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Databases · head to head

Cockroach Labs vs Privacera

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Databases

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Privacera logo

Privacera

Databases

Centralised data access governance from the creators of Apache Ranger, now rebranding as Trust3 AI

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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); Privacera the company is mid-rebrand to Trust3 AI as of March 2026, so documentation, contracts and support channels are in transition and buyers should confirm which entity and which product name their agreement actually names.
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Privacera covers Centralised policy authoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and Privacera differ
AttributeCockroach LabsPrivacera
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureWeb, Linux
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

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 Privacera

  • Centralised policy authoring
  • Native enforcement
  • Attribute-based access control
  • Dynamic masking and row filtering
  • Sensitive data discovery
  • Encryption and de-identification
  • Audit reporting
  • AI governance agent

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

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

Privacera

  • An enterprise running both Databricks and Snowflake that needs one masking policy honoured identically in both rather than two sets of grants to reconcilenot Cockroach Labs
  • A bank that must produce a single access audit across its analytics estate for a regulator without stitching together per-engine logsnot Cockroach Labs
  • A Hadoop shop with years of Apache Ranger policies migrating to cloud analytics and wanting to carry the policy model across rather than rewrite itnot Cockroach Labs
  • A team exposing governed data to LLM applications that needs the same row and column restrictions to apply when an agent queries on a user behalfnot 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

Privacera

  • The company is mid-rebrand to Trust3 AI as of March 2026, so documentation, contracts and support channels are in transition and buyers should confirm which entity and which product name their agreement actually names.
  • Investment is visibly shifting towards agentic AI governance, which raises a fair question about how much engineering continues to go into the classic data access governance modules that most existing customers actually bought.
  • Native enforcement depends on each engine supporting the policy constructs you need, so what you can express on Databricks may not be enforceable identically on a less capable source, and coverage must be verified source by source.
  • It sits between the data platforms and their own governance features, and as Databricks Unity Catalog and Snowflake native governance mature, single-platform customers find the case for a separate layer weakening.
  • Pricing is unpublished and scales with connected sources, so an organisation that keeps adding data platforms discovers the governance layer cost grows alongside the platform costs it was meant to rationalise.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Privacera

On request
  • Privacera Platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by connected data sources, users and deployment model
    • Self-managed and Privacera Cloud SaaS options
    • Free trial available for Privacera Cloud and Trust3 AI

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 Privacera if

  • You need centralised policy authoring.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want native enforcement.
Privacera review

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or Privacera better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Privacera at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or Privacera?
Cockroach Labs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cockroach Labs and On request for Privacera.
Does Cockroach Labs or Privacera run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Privacera runs on Web, Linux.
Can I use Cockroach Labs for free?
Yes. Cockroach Labs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Privacera 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 Privacera is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that Privacera cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Privacera covers Centralised policy authoring, Native enforcement, Attribute-based access control, Dynamic masking and row filtering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cockroach Labs: What does the free Basic tier include?

The Basic tier is free and includes 50 million RUs and 10 GiB storage per month, with a maximum compute of 30K RU/sec. No credit card is required to start.

Source
Privacera: Did Privacera merge with Immuta?

No. They remain independent competitors, and Privacera still publishes comparison material against Immuta. What did happen is a rebrand to Trust3 AI announced in March 2026.

Cockroach Labs: How much do the paid tiers cost?

Standard tier starts at $0.18 per hour for 2 vCPUs, and Advanced tier starts at $0.60 per hour for 4 vCPUs. Both tiers support additional resources with higher costs for increased compute and storage.

Source
Privacera: Is it the same as Apache Ranger?

It is built on Ranger by Ranger creators, but it adds multi-engine enforcement, discovery, a managed cloud option and support. Ranger alone does not cover Snowflake or cloud storage in the same way.

Cockroach Labs: What are the storage limits for each tier?

Basic plan supports up to 3 TiB storage, Standard tier up to 3 TiB, and Advanced tier up to 10 TiB per node with unlimited total storage.

Source
Privacera: Does it slow down queries?

It pushes policy into the underlying engine rather than proxying, so query execution stays native. Policy synchronisation, not query latency, is the usual operational concern.

Cockroach Labs: Can I get trial credits before paying?

Yes, new users can try CockroachDB free with $400 in credits. The Basic and Standard plans do not require a credit card to start.

Source
Privacera: What does it cost?

Not published. Quoted by connected sources, user count and whether you self-manage or use Privacera Cloud. A free trial of the cloud product is available.

Cockroach Labs: Do legacy contracts have different pricing?

Customers with annual or multi-year contracts entered before December 1, 2024 can view legacy pricing terms on a separate page, which apply until their contract renewal date.

Source
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