PlanetScale vs Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun)
A detailed comparison to help you choose between PlanetScale and Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun).
Quick Verdict
4.4/5
PlanetScale
357 reviews
4.0/5
Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun)
400 reviews
PlanetScale is rated higher (4.4 vs 4.0). PlanetScale is serverless MySQL-compatible database with git-like branching, non-blocking schema changes, and auto-scaling. Used by companies serving billions of queries. Alibaba Cloud is the dominant cloud in China and largest cloud in Asia-Pacific. Essential for any application targeting Chinese users. Compliant with Chinese regulations.
PlanetScale Serverless MySQL with database branching | Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) Asia-Pacific and China cloud by Alibaba | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.4 (357 reviews)✓ | 4.0 (400 reviews) |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | Teams running MySQL at scale who need schema migrations without downtime | Businesses needing cloud infrastructure in mainland China or the Asia-Pacific region |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | 0 vCPU | — |
| RAM | 0 GB | — |
| Storage | 0 GB | — |
| Bandwidth | 0 TB/mo | — |
| SLA uptime | 99.99% | — |
| Data-center count | 6 | — |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | United StatesEuropean Union | — |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tiermanaged optionbackups includedeu datacenterus datacenterapi access | free tierhourly billinggpu availableeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi access |
| Visit PlanetScale → | Visit Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) → | |
PlanetScale
Pros
- + Non-blocking schema changes — no downtime migrations
- + Database branching like git
- + Auto-scales to handle traffic spikes
Cons
- - No foreign keys (Vitess architecture limitation)
- - Read replicas only on higher plans
Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun)
Pros
- + Only viable cloud for China market
- + Largest APAC cloud
- + $450 free credits for new accounts
Cons
- - Requires Chinese registration for China regions
- - Complex compliance for non-Chinese companies
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new AI tools, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.