Software · head to head
Cockroach Labs vs DataStax
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only); DataStax dataStax's own Astra DB documentation states the Enterprise plan is an annual, contract-based plan with negotiated pricing, meaning list prices are not published for that tier
- They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, DataStax covers Cassandra Compatible.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cockroach Labs and DataStax actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cockroach Labs | DataStax |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | AWS, GCP, Azure | Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp |
| Founded | 2015 | 2010 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 DataStax
- Cassandra Compatible
- Vector Search
- Serverless
- Multi-cloud
- Streaming
- CDC
- GraphQL API
- LangChain
Both cover
- Kubernetes
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cockroach Labs
- Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot DataStax
- Multi-region deployment and failovernot DataStax
DataStax
- Real-time applicationsnot Cockroach Labs
- Content managementnot Cockroach Labs
- User profilesnot Cockroach Labs
- Mobile backendsnot Cockroach Labs
- Cachingnot 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
DataStax
- DataStax's own Astra DB documentation states the Enterprise plan is an annual, contract-based plan with negotiated pricing, meaning list prices are not published for that tier
- DataStax's Astra DB documentation directs Standard plan customers to IBM's watsonx.data pricing for exact consumption-based rates following the DataStax/IBM deal, rather than publishing them on DataStax's own site
Pricing, plan by plan
Cockroach Labs
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.
DataStax
Free- FreeFree
- 5GB storage
- 40M read/write ops
- Vector search
- Pay As You GoFree
- Usage-based pricing
- Multi-region
- Enterprise support
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 DataStax if
- You need cassandra compatible.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
- You also want vector search.
Questions people ask
- Is Cockroach Labs or DataStax better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and DataStax at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or DataStax?
- Cockroach Labs starts at Free and DataStax at Free.
- Does Cockroach Labs or DataStax run on more platforms?
- Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. DataStax runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
- 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 DataStax is typically brought in for.
- What can Cockroach Labs do that DataStax cannot?
- Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. DataStax covers Cassandra Compatible, Vector Search, Serverless, Multi-cloud. Both handle Kubernetes.