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Cockroach Labs vs Neo4j

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Software

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Neo4j logo

Neo4j

Software

The world's leading graph database

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); Neo4j auraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cockroach Labs and Neo4j actually diverge.

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and Neo4j differ
AttributeCockroach LabsNeo4j
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
Founded20152007

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
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Survivability
  • PostgreSQL Compatibility
  • Kubernetes

Only in Neo4j

  • Native Graph Storage
  • Cypher Query Language
  • High Availability
  • Graph Data Science
  • Full-text Search
  • Native Indexes
  • GraphQL
  • Spring Data

Both cover

  • ACID Transactions

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot Neo4j
  • Multi-region deployment and failovernot Neo4j

Neo4j

  • Running a managed graph database on AWS, Azure or Google Cloudnot Cockroach Labs
  • Building knowledge graphs and GraphRAG retrieval for AI applicationsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Fraud detection, recommendations and supply chain analysis over connected datanot 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

Neo4j

  • AuraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • AuraDB Free imposes limits on node and relationship counts and runs single-zone only
  • SSO authentication and role-based access control are excluded from AuraDB Free and AuraDB Professional, starting only at Business Critical at $146 per GB per month with a 2GB minimum cluster
  • AuraDB Professional starts at $65 per GB per month with a minimum 1GB cluster and caps at 128GB memory per instance
  • AuraDB Professional backups are daily with only 7-day retention, against 30 days on Business Critical
  • Customer managed keys and private endpoints are available only on AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud, which is quote only with no published price
  • Change data capture, query log forwarding, secondaries and access to Neo4j Professional Services are excluded below the Business Critical tier
  • Support on AuraDB Free is community only and AuraDB Professional is best effort, with 24x7 one-hour response starting at Business Critical
  • AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud is sold on prepaid contract terms with enterprise commercial negotiation rather than self-serve card payment

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Neo4j

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Single database
    • Cypher queries
    • APOC library
  • AuraDB FreeFree
    • 50K nodes
    • 175K relationships
    • Cloud hosted
  • AuraDB Professional$65/month
    • Dedicated instance
    • Auto-scaling
    • 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.
Cockroach Labs review

Choose Neo4j if

  • You need native graph storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want cypher query language.
Neo4j review

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or Neo4j better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Neo4j at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or Neo4j?
Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Neo4j at Free.
Does Cockroach Labs or Neo4j run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Neo4j runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
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 Neo4j is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that Neo4j cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage, Cypher Query Language, High Availability, Graph Data Science. Both handle ACID Transactions.
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