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Database & Data Management · head to head

Cockroach Labs vs Replicate

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Database & Data Management

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Replicate logo

Replicate

AI Tools

Run AI models in the cloud

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); Replicate private model deployments are billed for all the time instances are online, including setup and idle time, not only for processing
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Replicate covers Model hosting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and Replicate differ
AttributeCockroach LabsReplicate
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureApi, Cloud
CategoryDatabase & Data ManagementAI Tools
Founded20152019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Replicate

  • Model hosting
  • Simple API
  • Auto-scaling
  • Custom models
  • REST API
  • Python client
  • JavaScript client
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

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

Replicate

  • Running open source machine learning models through a hosted API without managing GPUsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Deploying and serving a custom or fine tuned model on rented GPU hardwarenot Cockroach Labs
  • Per second billed batch image, video and language model inferencenot 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

Replicate

  • Private model deployments are billed for all the time instances are online, including setup and idle time, not only for processing
  • Multi-GPU A100, H100, H200 and L40S capacity beyond the listed configurations is only available with a committed spend contract
  • The pricing page publishes no free tier allowance

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Replicate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited free credits
    • Public models
  • Pay-per-use$0.000225/per-second
    • All models
    • Private models

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 Replicate if

  • You need model hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want simple api.

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or Replicate better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Replicate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or Replicate?
Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Replicate at Free.
Does Cockroach Labs or Replicate run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Replicate runs on Api, Cloud.
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 Replicate is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that Replicate cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Replicate covers Model hosting, Simple API, Auto-scaling, Custom models.

Related pages

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