Software · head to head
Google Cloud SQL vs Cockroach Labs
Google Cloud SQL
Software
Fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Google Cloud SQL locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
- They diverge on capability: Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability, Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Cloud SQL and Cockroach Labs actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Cloud SQL | Cockroach Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | freemium |
| Platforms | Google Cloud Platform | AWS, GCP, Azure |
| Founded | 2008 | 2015 |
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 Google Cloud SQL
- High Availability
- Automated Backups
- Point-in-time Recovery
- Regional/Zonal Instances
- Read Replicas
- Private IP
- BigQuery
- Dataflow
Only in Cockroach Labs
- Distributed SQL
- Automatic Sharding
- Multi-region Replication
- Geo-partitioning
- ACID Transactions
- Horizontal Scaling
- Survivability
- PostgreSQL Compatibility
Both cover
- Encryption
- Kubernetes
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Cloud SQL
- Transaction processingnot Cockroach Labs
- Data storagenot Cockroach Labs
- Application backendnot Cockroach Labs
- Reportingnot Cockroach Labs
- Data analyticsnot Cockroach Labs
Cockroach Labs
- Distributed SQL database for scalable applicationsnot Google Cloud SQL
- Multi-region deployment and failovernot Google Cloud SQL
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Google Cloud SQL
- Locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability
- Pay-as-you-go pricing can become expensive with unpredictable workloads
- Limited customization options compared to self-managed databases
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
Google Cloud SQL
Free- Free TierFree
- db-f1-micro instance
- 30GB storage
- Limited usage
- Standard$25/month
- High availability
- Automated backups
- Point-in-time recovery
Cockroach Labs
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Google Cloud SQL if
- You need high availability.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Google Cloud Platform.
- You also want automated backups.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Cloud SQL or Cockroach Labs better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud SQL 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, Google Cloud SQL or Cockroach Labs?
- Google Cloud SQL starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free.
- Does Google Cloud SQL or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
- Google Cloud SQL runs on Google Cloud Platform. Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
- Can I use Google Cloud SQL for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Google Cloud SQL best used for?
- Google Cloud SQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Cockroach Labs is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Cloud SQL do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
- Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability, Automated Backups, Point-in-time Recovery, Regional/Zonal Instances. Cockroach Labs covers Distributed SQL, Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning. Both handle Encryption, Kubernetes.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Google Cloud SQL: What database engines does Google Cloud SQL support?
Google Cloud SQL supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. Users can choose their preferred engine when provisioning an instance and Google handles automated backups, replication, patching, and scaling.
SourceGoogle Cloud SQL: Does Google Cloud SQL have a free tier?
Google Cloud SQL does not have a free tier, though new users receive free trial credits from Google Cloud Platform. Pricing is based on compute resources (CPU and memory) and storage used, with options for committed use discounts.
SourceGoogle Cloud SQL: Can Google Cloud SQL scale automatically?
Yes. Cloud SQL automatically scales database storage and compute resources to handle increased workloads without manual intervention, and includes automated backups and high availability configurations.
Source