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Databases · head to head

CosmosDB vs Hookdeck

CosmosDB logo

CosmosDB

Databases

Globally distributed, multi-model database service from Azure

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit CosmosDBFull review
Hookdeck logo

Hookdeck

Developer Tools

Event gateway that receives, queues, retries and replays inbound webhooks

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HookdeckFull review

The short version

  • CosmosDB is free; Hookdeck starts at $39/mo.
  • Only CosmosDB lists global Distribution; only Hookdeck lists ingest and persist.
  • Where CosmosDB falls short: autoscale provisioned throughput enforces a minimum of 1,000 RU/s, billed hourly whether or not the database is used.
  • Where Hookdeck falls short: pricing meters delivered events, so fan-out multiplies the bill: one inbound event routed to four services counts as four deliveries.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CosmosDB and Hookdeck actually diverge.

Attributes where CosmosDB and Hookdeck differ
AttributeCosmosDBHookdeck
Pricing modelUsage-basedPer month by delivered event count
PlatformsWeb, AzureWeb, Linux, macOS, Windows
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: founded for Hookdeck.

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 CosmosDB

  • Global Distribution
  • Multi-model APIs
  • Elastic Scaling
  • Five Consistency Levels
  • SLA-backed Latency
  • Automatic Indexing
  • Serverless
  • Azure Functions

Only in Hookdeck

  • Ingest and persist
  • Automatic retries
  • Filters and fan-out
  • Transformations
  • Local development CLI
  • Rate limiting

What people use each for

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

CosmosDB

  • Running a globally distributed multi model database on Azurenot Hookdeck
  • Serving low latency reads and writes from multiple Azure regionsnot Hookdeck
  • Storing document, key value and graph data behind a managed servicenot Hookdeck

Hookdeck

  • A payments integration where losing a Stripe event during a deploy causes an order to go unfulfillednot CosmosDB
  • Fanning one provider webhook out to several internal services without each subscribing separatelynot CosmosDB
  • Debugging a partner integration by replaying the exact failing payload after shipping a fixnot CosmosDB
  • Receiving production-shaped webhooks on a developer laptop without running a public tunnelnot CosmosDB

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CosmosDB

  • Autoscale provisioned throughput enforces a minimum of 1,000 RU/s, billed hourly whether or not the database is used
  • Provisioned throughput is charged in every region the account is replicated to, so multi region accounts multiply the RU bill
  • Storage charges cover data, indexes and backups in each replicated region
  • Egress out of Azure and between regions is charged, though ingress is free
  • The free allowance is one account per Azure subscription, limited to 1,000 RU/s and 25 GB
  • RU/s rates vary by region and are only shown through the pricing calculator rather than a flat published rate

Hookdeck

  • Pricing meters delivered events, so fan-out multiplies the bill: one inbound event routed to four services counts as four deliveries
  • Free-tier retention is three days, which is shorter than the time it typically takes to notice a failing integration, so the payloads needed for a replay are often already gone
  • It becomes a single point of failure in front of every third-party integration, and an outage there means every provider webhook queues or fails at once
  • The transformation layer runs JavaScript in a constrained environment, so anything that needs a database lookup or an external call has to happen downstream instead
  • For a team already running Kafka or SQS the value is mostly the console and the replay UI, which is a hard cost to justify against infrastructure they already operate

Pricing, plan by plan

CosmosDB

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1000 RU/s
    • 25GB storage
    • First 12 months
  • ServerlessFree
    • Pay per request
    • Auto-scaling
    • Event-driven workloads

Hookdeck

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Up to ten thousand events per month
    • Three-day retention
    • One user
  • Team$39/mo
    • Ten thousand events included
    • Unlimited users
    • Pay as you go metering above the included events
  • Growth$499/mo
    • Ten thousand events included plus metered usage
    • Thirty-day retention
    • Uptime and latency SLAs
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Negotiated event volume
    • Custom retention
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose CosmosDB if

  • You need global distribution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Azure.
  • You also want multi-model apis.
CosmosDB review

Choose Hookdeck if

  • You need ingest and persist.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want automatic retries.
Hookdeck review

Questions people ask

Is CosmosDB or Hookdeck better?
Neither clearly leads. CosmosDB starts at Free and Hookdeck at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CosmosDB or Hookdeck?
CosmosDB starts at Free and Hookdeck at Free.
Does CosmosDB or Hookdeck run on more platforms?
CosmosDB runs on Web, Azure. Hookdeck runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use CosmosDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CosmosDB best used for?
CosmosDB is most often used for running a globally distributed multi model database on azure, serving low latency reads and writes from multiple azure regions, storing document, key value and graph data behind a managed service. Of those, running a globally distributed multi model database on azure and serving low latency reads and writes from multiple azure regions are not what Hookdeck is typically brought in for.
What can CosmosDB do that Hookdeck cannot?
CosmosDB covers Global Distribution, Multi-model APIs, Elastic Scaling, Five Consistency Levels. Hookdeck covers Ingest and persist, Automatic retries, Filters and fan-out, Transformations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CosmosDB: Is there a free tier for Azure Cosmos DB?

Yes, Cosmos DB offers a free tier with 1,000 RU/s of throughput and 25 GB of storage per month for the lifetime of the account, available to new accounts.

Source
Hookdeck: Is there a free plan?

Yes, ten thousand events a month with three-day retention and one user.

CosmosDB: How is Cosmos DB priced after the free tier?

Cosmos DB uses three billing models: provisioned throughput billed per request unit per second, vCore pricing for certain APIs, or serverless consumption pricing where you pay only for requests processed. Reserved capacity offers 20% discount for one year or 30% for three years.

Source
Hookdeck: How is usage counted?

By delivered events, so a single inbound webhook fanned out to three destinations counts as three.

CosmosDB: Can I change my pricing model after choosing one?

No. Once you select a compute pricing model and API, they cannot be changed. This choice is permanent for that database.

Source
Hookdeck: Can I replay a failed webhook?

Yes, individually or in bulk from the console, with the original payload.

CosmosDB: Is there a trial period for Cosmos DB beyond the free tier?

Azure offers a 30-day free trial account for all Azure services. Additionally, Azure AI customers may be eligible for a 90-day free Cosmos DB subscription through the Azure AI Advantage program.

Source
Hookdeck: Does it work for outbound webhooks too?

Yes, the same queueing, retry and observability applies to webhooks you send.

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