Applications requiring horizontal sharding
Pricing
| Plan | Cost | Storage | Row Reads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scaler | $39/mo | 10 GB | 1B/mo |
| Scaler Pro | $99/mo | 25 GB | 2.5B/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Neon: Serverless Postgres
What Makes Neon Different
Neon separates compute and storage, enabling scale-to-zero (no cost when idle) and instant branching. It's full Postgres with serverless economics.
Strengths
Full Postgres. Every extension, every tool, every ORM. pgvector for AI, PostGIS for geospatial, pg_trgm for full-text search. The full Postgres ecosystem.
Scale to zero. Database shuts down when idle. Side projects and development databases cost $0. Wake-up time: 500ms-2s.
Branching. Instant database copies using copy-on-write storage. Branch per PR, branch for testing migrations, branch for debugging.
Vercel integration. One-click integration gives each Vercel preview deployment its own database branch.
Serverless driver. Works from edge runtimes (Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Edge) via HTTP. No persistent connections needed.
Weaknesses
- Cold start latency. Scale-to-zero means wake-up delay (500ms-2s) on first request after idle.
- Small free tier. 0.5 GB storage vs Turso's 9 GB. You'll upgrade sooner.
- Write latency. Separated compute and storage adds slight write latency vs co-located Postgres.
- No embedded mode. Neon is a network database — no local/embedded option like Turso.
Best Use Cases
- Next.js/Vercel applications
- Serverless applications needing Postgres
- AI applications (pgvector)
- Side projects (scale-to-zero)
- Teams wanting database branching
Pricing
| Plan | Cost | Storage | Compute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 0.5 GB | 191 hrs/mo |
| Launch | $19/mo | 10 GB | 300 hrs/mo |
| Scale | $69/mo | 50 GB | 750 hrs/mo |
Decision Matrix
| If You Need... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Edge-native performance | Turso |
| Full Postgres ecosystem | Neon |
| MySQL with branching | PlanetScale |
| Best free tier | Turso (9 GB) |
| AI/embeddings (pgvector) | Neon |
| Zero-downtime schema changes | PlanetScale |
| Scale to zero | Turso or Neon |
| Per-tenant databases | Turso |
| Vercel integration | Neon |
| Cloudflare Workers | Turso (or Cloudflare D1) |
| Cheapest for low traffic | Turso ($0) or Neon ($0) |
| Cheapest for high traffic | PlanetScale (if MySQL) |
FAQ
Which is best for a new project in 2026?
Neon for most projects. Postgres is the industry standard with the largest ecosystem. Neon's serverless model keeps costs low. Choose Turso only if edge performance is critical. Choose PlanetScale only if you need MySQL.
Can I migrate between them?
Turso ↔ PlanetScale: Different SQL dialects (SQLite vs MySQL). Significant migration effort. Neon ↔ PlanetScale: Postgres vs MySQL. Moderate migration effort. Neon ↔ Supabase: Both Postgres. Straightforward migration.
What about Supabase?
Supabase is Postgres + auth + storage + edge functions. Neon is Postgres only. Choose Supabase for a full platform. Choose Neon for the best serverless Postgres experience.
What about Cloudflare D1?
D1 is Cloudflare's SQLite database. Similar to Turso but locked to Cloudflare's ecosystem. Choose D1 if you're all-in on Cloudflare. Choose Turso for multi-platform edge support.
Bottom Line
Turso for edge-first applications where read latency matters most. The embedded replica model is architecturally unique and genuinely faster.
PlanetScale for MySQL shops needing horizontal scaling and zero-downtime schema changes. The best MySQL experience available — if you can afford the $39/mo minimum.
Neon for everything else. Full Postgres, serverless pricing, database branching. The safest choice for new projects in 2026.