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Database & Data Management · head to head

Firebase Realtime Database vs Cockroach Labs

Firebase Realtime Database logo

Firebase Realtime Database

Database & Data Management

Store and sync data in real-time across all clients

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Database & Data Management

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Firebase Realtime Database the no-cost Spark plan caps storage at 1 GB, downloads at 10 GB per month and simultaneous connections at 100; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
  • They diverge on capability: Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync, Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firebase Realtime Database and Cockroach Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where Firebase Realtime Database and Cockroach Labs differ
AttributeFirebase Realtime DatabaseCockroach Labs
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidAWS, GCP, Azure
Founded20112015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Firebase Realtime Database

  • Real-time Sync
  • Offline Support
  • JSON Storage
  • Security Rules
  • Data Validation
  • Multi-platform SDKs
  • Scalable
  • Firebase Auth

Only in Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL
  • Automatic Sharding
  • Multi-region Replication
  • Geo-partitioning
  • ACID Transactions
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Survivability
  • PostgreSQL Compatibility

What people use each for

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

Firebase Realtime Database

  • Syncing JSON application state between clients in real timenot Cockroach Labs
  • Backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storagenot Cockroach Labs
  • Prototyping realtime features such as presence and chatnot Cockroach Labs

Cockroach Labs

  • Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot Firebase Realtime Database
  • Multi-region deployment and failovernot Firebase Realtime Database

Where each one falls short

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

Firebase Realtime Database

  • The no-cost Spark plan caps storage at 1 GB, downloads at 10 GB per month and simultaneous connections at 100
  • The Spark plan does not support multiple databases in a project
  • Even on the paid Blaze plan simultaneous connections are capped at 200,000 per database
  • Billing is by data transferred out at $1 per GB plus $5 per GB stored, so chatty clients cost more than the data volume suggests

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Firebase Realtime Database

Free
  • SparkFree
    • 1GB storage
    • 10GB/month download
    • 100 simultaneous connections
  • BlazeFree
    • Pay as you go
    • Unlimited storage
    • Unlimited connections

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Firebase Realtime Database if

  • You need real-time sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want offline support.
Firebase Realtime Database review

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

Questions people ask

Is Firebase Realtime Database or Cockroach Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. Firebase Realtime Database starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firebase Realtime Database or Cockroach Labs?
Firebase Realtime Database starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free.
Does Firebase Realtime Database or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
Firebase Realtime Database runs on Web, Ios, Android. Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
Can I use Firebase Realtime Database for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Firebase Realtime Database best used for?
Firebase Realtime Database is most often used for syncing json application state between clients in real time, backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storage, prototyping realtime features such as presence and chat. Of those, syncing json application state between clients in real time and backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storage are not what Cockroach Labs is typically brought in for.
What can Firebase Realtime Database do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync, Offline Support, JSON Storage, Security Rules. Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning.
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