CockroachDB vs PlanetScale

The cockroach of databases: hard to kill, spreads everywhere, and surprisingly good at SQL meets serverless mysql with branching. Here's our take.

CockroachDB

The cockroach of databases: hard to kill, spreads everywhere, and surprisingly good at SQL.

Pros

• Strong consistency across distributed nodes without manual sharding
• PostgreSQL wire protocol compatibility for easy migration
• Automatic data replication and rebalancing for high availability

Cons

• Higher latency compared to single-node databases due to distributed overhead
• Complex licensing and pricing can be a headache for scaling

PlanetScale

Nice Pick

Serverless MySQL with branching. DevOps for databases.

Pros

• Database branching
• Serverless
• No downtime deploys

Cons

• MySQL only
• No foreign keys
• Free tier removed

The Verdict

Use PlanetScale if: You want database branching and can live with mysql only.

Use CockroachDB if: You prioritize strong consistency across distributed nodes without manual sharding over what PlanetScale offers.

The Bottom Line

PlanetScale wins

Serverless MySQL with branching. DevOps for databases.

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