Softwr

Machine Learning · head to head

Azure Machine Learning vs Cockroach Labs

Azure Machine Learning logo

Azure Machine Learning

Machine Learning

Enterprise-grade machine learning service

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: Azure Machine Learning requires knowledge of Azure ecosystem and integration with other Azure services; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Machine Learning covers Automated ML, Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Machine Learning and Cockroach Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Machine Learning and Cockroach Labs differ
AttributeAzure Machine LearningCockroach Labs
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsAzure CloudAWS, GCP, Azure
CategoryMachine LearningDatabases
Founded19752015

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

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 Azure Machine Learning

  • Automated ML
  • Designer (drag-and-drop)
  • Notebooks
  • MLOps
  • Model registry
  • Azure Blob Storage
  • Azure DevOps
  • Power BI

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.

Azure Machine Learning

  • Machine learningnot Cockroach Labs
  • Data analysisnot Cockroach Labs
  • Model trainingnot Cockroach Labs
  • Predictive analyticsnot Cockroach Labs

Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot Azure Machine Learning
  • Multi-region deployment and failovernot Azure Machine Learning

Where each one falls short

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

Azure Machine Learning

  • Requires knowledge of Azure ecosystem and integration with other Azure services
  • Compute resources for training and inference generate separate charges

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

Azure Machine Learning

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Limited compute
    • Basic features
  • Pay-as-you-go$0.05/hour
    • Full platform
    • All compute options
    • Enterprise features

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure Machine Learning if

  • You need automated ml.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Azure Cloud.
  • You also want designer (drag-and-drop).
Azure Machine Learning 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 Azure Machine Learning or Cockroach Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Machine Learning 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, Azure Machine Learning or Cockroach Labs?
Azure Machine Learning starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free.
Does Azure Machine Learning or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
Azure Machine Learning runs on Azure Cloud. Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
Can I use Azure Machine Learning for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Azure Machine Learning best used for?
Azure Machine Learning is most often used for machine learning, data analysis, model training, predictive analytics. Of those, machine learning and data analysis are not what Cockroach Labs is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Machine Learning do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
Azure Machine Learning covers Automated ML, Designer (drag-and-drop), Notebooks, MLOps. Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Azure Machine Learning: Does Azure Machine Learning have any platform licensing fees?

No, Azure Machine Learning carries no extra cost. You only pay for the underlying compute resources utilized during model training or inference.

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
Azure Machine Learning: What AutoML capabilities does Azure Machine Learning provide?

Azure Machine Learning supports automated model creation for classification, regression, vision, and natural language processing tasks.

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
Azure Machine Learning: Does Azure ML support language model fine-tuning?

Yes, Azure Machine Learning supports fine-tuning of foundation models from providers including OpenAI, Meta, Hugging Face, and Cohere.

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
Azure Machine Learning: What MLOps features are included?

Azure ML includes end-to-end pipeline automation with CI/CD capabilities, managed endpoints for model deployment, and monitoring tools.

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
Azure Machine Learning: Can I access foundation models from multiple vendors?

Yes, Azure Machine Learning provides access to a model catalog with foundation models from Microsoft, OpenAI, Hugging Face, Meta, and Cohere.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Azure Machine Learning

More on Cockroach Labs

Keep looking

Other head to heads