Cloudflare vs PlanetScale: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Cloudflare positions itself as "cdn, ddos protection, and edge computing platform" 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 — Cloudflare uses a freemium approach and PlanetScale a subscription-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Cloudflare 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. Cloudflare (founded 2009) 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
| Cloudflare | PlanetScale | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 91/100 | 73/100 |
| Starting price | Free | $39/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Best for | CDN, DDoS protection, and edge computing platform | Serverless MySQL platform with branching |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Cloudflare | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| CDN | Yes | No |
| DDoS protection | Yes | No |
| DNS | Yes | No |
| SSL/TLS | Yes | No |
| WAF | Pro+ | 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 | Cloudflare | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Workers (edge functions) | Yes | No |
| R2 (object storage) | Yes | No |
| D1 (SQL at edge) | Yes | No |
| Pages (static hosting) | Yes | No |
| Zero Trust (ZTNA) | 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 | Cloudflare | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | No |
| GCP | Yes | No |
| Azure | Yes | No |
| GitHub | Yes | No |
| Terraform | Yes | No |
| Pulumi | 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 Cloudflare means going without MySQL compatible, Database branching, Non-blocking schema changes (which PlanetScale offers). Choosing PlanetScale means losing CDN, DDoS protection, DNS. 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. Cloudflare (3,000+ employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.
Choose Cloudflare 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 Cloudflare or PlanetScale better?
Cloudflare scores 91/100 compared to PlanetScale's 73/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Cloudflare excels at ease of use (8/10) while PlanetScale scores 7/10.
How much does Cloudflare cost compared to PlanetScale?
Cloudflare starts at free (free tier available). PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. Cloudflare is the more affordable option.
Does Cloudflare or PlanetScale have a free plan?
Cloudflare offers a free tier. PlanetScale does not — its cheapest plan starts at $39/mo.
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