Clerk vs PlanetScale: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Clerk positions itself as "authentication built for modern react and next.js apps" 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 — Clerk uses a freemium approach and PlanetScale a subscription-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Clerk 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.
At a glance
| Clerk | PlanetScale | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 85/100 | 73/100 |
| Starting price | Free | $39/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Best for | Authentication built for modern React and Next.js apps | Serverless MySQL platform with branching |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Clerk | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-built UI components | Yes | No |
| OAuth / OIDC | Yes | No |
| Social login | Yes | No |
| MFA | Yes | No |
| Passkeys | 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 | Clerk | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Organizations | Yes | No |
| Roles & permissions | Pro+ | No |
| SAML SSO | Enterprise | No |
| SCIM | Enterprise | No |
| Session management | 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 | Clerk | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Next.js | Yes | No |
| React | Yes | No |
| Remix | Yes | No |
| Astro | Yes | No |
| Supabase | Yes | No |
| Convex | 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 Clerk means going without MySQL compatible, Database branching, Non-blocking schema changes (which PlanetScale offers). Choosing PlanetScale means losing Pre-built UI components, OAuth / OIDC, Social login. These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.
Choose Clerk if...
- You want a free tier to get started
- You value an intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Getting strong value for money is a priority
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 Clerk or PlanetScale better?
Clerk scores 85/100 compared to PlanetScale's 73/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Clerk excels at ease of use (10/10) while PlanetScale scores 7/10.
How much does Clerk cost compared to PlanetScale?
Clerk starts at free (free tier available). PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. Clerk is the more affordable option.
Does Clerk or PlanetScale have a free plan?
Clerk offers a free tier. PlanetScale does not — its cheapest plan starts at $39/mo.
Related comparisons
See how Clerk and PlanetScale compare to other developer tools tools.
Clerkvs
DatadogClerkvs
New RelicClerkvs
TwilioClerkvs
GitLab
CircleCIvsClerkClerkvs
Terraform / HCP TerraformClerkvs
PulumiClerkvs
Contentful