PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases • Hacker News Board

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#71

Post by amluto » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 2:37 AM UTC

rileymichael wrote: post #24

oh how i wish they were in azure. azure's postgresql flex offering is horrid. for some reason the HA standby instance can't be used as a read replica, it's filled with maintenance windows / downtime-ful upgrades / etc..

And that is why egress fees are anticompetitive. Azure forces their customers to demand that their service providers host in Azure.

In a less anti-competitive world you would be perfectly happy to use a database hosted in an Equinix facility or whatever next door. You could connect via a fractional 100Gbps link at a price multiple orders of magnitude below what Azure would actually charge for an equivalent amount of data transfer.

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#72

Post by andrenotgiant » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 2:46 AM UTC

andreybaskov wrote: post #67

I'm surprised so many replies here are about removing a free tier 2 years ago. Things cost money, what did you expect? Whenever I get free products that cost money I expect it's either temporary, or I'm being the product myself.

didn't help that they called it "Free forever" before taking it away. Lesson learned

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#73

Post by samlambert » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:01 AM UTC

outlore wrote: post #54

Remember when they shafted the free plan, laid off some good people and redesigned their website to look like some garish notepad? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

I remember. It was a very painful moment for everyone involved. I still miss the people who aren't here anymore. I am not happy that it happened but I am also I am very glad to be at a profitable company. I get to work at a company that is growing sustainably surrounded by people I admire. I love our customers and I think in the long run people will root for a company that isn't just lighting money on fire at the alter of fake growth.

Either way I don't care what you remember or think.

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#74

Post by ksec » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:05 AM UTC

andrenotgiant wrote: post #72

andreybaskov wrote: post #67

I'm surprised so many replies here are about removing a free tier 2 years ago. Things cost money, what did you expect? Whenever I get free products that cost money I expect it's either temporary, or I'm being the product myself.

didn't help that they called it "Free forever" before taking it away. Lesson learned

I only remember it was called "Hobby" Plan.

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#75

Post by ksec » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:09 AM UTC

nl wrote: post #66

I think it is amusing that half the comments section here is complaining about the lack of a free plan and the other half is complaining that the $5 plan is too cheap for them to keep it around.

Sounds exactly like real world politics. I thought people are waking up to if you are not paying for the product, you are the product. And free is perhaps the most expensive thing. Turns out no.

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#76

Post by andreybaskov » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:10 AM UTC

andrenotgiant wrote: post #72

andreybaskov wrote: post #67

I'm surprised so many replies here are about removing a free tier 2 years ago. Things cost money, what did you expect? Whenever I get free products that cost money I expect it's either temporary, or I'm being the product myself.

didn't help that they called it "Free forever" before taking it away. Lesson learned

understandable, but again, "forever" as in heat death of the universe? Sadly there is no such thing as forever either.

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#77

Post by ksec » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:29 AM UTC

I guess this is one of the 2 or 3 things Sam talked about coming till end of year. I wonder what's the other 1 or 2.

I also imagine the previous Hobby plan running on Vitess is actually more expensive to run than even this $5 dollar tier, not viable unless it is on Postgres Metal with no HA.

I also wish there is a list of non hyperscaler providers with regions that are close to planetscale offering. Last time I checked Hetzner dont come anywhere close enough to be used for compute.

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#78

Post by outlore » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:31 AM UTC

samlambert wrote: post #73

outlore wrote: post #54

Remember when they shafted the free plan, laid off some good people and redesigned their website to look like some garish notepad? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

I remember. It was a very painful moment for everyone involved. I still miss the people who aren't here anymore. I am not happy that it happened but I am also I am very glad to be at a profitable company. I get to work at a company that is growing sustainably surrounded by people I admire. I love our customers and I think in the long run people will root for a company that isn't just lighting money on fire at the alt…

My apologies for sounding bitter.

You stated you don't care what I think. Just wanted to say though that i've admired you and your company for a long time. I participated in user interviews so I could score one of your famous hats. I submitted copious feedback. I was an evangelist for branching workflows and recommended several colleagues to your product. I watched all the talks, interviews and devrel videos.

I'm glad you are doing better now as a company, but as naive as it may be, I guess I would love to see an example of a company that consistently put people over profits, that is all

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#79

Post by trial3 » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:38 AM UTC

samlambert wrote: post #73

outlore wrote: post #54

Remember when they shafted the free plan, laid off some good people and redesigned their website to look like some garish notepad? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

I remember. It was a very painful moment for everyone involved. I still miss the people who aren't here anymore. I am not happy that it happened but I am also I am very glad to be at a profitable company. I get to work at a company that is growing sustainably surrounded by people I admire. I love our customers and I think in the long run people will root for a company that isn't just lighting money on fire at the alt…

> Either way I don't care what you remember or think.

it does feel to me that one way to demonstrate that is to not get pissy on hackernews. i know you’re in founder mode or whatever but this comment is the thing i’m now going to remember you for

Re: PlanetScale Offering $5 Databases

#80

Post by cowthulhu » Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:58 AM UTC

samlambert wrote: post #73

outlore wrote: post #54

Remember when they shafted the free plan, laid off some good people and redesigned their website to look like some garish notepad? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

I remember. It was a very painful moment for everyone involved. I still miss the people who aren't here anymore. I am not happy that it happened but I am also I am very glad to be at a profitable company. I get to work at a company that is growing sustainably surrounded by people I admire. I love our customers and I think in the long run people will root for a company that isn't just lighting money on fire at the alt…

Last sentence completely undercuts the other sentiments you shared in your comment… probably best to cut stuff like that out in the future IMHO, even if it’s how you feel.