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Databases · head to head

Cockroach Labs vs Firestore

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Databases

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Firestore logo

Firestore

Databases

Flexible, scalable NoSQL cloud database from Firebase

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); Firestore the no-cost Spark plan caps Standard edition at 50,000 document reads, 20,000 writes and 20,000 deletes per day
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Firestore covers Document Model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and Firestore differ
AttributeCockroach LabsFirestore
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureWeb, Ios, Android, Flutter
Founded20152011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

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
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Survivability
  • PostgreSQL Compatibility
  • Kubernetes

Only in Firestore

  • Document Model
  • Real-time Updates
  • Offline Support
  • Expressive Queries
  • Multi-region
  • Security Rules
  • Firebase Auth
  • Cloud Functions

Both cover

  • ACID Transactions

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

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

Firestore

  • Storing structured application data with realtime listenersnot Cockroach Labs
  • Backing mobile and web apps with a serverless document databasenot Cockroach Labs
  • Building offline first apps that sync when connectivity returnsnot 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

Firestore

  • The no-cost Spark plan caps Standard edition at 50,000 document reads, 20,000 writes and 20,000 deletes per day
  • The Spark plan caps storage at 1 GiB and network egress at 10 GiB per month
  • Charging is per document read, so a query returning many documents bills for every one of them
  • Going beyond the free thresholds requires the pay as you go Blaze plan billed at Google Cloud rates with no fixed monthly ceiling

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

Firestore

Free
  • SparkFree
    • 1GB storage
    • 50K reads/day
    • 20K writes/day
  • BlazeFree
    • Pay as you go
    • Unlimited operations
    • Multi-region

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 Firestore if

  • You need document model.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Flutter.
  • You also want real-time updates.
Firestore review

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or Firestore better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Firestore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or Firestore?
Cockroach Labs starts at Free and Firestore at Free.
Does Cockroach Labs or Firestore run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Firestore runs on Web, Ios, Android, Flutter.
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 Firestore is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that Firestore cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Firestore covers Document Model, Real-time Updates, Offline Support, Expressive Queries. Both handle ACID Transactions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cockroach Labs: What does the free Basic tier include?

The Basic tier is free and includes 50 million RUs and 10 GiB storage per month, with a maximum compute of 30K RU/sec. No credit card is required to start.

Source
Firestore: What are the free limits on Cloud Firestore?

The Spark Plan includes 1 GiB of stored data, 50,000 reads per day, 20,000 writes per day, and 20,000 deletes per day at no cost.

Source
Cockroach Labs: How much do the paid tiers cost?

Standard tier starts at $0.18 per hour for 2 vCPUs, and Advanced tier starts at $0.60 per hour for 4 vCPUs. Both tiers support additional resources with higher costs for increased compute and storage.

Source
Firestore: What happens when I exceed the Spark Plan free tier?

Exceeding the free tier requires upgrading to the Blaze Plan, which bills based on actual usage through Google Cloud pricing. Charges apply for reads, writes, deletes, and data storage.

Source
Cockroach Labs: What are the storage limits for each tier?

Basic plan supports up to 3 TiB storage, Standard tier up to 3 TiB, and Advanced tier up to 10 TiB per node with unlimited total storage.

Source
Firestore: Can I use Firestore without a credit card?

Yes, you can use the Spark Plan indefinitely without a credit card. To use the Blaze Plan (pay-as-you-go), a credit card is required.

Source
Cockroach Labs: Can I get trial credits before paying?

Yes, new users can try CockroachDB free with $400 in credits. The Basic and Standard plans do not require a credit card to start.

Source
Firestore: Is there a trial period for Cloud Firestore?

No trial period is specified. The Spark Plan free tier serves as the trial, with no time limit.

Source
Cockroach Labs: Do legacy contracts have different pricing?

Customers with annual or multi-year contracts entered before December 1, 2024 can view legacy pricing terms on a separate page, which apply until their contract renewal date.

Source
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