CircleCI vs PlanetScale: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
CircleCI positions itself as "ci/cd platform for fast, flexible pipelines" while PlanetScale goes after "serverless mysql platform with branching" — so the right pick depends on which problem you're actually solving. They take different commercial approaches — CircleCI uses a freemium approach and PlanetScale a subscription-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. CircleCI lets you start for free, which means you can validate the fit before committing budget. PlanetScale requires a paid commitment upfront, so make sure it matches your workflow before signing. CircleCI (founded 2011) has had more time to build out its ecosystem and integrations, while PlanetScale (2018) tends to move faster on modern UX and newer workflows.
At a glance
| CircleCI | PlanetScale | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 74/100 | 73/100 |
| Starting price | $15/mo | $39/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Best for | CI/CD platform for fast, flexible pipelines | Serverless MySQL platform with branching |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | CircleCI | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Docker support | Yes | No |
| Pipeline configuration (YAML) | Yes | No |
| Parallelism | Yes | No |
| Caching | Yes | No |
| Test splitting | Yes | No |
| MySQL compatible | No | Yes |
| Database branching | No | Yes |
| Non-blocking schema changes | No | Yes |
| Connection pooling | No | Yes |
| Auto-scaling | No | Yes |
advanced
| Feature | CircleCI | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Orbs (reusable config) | Yes | No |
| Resource classes | Yes | No |
| Self-hosted runners | Scale | No |
| Insights dashboard | Yes | No |
| SSH debugging | Yes | No |
| Vitess-powered sharding | No | Yes |
| Rewind (time travel) | No | Yes |
| Query analytics | No | Yes |
| Read replicas | No | Enterprise |
| Private networking | No | Enterprise |
integrations
| Feature | CircleCI | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub | Yes | No |
| GitLab | Yes | No |
| Bitbucket | Yes | No |
| AWS | Yes | No |
| GCP | Yes | No |
| Slack | Yes | No |
| Prisma | No | Yes |
| Drizzle | No | Yes |
| Laravel | No | Yes |
| Rails | No | Yes |
| Vercel | No | Yes |
| Railway | No | Yes |
Ratings breakdown
What the data tells us
Key capabilities you'd miss
Choosing CircleCI means going without MySQL compatible, Database branching, Non-blocking schema changes (which PlanetScale offers). Choosing PlanetScale means losing Docker support, Pipeline configuration (YAML), Parallelism. These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.
What company size tells you
PlanetScale (51-200 employees) has the engineering bench to ship features across many fronts but may iterate slower on individual requests. CircleCI (501-1,000 employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.
Choose CircleCI if...
- You want a free tier to get started
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- You need enterprise-grade capabilities
Choose PlanetScale if...
- You're ready to invest from $39/mo
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- You need enterprise-grade capabilities
Frequently asked questions
Is CircleCI or PlanetScale better?
CircleCI scores 74/100 compared to PlanetScale's 73/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — CircleCI excels at ease of use (7/10) while PlanetScale scores 7/10.
How much does CircleCI cost compared to PlanetScale?
CircleCI starts at $15/mo (free tier available). PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. CircleCI is the more affordable option.
Does CircleCI or PlanetScale have a free plan?
CircleCI offers a free tier. PlanetScale does not — its cheapest plan starts at $39/mo.
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