Software · head to head
CouchDB vs BigQuery
BigQuery
Software
Serverless, highly scalable enterprise data warehouse
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CouchDB append-only storage model may have performance implications for certain workloads with high update rates; BigQuery query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes
- They diverge on capability: CouchDB covers Multi-master Replication, BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CouchDB and BigQuery actually diverge.
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 CouchDB
- Multi-master Replication
- HTTP/JSON API
- MapReduce Views
- ACID Semantics
- Offline-first
- Conflict Resolution
- Fauxton UI
- PouchDB
Only in BigQuery
- Serverless Architecture
- Petabyte Scale
- Real-time Analytics
- Machine Learning
- Geospatial Analysis
- Streaming Ingestion
- Standard SQL
- Looker
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CouchDB
- Offline-first applications requiring seamless replication across mobile and server environmentsnot BigQuery
- Multi-master deployments where data consistency eventually resolves across regionsnot BigQuery
- IoT and edge computing scenarios with intermittent connectivitynot BigQuery
BigQuery
- Business intelligencenot CouchDB
- Data warehousingnot CouchDB
- Real-time analyticsnot CouchDB
- Reportingnot CouchDB
- Machine learningnot CouchDB
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CouchDB
- Append-only storage model may have performance implications for certain workloads with high update rates
- Requires network synchronisation for cluster data consistency; can introduce latency in multi-master scenarios
- No explicit support for complex joins; MapReduce queries may be inefficient compared to relational databases
BigQuery
- Query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes
- Data egress from Google Cloud incurs additional charges
Pricing, plan by plan
CouchDB
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the CouchDB review.
BigQuery
Free- Free TierFree
- 1TB queries/month
- 10GB storage/month
- Standard support
- On-demand$6.25/TB
- Pay per query
- Pay per storage
- All features
Which should you pick?
Choose CouchDB if
- You need multi-master replication.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Docker, Windows (x64), macOS, Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS), Raspberry Pi.
- You also want http/json api.
Choose BigQuery if
- You need serverless architecture.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud API.
- You also want petabyte scale.
Questions people ask
- Is CouchDB or BigQuery better?
- Neither clearly leads. CouchDB starts at Free and BigQuery at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CouchDB or BigQuery?
- CouchDB starts at Free and BigQuery at Free.
- Does CouchDB or BigQuery run on more platforms?
- CouchDB runs on Docker, Windows (x64), macOS, Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS), Raspberry Pi. BigQuery runs on Web, Cloud API.
- Can I use CouchDB for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is CouchDB best used for?
- CouchDB is most often used for offline-first applications requiring seamless replication across mobile and server environments, multi-master deployments where data consistency eventually resolves across regions, iot and edge computing scenarios with intermittent connectivity. Of those, offline-first applications requiring seamless replication across mobile and server environments and multi-master deployments where data consistency eventually resolves across regions are not what BigQuery is typically brought in for.
- What can CouchDB do that BigQuery cannot?
- CouchDB covers Multi-master Replication, HTTP/JSON API, MapReduce Views, ACID Semantics. BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, Petabyte Scale, Real-time Analytics, Machine Learning.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
BigQuery: How is BigQuery priced?
BigQuery charges $5 per terabyte of data processed in on-demand queries. Storage is billed separately: active storage is charged per GB, and data inactive for 90+ days moves to long-term storage at reduced rates.
SourceBigQuery: What is BigQuery's architecture?
BigQuery separates compute and storage, using Google's Colossus for distributed storage and Borg for computation, allowing independent scaling of each.
Source