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Database & Data Management · head to head

BigQuery vs ClickHouse

BigQuery logo

BigQuery

Database & Data Management

Serverless, highly scalable enterprise data warehouse

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Database & Data Management

Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BigQuery query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes; ClickHouse limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
  • They diverge on capability: BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigQuery and ClickHouse actually diverge.

Attributes where BigQuery and ClickHouse differ
AttributeBigQueryClickHouse
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Cloud APILinux, macOS, Windows (via Docker)
Founded20082021

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

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 BigQuery

  • Serverless Architecture
  • Petabyte Scale
  • Machine Learning
  • Geospatial Analysis
  • Streaming Ingestion
  • Standard SQL
  • Looker
  • Data Studio

Only in ClickHouse

  • Column-oriented Storage
  • SQL Support
  • Linear Scalability
  • Data Compression
  • Vectorized Query Execution
  • Approximate Calculations
  • Kafka
  • S3

Both cover

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

BigQuery

  • Business intelligence
  • Data warehousing
  • Real-time analytics
  • Reporting
  • Machine learning

ClickHouse

  • Business intelligence
  • Data warehousing
  • Real-time analytics
  • Reporting
  • Machine learning

Both are used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting, machine learning, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

BigQuery

  • Query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes
  • Data egress from Google Cloud incurs additional charges

ClickHouse

  • Limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
  • Requires upfront schema design discipline with MergeTree engine choices and sort/partition keys
  • Experimental vector search support, not production-ready for vector operations
  • Different query syntax from standard SQL requiring migration planning
  • Limited JOIN capabilities compared to traditional relational databases
  • Migration complexity with 2-4 weeks estimated for data type mapping and query translation

Pricing, plan by plan

BigQuery

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1TB queries/month
    • 10GB storage/month
    • Standard support
  • On-demand$6.25/TB
    • Pay per query
    • Pay per storage
    • All features

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

Which should you pick?

Choose BigQuery if

  • You need serverless architecture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud API.
  • You also want petabyte scale.
BigQuery review

Choose ClickHouse if

  • You need column-oriented storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
  • You also want sql support.
ClickHouse review

Questions people ask

Is BigQuery or ClickHouse better?
Neither clearly leads. BigQuery starts at Free and ClickHouse at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigQuery or ClickHouse?
BigQuery starts at Free and ClickHouse at Free.
Does BigQuery or ClickHouse run on more platforms?
BigQuery runs on Web, Cloud API. ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
Can I use BigQuery for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is BigQuery best used for?
BigQuery is most often used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting.
What can BigQuery do that ClickHouse cannot?
BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, Petabyte Scale, Machine Learning, Geospatial Analysis. ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, SQL Support, Linear Scalability, Data Compression. Both handle Real-time Analytics, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigQuery: How is BigQuery priced?

BigQuery charges $5 per terabyte of data processed in on-demand queries. Storage is billed separately: active storage is charged per GB, and data inactive for 90+ days moves to long-term storage at reduced rates.

Source
ClickHouse: What is ClickHouse best used for?

ClickHouse is optimized for analytical workloads on large datasets. It excels at fast aggregations and queries, being 10-100x faster than PostgreSQL on large aggregations.

Source
BigQuery: What is BigQuery's architecture?

BigQuery separates compute and storage, using Google's Colossus for distributed storage and Borg for computation, allowing independent scaling of each.

Source
ClickHouse: Does ClickHouse support transactions?

ClickHouse has limited transaction support and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations. It is not suitable for transactional workloads requiring strict ACID guarantees.

Source
ClickHouse: How does ClickHouse compare to PostgreSQL?

ClickHouse is 10-100x faster for analytics but PostgreSQL is better for transactional workloads. Many teams use both: PostgreSQL for writes via MaterializedPostgreSQL replication to ClickHouse for analytics.

Source
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