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Database & Data Management · head to head

Cockroach Labs vs SingleStore

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Database & Data Management

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SingleStore logo

SingleStore

Database & Data Management

The real-time distributed SQL database for data-intensive applications

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); SingleStore high licensing costs that increase with data scale and cluster size
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, SingleStore covers Real-time Analytics.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and SingleStore differ
AttributeCockroach LabsSingleStore
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureCloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed
Founded20152011

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 SingleStore

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Fast Data Ingest
  • In-memory Processing
  • Distributed Architecture
  • MySQL Compatible
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vector Search
  • Kafka

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

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

SingleStore

  • Transaction processingnot Cockroach Labs
  • Data storagenot Cockroach Labs
  • Application backendnot Cockroach Labs
  • Reportingnot Cockroach Labs
  • Data analyticsnot 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

SingleStore

  • High licensing costs that increase with data scale and cluster size
  • Eventual consistency in replication: secondary replicas may lag during high write loads
  • Complex operational setup requiring specialized knowledge for optimization
  • Vendor lock-in due to proprietary technology without open-source alternatives
  • Disorganized documentation and lack of online training resources

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

SingleStore

Free
  • Free Tier$0.99/month
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Limited resources

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 SingleStore if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed.
  • You also want fast data ingest.
SingleStore review

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or SingleStore better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and SingleStore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or SingleStore?
Cockroach Labs starts at Free and SingleStore at Free.
Does Cockroach Labs or SingleStore run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. SingleStore runs on Cloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed.
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 SingleStore is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that SingleStore cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. SingleStore covers Real-time Analytics, Fast Data Ingest, In-memory Processing, Distributed Architecture.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SingleStore: Does SingleStore offer a free tier?

Yes, SingleStore offers a free tier starting from $0.99/month with usage-based pricing. The free tier allows developers to evaluate the platform with limited resources before scaling to production workloads.

Source
SingleStore: Can SingleStore handle both transactional and analytical workloads?

Yes, SingleStore is a hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP) database that combines operational (OLTP) and analytical (OLAP) workloads in a single unified engine, eliminating the need for separate systems.

Source
SingleStore: Does SingleStore integrate with Apache Spark?

Yes, SingleStore provides the Spark Connector 3.0 for bidirectional data integration with Apache Spark. The connector supports SQL, Python, Scala, Java, and R for data loading and extraction.

Source
SingleStore: Can SingleStore ingest data from Kafka?

Yes, SingleStore supports high-throughput streaming ingestion from Apache Kafka and other sources, enabling millions of events per second without requiring ETL pipelines or data movement.

Source
SingleStore: Is SingleStore available as cloud or self-managed?

SingleStore offers both deployment options: SingleStoreDB Cloud (managed service) and SingleStore Self-Managed for on-premises or private cloud deployments. The managed service handles infrastructure, scaling, and maintenance automatically.

Source
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Related pages

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