Database & Data Management · head to head
Cockroach Labs vs MotherDuck
Cockroach Labs
Database & Data Management
The cloud-native distributed SQL database
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
MotherDuck
Database & Data Management
Serverless analytics data warehouse built on DuckDB
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only); MotherDuck the free Lite plan caps compute at 10 hours per month, which limits it to light or hobbyist workloads.
- They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, MotherDuck covers Serverless DuckDB instances.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cockroach Labs and MotherDuck actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cockroach Labs | MotherDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based |
| Platforms | AWS, GCP, Azure | web, api |
| Founded | 2015 | 2022 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 MotherDuck
- Serverless DuckDB instances
- Cloud storage querying
- MCP server
- Dives
- Flights
- Read-scaling replicas
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cockroach Labs
- Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot MotherDuck
- Multi-region deployment and failovernot MotherDuck
MotherDuck
- Ad-hoc analytics on gigabyte-to-terabyte datasetsnot Cockroach Labs
- Querying data lake files in S3/GCS/Azure without ingestionnot Cockroach Labs
- AI agent data analysis via MCPnot Cockroach Labs
- Scheduled data pipeline transformationsnot 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
MotherDuck
- The free Lite plan caps compute at 10 hours per month, which limits it to light or hobbyist workloads.
- Business plan usage charges on top of the $250/month base can make costs less predictable than flat-rate competitors.
- There are no academic or non-profit discounts, unlike some competing data platforms.
- Annual billing requires going through a sales conversation rather than a self-serve toggle.
Pricing, plan by plan
Cockroach Labs
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.
MotherDuck
Free- LiteFree
- Up to 3 internal active users
- 2 service accounts
- 10GB free storage
- Business$250/month
- Up to 10 internal active users
- Unlimited service accounts
- 5 instance types with read-scaling replicas
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited internal users and service accounts
- Fixed-cost capacity pricing
- AWS PrivateLink, IP allowlisting
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 MotherDuck if
- You need serverless duckdb instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want cloud storage querying.
Questions people ask
- Is Cockroach Labs or MotherDuck better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and MotherDuck at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or MotherDuck?
- Cockroach Labs starts at Free and MotherDuck at Free.
- Does Cockroach Labs or MotherDuck run on more platforms?
- Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. MotherDuck runs on web, api.
- 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 MotherDuck is typically brought in for.
- What can Cockroach Labs do that MotherDuck cannot?
- Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. MotherDuck covers Serverless DuckDB instances, Cloud storage querying, MCP server, Dives.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
MotherDuck: What does MotherDuck cost?
The Lite plan is free (up to 3 users, 10GB storage, 10 hours of Pulse compute/month). Business is $250/organization/month plus usage, with Enterprise available at custom fixed-cost pricing.
SourceMotherDuck: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?
Yes, the Lite plan is free for up to 3 internal active users and 2 service accounts, with 10GB of storage and 10 hours of Pulse compute per month.
SourceMotherDuck: How is usage metered?
Compute instances (Pulse, Standard, Jumbo, Mega, Giga) are billed per second at hourly rates from $0.60 to $24.00/hour, storage is $0.04/GB-month, and AI Functions cost $1.00 per AI Unit.
SourceRelated pages
More on Cockroach Labs
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