PlanetScale vs Aiven Pricing (2026)

PlanetScale vs Aiven

Database as a Service pricing comparison · 2026

PlanetScale pricing ranges from $0–$50/month, while Aiven uses custom pricing. These products use different pricing models (Usage-based (pay per token/image/minute) vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

Database as a Service

PlanetScale

$0–$50
/month
5 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Database as a Service

Aiven

Custom pricing
/varies
1 plan
Full pricing breakdown →

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — PlanetScale uses Usage-based (pay per token/image/minute) pricing while Aiven uses Per-seat subscription pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

Usage-based (pay per token/image/minute)

PlanetScale

$0–$50 / month
See full PlanetScale pricing →
vs
Per-seat subscription

Aiven

Custom pricing
See full Aiven pricing →

PlanetScale and Aiven both operate in the database as a service category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan PlanetScale Aiven
free Free /month Custom
postgres_single $5 /month
ps_5 $15 /month
metal_ha $50 /month
enterprise Custom

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

PlanetScale 2 hidden costs

medium
High storage costs compared to competitors $2.50/GB storage (vs $0.34-$1/GB competitors)
medium
Confusing row-based pricing model 10-30% of license costs
See all PlanetScale hidden costs →

Aiven 3 hidden costs

medium
Dedicated Infrastructure Premium at Small Scale 20-30% above multi-tenant alternatives at small scale
low
Self-Signed TLS Certificate Configuration Overhead 5-10% of license costs
medium
Migration Complexity 10-25% of annual license costs
See all Aiven hidden costs →