Database Platform Comparison: Turso, Neon, PlanetScale, Xata (2025)

Executive Summary

Real-world production testing of 4 database platforms over 3 months using Node.js e-commerce API handling 50k orders/month. Connection pool failures were primary driver for evaluation.

Critical Finding: All platforms require architectural changes - none are drop-in PostgreSQL replacements.

Platform Profiles

Turso (SQLite-based)

Core Technology: Embedded SQLite replicas with HTTP API
Best For: Global read-heavy applications with simple write patterns
Fatal Flaw: Single-writer SQLite architecture breaks multi-user admin systems

Neon (PostgreSQL)

Core Technology: Serverless PostgreSQL with scale-to-zero
Best For: US-centric applications with predictable usage patterns
Fatal Flaw: Cold starts and regional write latency kill user experience

PlanetScale (MySQL/Vitess)

Core Technology: Vitess-backed MySQL with schema branching
Best For: Teams with budget and existing MySQL expertise
Fatal Flaw: Cost escalation from $39 to $180/month typical in production

Xata (PostgreSQL + AI)

Core Technology: PostgreSQL with built-in search and AI features
Best For: Applications needing search without Elasticsearch complexity
Fatal Flaw: AI overhead adds 200-400ms to every query

Performance Benchmarks (Production)

Metric	Turso	Neon	PlanetScale	Xata
Global Read Latency	40-60ms	150ms US, 800ms Asia	200ms	300ms+ (AI overhead)
Cold Start Impact	0ms (always warm)	600ms (demo-killing)	250ms	400ms
Connection Limits	None (HTTP API)	100-500 (kills flash sales)	1000+	75 direct, HTTP fallback
Write Concurrency	1 (SQLite limitation)	PostgreSQL standard	MySQL standard	PostgreSQL standard

Critical Failure Modes

Turso

• Database Lock Errors: database is locked when multiple admins edit simultaneously
• Setup Complexity: Weekend+ effort to configure embedded replicas
• Cost Scaling: $0.20 per active database adds up to $80/month quickly

Neon

• Connection Pool Exhaustion: Flash sales trigger pool exhausted errors for 10+ minutes
• Regional Latency: Singapore users experienced 800ms checkout times
• Compute Cost Escalation: $5 to $180/month in 6 weeks typical

PlanetScale

• Migration Hell: PostgreSQL→MySQL requires 2 weeks rewriting JSON/array operations
• Branch Cost Spiral: Each dev branch +$20/month, preview deployments +$25/month
• Regional Gaps: Only 12 regions globally

Xata

• AI Latency Compound: Vector search becomes unusable above 100k records
• Query Performance: Real-time features suffer 2-second delays
• Billing Unpredictability: Pay-per-compute makes cost forecasting impossible

Configuration Requirements

Production-Ready Settings

Turso:

• Embedded replicas mandatory for global performance
• HTTP API eliminates connection pooling needs
• Manual snapshot strategy required

Neon:

• $5/month minimum for warm compute
• PgBouncer essential for connection management
• Read replicas required for global users ($50/month)

PlanetScale:

• Connection multiplexing handles scale
• Branch strategy must account for cost implications
• MySQL-specific ORM configuration required

Xata:

• HTTP API preferred over direct connections
• AI features should be opt-in, not default
• Vector search limited to <100k records

Resource Requirements

Time Investment

• Turso: 3 days minimum for embedded replica setup
• Neon: 2 hours for standard PostgreSQL migration
• PlanetScale: 2 weeks for PostgreSQL→MySQL conversion
• Xata: 5 minutes for basic setup, days for optimization

Expertise Requirements

• Turso: SQLite limitations knowledge, embedded systems experience
• Neon: Standard PostgreSQL administration
• PlanetScale: MySQL expertise, Vitess understanding helpful
• Xata: PostgreSQL + AI/vector search concepts

Budget Reality

• Turso: $0.20 per database, scales to $80+ quickly
• Neon: $5-$180/month based on compute usage
• PlanetScale: $39 baseline, expect 3x escalation
• Xata: Unpredictable based on AI usage

Decision Matrix

Use Turso When:

• Global read performance is critical
• Write patterns are simple (content sites, blogs)
• Team can handle SQLite limitations
• Connection pool elimination is priority

Use Neon When:

• PostgreSQL compatibility required
• Users primarily North American
• Scale-to-zero benefits outweigh cold start costs
• $5/month minimum acceptable

Use PlanetScale When:

• Budget supports $100+ monthly costs
• Team has MySQL expertise
• Schema branching workflow needed
• Global scale with predictable costs acceptable

Use Xata When:

• Search functionality needed without Elasticsearch
• AI features provide genuine value
• 300ms latency overhead acceptable
• Team size supports experimental platform

Use Traditional PostgreSQL When:

• None of the above platforms solve actual problems
• Vendor lock-in concerns exist
• Cost predictability essential
• Team expertise already exists

Migration Complexity

Exit Difficulty (1-10 scale)

• Turso→Other: 6/10 (SQLite-specific features)
• Neon→Other: 3/10 (standard pg_dump/restore)
• PlanetScale→Other: 9/10 (MySQL→PostgreSQL hell)
• Xata→Other: 4/10 (PostgreSQL standard + feature removal)

Lock-in Risk Assessment

• Turso: High (embedded architecture, SQLite specifics)
• Neon: Low (standard PostgreSQL)
• PlanetScale: Very High (MySQL dialect, Vitess dependencies)
• Xata: Medium (AI features, but PostgreSQL base)

Operational Intelligence

Hidden Costs

• Turso: Deployment pipeline rebuilds, admin system rewrites
• Neon: Read replica requirements for global apps
• PlanetScale: Branch proliferation, migration effort
• Xata: Performance optimization, AI feature tuning

Support Quality

• Turso: Discord-based, CTO involvement but limited documentation
• Neon: Standard enterprise support, honest about limitations
• PlanetScale: Enterprise-focused, expensive tier requirements
• Xata: Minimal Stack Overflow presence, documentation gaps

Breaking Points

• Turso: Admin concurrency, SQLite write limits
• PlanetScale: Budget constraints, MySQL expertise gaps
• Neon: Geographic distribution, connection management
• Xata: Dataset size, AI performance requirements

Critical Warnings

1. Connection Pool Death: Neon and traditional PostgreSQL patterns will fail during traffic spikes
2. SQLite Write Locks: Turso becomes unusable for multi-user admin systems
3. Cost Escalation: PlanetScale and Neon can 3x initial estimates quickly
4. Regional Performance: Only Turso handles global latency without additional configuration
5. AI Overhead: Xata's AI features significantly impact query performance
6. Migration Complexity: PlanetScale MySQL conversion requires substantial application rewrites

Implementation Reality

None of these platforms are PostgreSQL replacements. Each requires:

• Application architecture changes
• Team expertise adaptation
• Cost model understanding
• Performance characteristic acceptance

Choose based on acceptable trade-offs, not marketing promises.