New Relic vs PlanetScale: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
New Relic positions itself as "all-in-one observability with generous free tier" 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 — New Relic uses a usage-based-based model and PlanetScale a subscription-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. New Relic 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. New Relic (founded 2008) 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
| New Relic | PlanetScale | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 80/100 | 73/100 |
| Starting price | Free | $39/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Best for | All-in-one observability with generous free tier | Serverless MySQL platform with branching |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | New Relic | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure monitoring | Yes | No |
| APM/tracing | Yes | No |
| Log management | Yes | No |
| Synthetic monitoring | Yes | No |
| Dashboards | 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 | New Relic | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Browser monitoring | Yes | No |
| Mobile monitoring | Yes | No |
| Errors inbox | Yes | No |
| CodeStream | Yes | No |
| Vulnerability 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 | New Relic | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | No |
| GCP | Yes | No |
| Azure | Yes | No |
| Kubernetes | Yes | No |
| OpenTelemetry | Yes | No |
| PagerDuty | 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 New Relic means going without MySQL compatible, Database branching, Non-blocking schema changes (which PlanetScale offers). Choosing PlanetScale means losing Infrastructure monitoring, APM/tracing, Log management. 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. New Relic (1,000+ employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.
Choose New Relic 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 New Relic or PlanetScale better?
New Relic scores 80/100 compared to PlanetScale's 73/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — New Relic excels at ease of use (8/10) while PlanetScale scores 7/10.
How much does New Relic cost compared to PlanetScale?
New Relic starts at free (free tier available). PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. New Relic is the more affordable option.
Does New Relic or PlanetScale have a free plan?
New Relic offers a free tier. PlanetScale does not — its cheapest plan starts at $39/mo.
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