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Cockroach Labs vs RudderStack

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Software

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RudderStack logo

RudderStack

Software

The open-source customer data platform

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); RudderStack on the free plan data processing stops after a second consecutive overage rather than being billed, so exceeding 250,000 events twice breaks the pipeline
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, RudderStack covers Data collection.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and RudderStack differ
AttributeCockroach LabsRudderStack
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureWeb, Self-hosted
Founded20152018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 RudderStack

  • Data collection
  • Event tracking
  • Audience segmentation
  • Warehouse ingestion
  • Real-time sync
  • Data transformation
  • Privacy controls
  • 200+ destinations

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

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

RudderStack

  • Collecting event data from apps and websites and routing it to warehouses and toolsnot Cockroach Labs
  • Building a warehouse first customer data pipelinenot 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

RudderStack

  • On the free plan data processing stops after a second consecutive overage rather than being billed, so exceeding 250,000 events twice breaks the pipeline
  • The free plan allows 250,000 events a month
  • Growth starts at $265 a month for 1 million events, with volume sold in tiers up to 25 million
  • Overage is charged as the gap to the next tier's price rather than per event, so a small excess costs a full tier step

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

RudderStack

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
  • Cloud$100/month
    • Cloud hosted
    • Email support
  • Enterprise$500/month
    • Dedicated support
    • Advanced features

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 RudderStack if

  • You need data collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want event tracking.
RudderStack review

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or RudderStack better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and RudderStack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or RudderStack?
Cockroach Labs starts at Free and RudderStack at Free.
Does Cockroach Labs or RudderStack run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. RudderStack runs on Web, Self-hosted.
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 RudderStack is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that RudderStack cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. RudderStack covers Data collection, Event tracking, Audience segmentation, Warehouse ingestion. Both handle Cloud deployment.
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