Fastly vs PlanetScale: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Fastly positions itself as "real-time cdn and edge computing for high-performance 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 — Fastly uses a usage-based-based model and PlanetScale a subscription-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Fastly (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
| Fastly | PlanetScale | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 76/100 | 73/100 |
| Starting price | $50/mo | $39/mo |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Best for | Real-time CDN and edge computing for high-performance apps | Serverless MySQL platform with branching |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Fastly | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| CDN | Yes | No |
| DDoS protection | Yes | No |
| Instant cache purge | Yes | No |
| WAF | Yes | No |
| Real-time analytics | 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 | Fastly | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Compute@Edge (Wasm) | Yes | No |
| Image optimization | Yes | No |
| Origin shielding | Yes | No |
| Custom VCL | Yes | No |
| Bot 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 | Fastly | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | No |
| GCP | Yes | No |
| Terraform | Yes | No |
| Fastly CLI | Yes | No |
| GitHub Actions | 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 Fastly means going without MySQL compatible, Database branching, Non-blocking schema changes (which PlanetScale offers). Choosing PlanetScale means losing CDN, DDoS protection, Instant cache purge. 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. Fastly (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 Fastly if...
- You're ready to invest from $50/mo
- 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 Fastly or PlanetScale better?
Fastly scores 76/100 compared to PlanetScale's 73/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Fastly excels at ease of use (6/10) while PlanetScale scores 7/10.
How much does Fastly cost compared to PlanetScale?
Fastly starts at $50/mo. PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. PlanetScale is the more affordable option.
Does Fastly or PlanetScale have a free plan?
Neither Fastly nor PlanetScale offers a free tier. Fastly starts at $50/mo and PlanetScale at $39/mo.
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