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E-Commerce · head to head

Braze vs Cockroach Labs

Braze logo

Braze

E-Commerce

Customer engagement platform built for the modern marketer

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Databases

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cockroach Labs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Braze no free tier or monthly billing, requiring annual enterprise contracts with no flexibility; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • They diverge on capability: Braze covers Cross-channel messaging, Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Braze and Cockroach Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where Braze and Cockroach Labs differ
AttributeBrazeCockroach Labs
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiAWS, GCP, Azure
CategoryE-CommerceDatabases
Founded20112015

Identical on both: 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 Braze

  • Cross-channel messaging
  • Customer journey orchestration
  • Real-time personalization
  • A/B testing
  • Predictive analytics
  • Audience segmentation
  • Campaign analytics
  • Content cards

Only in Cockroach Labs

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

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Braze

  • Customer engagementnot Cockroach Labs
  • Marketing automationnot Cockroach Labs
  • Personalizationnot Cockroach Labs
  • Retention campaignsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Cross-channel messagingnot Cockroach Labs

Cockroach Labs

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

Where each one falls short

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

Braze

  • No free tier or monthly billing, requiring annual enterprise contracts with no flexibility
  • Implementation costs of $20k-$100k+ significantly increase total cost of ownership

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

Braze

On request
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Core messaging channels
    • Basic segmentation
    • Campaign analytics
  • Plus$undefined/month
    • Advanced features
    • Predictive suite
    • Canvas Flow
  • Premier$undefined/month
    • All features
    • Dedicated CSM
    • Custom integrations

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Braze if

  • You need cross-channel messaging.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want customer journey orchestration.
Braze 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 Braze or Cockroach Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. Braze starts at On request and Cockroach Labs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Braze or Cockroach Labs?
Cockroach Labs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Braze and Free for Cockroach Labs.
Does Braze or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
Braze runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
Can I use Cockroach Labs for free?
Yes. Cockroach Labs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Braze starts at On request.
What is Braze best used for?
Braze is most often used for customer engagement, marketing automation, personalization, retention campaigns. Of those, customer engagement and marketing automation are not what Cockroach Labs is typically brought in for.
What can Braze do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
Braze covers Cross-channel messaging, Customer journey orchestration, Real-time personalization, A/B testing. Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Both handle SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Braze: What is Braze's pricing model?

Braze uses a usage-based pricing model with custom annual contracts. There is no free plan or monthly billing. Typical contracts range from $60,000 to $200,000 per year for mid-market deployments.

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
Braze: Does Braze offer implementation support?

Implementation through a Braze Solutions Partner typically costs $20,000 to $100,000 or more, as Braze is an enterprise platform requiring custom configuration.

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
Braze: What messaging channels does Braze support?

Braze supports push notifications, in-app messaging, email, SMS, and web messaging across mobile apps and web platforms.

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
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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