Softwr

Log Management · head to head

CloudWatch vs Cockroach Labs

CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Log Management

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Database & Data Management

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CloudWatch the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where CloudWatch and Cockroach Labs differ
AttributeCloudWatchCockroach Labs
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsWeb, ApiAWS, GCP, Azure
CategoryLog ManagementDatabase & Data Management
Founded20062015

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 CloudWatch

  • Metrics collection
  • Log aggregation
  • Dashboards
  • Alarms and notifications
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

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.

CloudWatch

  • Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Cockroach Labs
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Cockroach Labs
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Cockroach Labs

Cockroach Labs

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

Where each one falls short

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

CloudWatch

  • The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
  • Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
  • Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
  • Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
  • Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge

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

CloudWatch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Metrics collection
    • Log aggregation
    • Dashboards

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CloudWatch if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want log aggregation.
CloudWatch 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 CloudWatch or Cockroach Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch 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, CloudWatch or Cockroach Labs?
CloudWatch starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free.
Does CloudWatch or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
CloudWatch runs on Web, Api. Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
Can I use CloudWatch for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CloudWatch best used for?
CloudWatch is most often used for metrics and log collection for aws workloads, alarming on thresholds across aws services, querying logs with logs insights, live tailing logs during an incident. Of those, metrics and log collection for aws workloads and alarming on thresholds across aws services are not what Cockroach Labs is typically brought in for.
What can CloudWatch do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on CloudWatch

More on Cockroach Labs

Keep looking

Other head to heads