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Databases · head to head

Apache Pinot vs Cockroach Labs

Apache Pinot logo

Apache Pinot

Databases

Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Databases

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apache Pinot and Cockroach Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Pinot and Cockroach Labs differ
AttributeApache PinotCockroach Labs
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesAWS, GCP, Azure
Founded19992015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apache Pinot

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Column-oriented
  • Distributed Processing
  • SQL Support
  • Pluggable Indexing
  • Star-tree Index
  • Upsert Support
  • Kafka

Only in Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL
  • Automatic Sharding
  • Multi-region Replication
  • Geo-partitioning
  • ACID Transactions
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Survivability
  • PostgreSQL Compatibility

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apache Pinot

  • Sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested datanot Cockroach Labs
  • User-facing dashboards inside a productnot Cockroach Labs
  • Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot Cockroach Labs
  • Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot Cockroach Labs

Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot Apache Pinot
  • Multi-region deployment and failovernot Apache Pinot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apache Pinot

  • Self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
  • Managed hosting comes from third parties such as StarTree rather than from the project
  • Built for user-facing real-time OLAP, so it is not a general purpose database

Cockroach Labs

  • Basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • Azure support restricted to Advanced tier only
  • Basic tier limited to 50 million RUs and 10 GiB storage per month
  • Advanced tier starts at $0.60/hour for 4 vCPUs minimum
  • 3 TiB maximum storage on Basic and Standard tiers, 10 TiB per node on Advanced

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Pinot

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Real-time analytics
    • SQL queries
    • Horizontal scaling

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Pinot if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want column-oriented.
Apache Pinot review

Choose Cockroach Labs if

  • You need distributed sql.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want automatic sharding.
Cockroach Labs review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Pinot or Cockroach Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Pinot starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Pinot or Cockroach Labs?
Apache Pinot starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free.
Does Apache Pinot or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
Can I use Apache Pinot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Pinot best used for?
Apache Pinot is most often used for sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested data, user-facing dashboards inside a product, real-time metrics at high ingest rates, petabyte-scale analytics as run at linkedin and uber. Of those, sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested data and user-facing dashboards inside a product are not what Cockroach Labs is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Pinot do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support. Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apache Pinot: How much does Apache Pinot cost?

Apache Pinot is free and open-source. It is provided under the Apache License, which allows free use, modification, and distribution.

Source
Cockroach Labs: What does the free Basic tier include?

The Basic tier is free and includes 50 million RUs and 10 GiB storage per month, with a maximum compute of 30K RU/sec. No credit card is required to start.

Source
Apache Pinot: Is Apache Pinot free for commercial use?

Yes. Apache Pinot is licensed under the Apache License, which explicitly permits commercial use at no cost.

Source
Cockroach Labs: How much do the paid tiers cost?

Standard tier starts at $0.18 per hour for 2 vCPUs, and Advanced tier starts at $0.60 per hour for 4 vCPUs. Both tiers support additional resources with higher costs for increased compute and storage.

Source
Apache Pinot: Can I run Apache Pinot locally or with Docker?

Yes. Apache Pinot offers a Docker quickstart and free downloads of the latest version (1.5.1 at the time of the page). You are responsible for hosting and infrastructure.

Source
Cockroach Labs: What are the storage limits for each tier?

Basic plan supports up to 3 TiB storage, Standard tier up to 3 TiB, and Advanced tier up to 10 TiB per node with unlimited total storage.

Source
Apache Pinot: Are there restrictions on how I can use Apache Pinot?

The Apache License permits unrestricted use, but requires retention of license notices and statements. No usage limits or feature restrictions are enforced.

Source
Cockroach Labs: Can I get trial credits before paying?

Yes, new users can try CockroachDB free with $400 in credits. The Basic and Standard plans do not require a credit card to start.

Source
Cockroach Labs: Do legacy contracts have different pricing?

Customers with annual or multi-year contracts entered before December 1, 2024 can view legacy pricing terms on a separate page, which apply until their contract renewal date.

Source
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