Database & Data Management · head to head
Cockroach Labs vs Chroma
Cockroach Labs
Database & Data Management
The cloud-native distributed SQL database
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Chroma
Database & Data Management
Open-source search infrastructure for AI
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Cockroach Labs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only); Chroma chroma Cloud meters four separate dimensions: $2.50 per GiB written, $0.33 per GiB stored monthly, $0.0075 per TiB queried, and $0.09 per GiB returned over the network, as of August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cockroach Labs and Chroma actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cockroach Labs | Chroma |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | AWS, GCP, Azure | Web |
| Founded | 2015 | Unknown |
Identical on both: 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 Cockroach Labs
- Distributed SQL
- Automatic Sharding
- Multi-region Replication
- Geo-partitioning
- ACID Transactions
- Horizontal Scaling
- Survivability
- PostgreSQL Compatibility
Only in Chroma
Nothing recorded that Cockroach Labs does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cockroach Labs
- Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot Chroma
- Multi-region deployment and failovernot Chroma
Chroma
No use cases recorded yet. See the Chroma review.
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
Chroma
- Chroma Cloud meters four separate dimensions: $2.50 per GiB written, $0.33 per GiB stored monthly, $0.0075 per TiB queried, and $0.09 per GiB returned over the network, as of August 2026.
Pricing, plan by plan
Cockroach Labs
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.
Chroma
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Chroma review.
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.
Choose Chroma if
Nothing in the data separates Chroma from Cockroach Labs on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Cockroach Labs or Chroma better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Chroma at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or Chroma?
- Cockroach Labs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cockroach Labs and On request for Chroma.
- Does Cockroach Labs or Chroma run on more platforms?
- Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Chroma runs on Web.
- Can I use Cockroach Labs for free?
- Yes. Cockroach Labs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Chroma starts at On request.
- 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 Chroma is typically brought in for.
- What can Cockroach Labs do that Chroma cannot?
- Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning.