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Database & Data Management · head to head

BigQuery vs DuckDB

BigQuery logo

BigQuery

Database & Data Management

Serverless, highly scalable enterprise data warehouse

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DuckDB logo

DuckDB

Database & Data Management

Fast in-process analytical database

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; DuckDB client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios
  • They diverge on capability: BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, DuckDB covers In-process Execution.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigQuery and DuckDB actually diverge.

Attributes where BigQuery and DuckDB differ
AttributeBigQueryDuckDB
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Cloud APILinux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly
Founded20082019

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
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Machine Learning
  • Geospatial Analysis
  • Streaming Ingestion
  • Standard SQL
  • Looker

Only in DuckDB

  • In-process Execution
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vectorized Execution
  • Rich SQL Support
  • Parquet Support
  • CSV/JSON Import
  • Zero Dependencies
  • Python

What people use each for

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

BigQuery

  • Business intelligencenot DuckDB
  • Data warehousingnot DuckDB
  • Real-time analyticsnot DuckDB
  • Reportingnot DuckDB
  • Machine learningnot DuckDB

DuckDB

  • Analytics and data warehousingnot BigQuery
  • OLAP queries and data explorationnot BigQuery
  • Data science and machine learning workflowsnot BigQuery
  • Multi-format data ingestion and processingnot BigQuery

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

DuckDB

  • Client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios

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

DuckDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DuckDB 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 DuckDB if

  • You need in-process execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
  • You also want columnar storage.
DuckDB review

Questions people ask

Is BigQuery or DuckDB better?
Neither clearly leads. BigQuery starts at Free and DuckDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigQuery or DuckDB?
BigQuery starts at Free and DuckDB at Free.
Does BigQuery or DuckDB run on more platforms?
BigQuery runs on Web, Cloud API. DuckDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
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. Of those, business intelligence and data warehousing are not what DuckDB is typically brought in for.
What can BigQuery do that DuckDB cannot?
BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, Petabyte Scale, Real-time Analytics, Machine Learning. DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Columnar Storage, Vectorized Execution, Rich SQL 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
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
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Related pages

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