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Cockroach Labs vs Apache Pinot

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Software

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apache Pinot logo

Apache Pinot

Software

Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only); Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cockroach Labs and Apache Pinot actually diverge.

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and Apache Pinot differ
AttributeCockroach LabsApache Pinot
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureLinux, Docker, Kubernetes
Founded20151999

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

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 Cockroach Labs

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

Only in Apache Pinot

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Column-oriented
  • Distributed Processing
  • SQL Support
  • Pluggable Indexing
  • Star-tree Index
  • Upsert Support
  • Kafka

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

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

Apache Pinot

  • Sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested datanot Cockroach Labs
  • User-facing dashboards inside a productnot Cockroach Labs
  • Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot Cockroach Labs
  • Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot Cockroach Labs

Where each one falls short

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

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

Apache Pinot

  • Self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
  • Managed hosting comes from third parties such as StarTree rather than from the project
  • Built for user-facing real-time OLAP, so it is not a general purpose database

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Apache Pinot

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Real-time analytics
    • SQL queries
    • Horizontal scaling

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Apache Pinot if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want column-oriented.
Apache Pinot review

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or Apache Pinot better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Apache Pinot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or Apache Pinot?
Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Apache Pinot at Free.
Does Cockroach Labs or Apache Pinot run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Cockroach Labs for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cockroach Labs best used for?
Cockroach Labs is most often used for distributed sql database for scalable applications, multi-region deployment and failover. Of those, distributed sql database for scalable applications and multi-region deployment and failover are not what Apache Pinot is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that Apache Pinot cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support.
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Related pages

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