Onfido vs PlanetScale: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Onfido positions itself as "real identity at global scale" 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 — Onfido uses a enterprise-based model and PlanetScale a subscription-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Onfido (founded 2012) 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
| Onfido | PlanetScale | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 79/100 | 73/100 |
| Starting price | Free | $39/mo |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Best for | Real identity at global scale | Serverless MySQL platform with branching |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Onfido | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| ID document verification | Yes | No |
| Biometric verification | Yes | No |
| Liveness detection | Yes | No |
| 160+ countries | Yes | No |
| KYC workflows | 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 | Onfido | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas AI | Yes | No |
| AML screening | Yes | No |
| Fraud signals | Yes | No |
| Studio (no-code) | Yes | No |
| Real Identity Platform | 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 | Onfido | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Yes | No |
| Zendesk | Yes | No |
| Plaid | Yes | No |
| Stripe Identity | Yes | No |
| REST API | 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 Onfido means going without MySQL compatible, Database branching, Non-blocking schema changes (which PlanetScale offers). Choosing PlanetScale means losing ID document verification, Biometric verification, Liveness detection. 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. Onfido (501-1000 employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.
Choose Onfido if...
- You're ready to invest from $null/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 Onfido or PlanetScale better?
Onfido scores 79/100 compared to PlanetScale's 73/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Onfido excels at ease of use (7/10) while PlanetScale scores 7/10.
How much does Onfido cost compared to PlanetScale?
Onfido starts at free. PlanetScale starts at $39/mo. Onfido is the more affordable option.
Does Onfido or PlanetScale have a free plan?
Neither Onfido nor PlanetScale offers a free tier. Onfido starts at $null/mo and PlanetScale at $39/mo.
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