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Amazon Athena vs PlanetScale Comparison

Last updated:

Amazon Athena

4.1(46 reviews)

Starting at Contact for pricing

  • Free Trial
  • Large Enterprises
  • Small Business

Introducing Amazon Athena, the cutting-edge serverless interactive query service designed to revolutionize the way you analyze massive amounts of data stored in Amazon S3. With Amazon Athena, users can effortlessly query…

PlanetScale

4.2(3 reviews)

Starting at $1.25 /Month

  • Individuals
  • Medium Business

PlanetScale is the perfect solution for developers and small businesses alike. It's a MySQL and Vitess-based, serverless platform with powerful tools that let you effortlessly divide your databases with code, quickly mig…

PlanetScale leads on user satisfaction with a 4.2-star rating across 3 reviews.

Amazon Athena vs PlanetScale — at a glance

FeatureAmazon AthenaPlanetScale
Rating4.1 / 54.2 / 5
Reviews463
Starting priceContact for pricing$1.25 /Month
Free trial Yes No
Free version No No
Best forLarge Enterprises, Small Business, Medium BusinessIndividuals, Medium Business, Small Business
CategoryDatabase as a Service (DBaaS) ProviderDatabase as a Service (DBaaS) Provider
PlatformsBrowser Based (Cloud)SaaS/Web/Cloud
APIAvailableAvailable
Support modesOnlineOnline
CertificationsSOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001SOC 2
Data residencyGlobalGlobal

Key differences between Amazon Athena and PlanetScale

  • Pricing: PlanetScale starts at $1.25 /Month. Amazon Athena pricing is not publicly listed.
  • Free trial: Amazon Athena offers a free trial; PlanetScale does not.
  • Target audience: Amazon Athena is built for Large Enterprises and Small Business, while PlanetScale targets Individuals and Medium Business.
  • User satisfaction: PlanetScale scores higher with a 4.2-star average.
  • Deployment: Amazon Athena supports Browser Based (Cloud); PlanetScale supports SaaS/Web/Cloud.

Amazon Athena vs PlanetScale — find the better fit before you commit.

01

Which tool fits your team best

02

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

03

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Database as a Service (DBaaS) Provider tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Amazon Athena
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PlanetScale - New SaaS Software
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Biggest differences

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Amazon Athena

Best for serverless SQL querying of large datasets stored in Amazon S3.

Choose if
  • You need fast, pay-per-query analytics directly on S3 data without managing infrastructure.
  • Your team consists of data engineers or analysts familiar with SQL and AWS ecosystem.
  • You want seamless integration with AWS security and cloud data warehousing services.
Consider alternatives if
  • Your data is not primarily stored in Amazon S3 or requires multi-cloud querying.
  • You require advanced ETL or data transformation features beyond basic querying.

PlanetScale

Best for

Individuals, Medium Business, Small Business

Amazon Athena typically suits Large Enterprises and Small Business. PlanetScale tends to fit Individuals and Medium Business better. The right choice depends on your team size, workflow, and whether a free trial matters.

Description

Introducing Amazon Athena, the cutting-edge serverless interactive query service designed to revolutionize the way you analyze massive amounts of data stored in Amazon S3. With Amazon ... Read More about Amazon Athena

PlanetScale is the perfect solution for developers and small businesses alike. It's a MySQL and Vitess-based, serverless platform with powerful tools that let you effortlessly divide your ... Read More about PlanetScale

Entry Level Pricing

  • Not Available
  • Starts from $1.25

Free Trial Availability

  • No free trial

User Ratings

Based on verified Spotsaas reviews

4.1

(46)

4.2

(3)

Best Company Size

51-500 employees500+ employees
Get pricing help
Get pricing help

Software Demo

Demo

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How do Amazon Athena and PlanetScale Compare on Features?

Total Features

0 Features

6 Features

Unique Features

No features

No unique features

Get Quote
Get Quote

Compare Amazon Athena and PlanetScale on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option

      Starting From

      • Not Available
      • $1.25

      Pricing Plans

      • Not Available
      • Not Available

      Pricing Page

      Amazon Athena pricing
      PlanetScale pricing

      Other Details

      Organization Types supported

      • Medium Business
      • Small Business
      • Large Enterprises
      • Freelancers
      • Medium Business
      • Small Business
      • Large Enterprises
      • Freelancers

      Platforms Supported

      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Installed - Windows
      • Installed - Mac
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Installed - Windows
      • Installed - Mac

      Modes of support

      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online
      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online

      API Support

      • Available
      • Available
      Get help choosing
      Get help choosing

      Security & Compliance

      Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

      SOC 2

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      HIPAA

      ✓ Yes
      ✗ No

      GDPR

      ✓ Yes

      ISO 27001

      ✓ Yes

      Single Sign-On (SSO)

      ✓ Yes

      Multi-Factor Auth (MFA)

      ✓ Yes

      Data Encryption

      ✓ Yes

      Audit Logs

      ✓ Yes

      Data Residency

      🌐 Global
      🌐 Global

      Amazon Athena User Reviews & Rating Comparison

      User Ratings

      4.1

      (based on 46 reviews)

      Rating Distribution

      0

      0

      0

      0

      0

      1

      2

      0

      0

      0

      Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI

      Buyer sentiment

      Users generally appreciate Amazon Athena's ease of use and integration with AWS, though some express concerns about cost and feature limitations.

      What buyers like

      • Ease of use
      • Integration with AWS services
      • Query speed

      Common complaints

      • Cost at scale
      • Limited advanced features

      Buyer sentiment

      Buyer sentiment is positive across 3 reviews, with strong overall satisfaction.

      What buyers like

      • Serverless database management
      • MySQL and Vitess-based
      • Automated workflows

      Common complaints

      • Limited to MySQL databases
      • May require technical expertise
      • Pricing not disclosed

      Pros and Cons

      • Serverless architecture eliminates infrastructure management

      • Ability to query large datasets directly in Amazon S3 using standard SQL

      • Fast query performance with pay-per-query pricing

      • Pricing can become expensive with very high query volumes

      • Limited to data stored in Amazon S3

      • Serverless architecture simplifies management

      • Strong security features for data protection

      • User-friendly for developers

      • Best suited for MySQL users

      • Limited to specific database environments

      Positive Reviews

      No reviews available for the product

      No reviews available for the product

      List of Customers

      Customers

      Siemens

      Siemens

      Betterment

      Betterment

      Finra

      Finra

      No Customers information available.

      Media and Screenshots

      Videos

      video-0

      3 Videos

      video-0

      1 Videos

      Top Alternatives to Amazon Athena and PlanetScale in 2026

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      Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

      Frequently asked questions

      Which is better, Amazon Athena or PlanetScale?
      PlanetScale edges out the other on user ratings (4.2 vs 4.1). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
      Do Amazon Athena and PlanetScale offer a free trial?
      Amazon Athena offers a free trial. PlanetScale does not.
      What is the starting price of Amazon Athena vs PlanetScale?
      Amazon Athena starts at Contact for pricing. PlanetScale starts at $1.25 /Month.
      What are the top alternatives to Amazon Athena?
      Top alternatives to Amazon Athena include Amazon DocumentDB, Azure Cosmos DB, Xata, Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), DataStax Astra.
      What are the top alternatives to PlanetScale?
      Top alternatives to PlanetScale include MongoDB, MongoDB Cloud Manager, pgDash, Prisma, StationDB.

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