PlanetScale for Startups
PlanetScale's startups URL is now generic product marketing with no credits, no eligibility rules, and no application form.
This program no longer exists
PlanetScale's startups page is generic product marketing with no credits, no eligibility criteria, and no application form. The migration assistance tier this entry described is not supported by any PlanetScale page. Checked September 13, 2026.
See what to apply to insteadApply to these instead of PlanetScale
Live startup programs that cover the same job, each checked against the provider's own page.
How they compare
- Databricks Startup Program
- Worth
- Up to $200,000 in credits
- Referral
- Not needed
- Review
- 7 to 14 days
- MongoDB for Startups
- Worth
- Atlas credits (amount not published) plus Voyage AI tokens
- Referral
- Not needed
- Review
- 3 to 5 days
Keep the cost down without a program
Vendors often drop startup offers once they move upmarket to enterprise buyers. These still work for an early team.
- Use the active database programs in this directory, such as Neon and MongoDB, for credits.
- Start on the smallest plan and scale up only when query load requires it.
- Use credits from AWS Activate, Google for Startups or Microsoft for Startups for managed database services on those clouds.
- Ask PlanetScale sales for first-year terms if you expect heavy usage.
- Run a managed Postgres or MySQL instance on your existing cloud credits instead of a separate database vendor.
About
PlanetScale does not publish a startup program. The startups URL returns a page, but it is product marketing with a Get started button and a Contact us link about migrations. There is no credit amount, no eligibility criteria, and no application to submit.
The migration assistance tier this entry described has no backing on any PlanetScale owned page.
Worth remembering alongside this: PlanetScale removed its free tier in 2024, so the entry point for an early-stage team is now a paid plan. For a managed Postgres with a real free tier and a live credits program, see the alternatives below.
Frequently asked about PlanetScale for Startups
Is PlanetScale for Startups still available?
PlanetScale's startups page is generic product marketing with no credits, no eligibility criteria, and no application form. The migration assistance tier this entry described is not supported by any PlanetScale page. Checked September 13, 2026.
What should startups use instead of PlanetScale for Startups?
The closest live options are neon-startups, mongodb-startups. Each one is listed with its current terms and application link on this page.
Why is this page still published if the program ended?
Because founders still search for it. Removing the page would send them to third-party sites that are still republishing the old terms as if they were current. Keeping it, with the offer stripped out, is the only way to correct the record at the place people actually look.
How can I tell whether a startup credit program is still live?
Open the provider's own startup or partner page and look for a working application form with stated eligibility and credit amounts. Aggregator sites routinely keep listings up for years after a program ends, so a deal roundup is not evidence that the program exists.