Supabase, PlanetScale power free stacks

Free backend stacks are still a thing in 2026. But the lineup people repeat on X is a little out of date. The big correction is PlanetScale — it used to be a favorite free MySQL option, and now it isn’t. If you’re trying to build a portfolio app without waking up to a cloud bill, the difference matters. ### What’s the actual correction here? The short version is simple. Supabase still has a genuine free plan for getting started. Render still has real free compute options. Railway has a limited free path, but it now works more like a trial plus a tiny monthly credit. PlanetScale, though, no longer has a free plan at all — its old Hobby tier was deprecated in March 2024, and new databases must go onto a paid Scaler Pro plan. ### Why do people still mention PlanetScale? Because the older advice made sense for a long time. PlanetScale built a strong reputation with developers who wanted managed MySQL, branching workflows, and very low operational hassle. That reputation stuck. But the current pricing pages are clear — PlanetScale’s self-serve offering is paid now, and its support docs explicitly say there is no free plan at this time. (supabase.com) ### So what does Supabase still give you? Supabase is still the closest thing to an all-in-one free backend starter kit. Its platform bundles Postgres, Auth, Storage, instant APIs, Edge Functions, Realtime, and more. The billing docs say the Free plan gives you two free projects, which is enough for the classic setup — one live demo, one sandbox. That makes Supabase especially attractive for solo builders who want database, auth, and file storage in one place instead of stitching together three vendors. (planetscale.com) ### Where does Railway fit now? Railway is not really “free hosting forever” in the old sense. New users get a 30-day trial with a one-time $5 credit. After that, the account drops to a Free plan with $1 of credit per month. Railway’s main pitch is still convenience — deploy quickly, pay for what actually runs, and scale up without replatforming. But if your app needs to stay online continuously, that $1 monthly cushion is more of a testing lane than a permanent home. (supabase.com) ### What about Render? Render is closer to the classic free-tier idea. It still offers free web services, free static sites, and even free Postgres and key-value options, though the free database tier has a 30-day limit and the free services are intentionally modest. Render’s own docs frame these plans as good for testing, hobby projects, and trying the platform. Basically, it’s a solid place to deploy demos and small side projects, as long as you accept the limits. (railway.com) ### What stack makes sense now? If you want the simplest zero-cost path, Supabase plus Render is the cleanest modern answer. Supabase covers the backend primitives — database, auth, storage, APIs. Render covers frontend hosting or lightweight services. Railway works if you want a very smooth deployment experience and can live within trial-style credits. PlanetScale fits when you specifically want managed MySQL and are okay starting paid. (render.com) ### What’s the catch with all “free” stacks? The catch is that “free” now means different things. Sometimes it means genuinely ongoing at $0. Sometimes it means a capped monthly credit. Sometimes it means a free service with sleep behavior, bandwidth limits, or time-boxed databases. That’s why old recommendation threads age badly — the logos stay the same, but the billing model underneath quietly changes. (supabase.com) ### Bottom line The useful update is not that free stacks disappeared. It’s that the map changed. Supabase is still a strong free backend anchor. Render still belongs in the conversation. Railway is more constrained than people often imply. And PlanetScale should no longer be described as a free-tier default. (supabase.com)