Database & Data Management · head to head
YugabyteDB vs Cockroach Labs
YugabyteDB
Database & Data Management
Open source distributed SQL database for cloud native apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Cockroach Labs
Database & Data Management
The cloud-native distributed SQL database
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: YugabyteDB missing PostgreSQL functions and extensions despite claiming compatibility; Cockroach Labs basic and Standard tiers limited to AWS and GCP (select regions only)
- They diverge on capability: YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible, Cockroach Labs covers Automatic Sharding.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which YugabyteDB and Cockroach Labs actually diverge.
| Attribute | YugabyteDB | Cockroach Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes | AWS, GCP, Azure |
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 YugabyteDB
- PostgreSQL Compatible
- Geo-distribution
- Linear Scalability
- High Availability
- CDC Support
- PostgreSQL
- Cassandra
- Spring
Only in Cockroach Labs
- Automatic Sharding
- Multi-region Replication
- Geo-partitioning
- Horizontal Scaling
- Survivability
- PostgreSQL Compatibility
- Terraform
- Datadog
Both cover
- Distributed SQL
- ACID Transactions
- Kubernetes
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
YugabyteDB
- 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 YugabyteDB
- Multi-region deployment and failovernot YugabyteDB
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
YugabyteDB
- Missing PostgreSQL functions and extensions despite claiming compatibility
- Not a true PostgreSQL replacement requiring schema and query compatibility testing before migration
- Requires careful isolation level management or risk data corruption in production
- Lacks built-in OLAP capabilities, requiring external systems for analytics
- Coupled compute and storage scaling reduces optimization flexibility
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
YugabyteDB
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the YugabyteDB review.
Cockroach Labs
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.
Which should you pick?
Choose YugabyteDB if
- You need postgresql compatible.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes.
- You also want geo-distribution.
Choose Cockroach Labs if
- You need automatic sharding.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on AWS, GCP, Azure.
- You also want multi-region replication.
Questions people ask
- Is YugabyteDB or Cockroach Labs better?
- Neither clearly leads. YugabyteDB 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, YugabyteDB or Cockroach Labs?
- YugabyteDB starts at Free and Cockroach Labs at Free.
- Does YugabyteDB or Cockroach Labs run on more platforms?
- YugabyteDB runs on Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes. Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
- Can I use YugabyteDB for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is YugabyteDB best used for?
- YugabyteDB 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 YugabyteDB do that Cockroach Labs cannot?
- YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible, Geo-distribution, Linear Scalability, High Availability. Cockroach Labs covers Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle Distributed SQL, ACID Transactions, Kubernetes.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
YugabyteDB: Is YugabyteDB a true drop-in replacement for PostgreSQL?
No, YugabyteDB is PostgreSQL-compatible but not a zero-change drop-in replacement. It requires compatibility testing with queries, stored procedures, and ORM configurations before migration.
SourceYugabyteDB: What isolation levels does YugabyteDB support?
YugabyteDB allows per-query selection between serializable isolation for critical operations and read-committed for analytics. However, this flexibility requires careful management to avoid accidental data corruption.
SourceYugabyteDB: Does YugabyteDB support both SQL and NoSQL workloads?
Yes, YugabyteDB offers YSQL for PostgreSQL-compatible SQL and YCQL for Cassandra-like NoSQL workloads, using the same DocDB storage engine to support both simultaneously.
SourceYugabyteDB: Can YugabyteDB scale compute and storage independently?
No, YugabyteDB couples compute and storage scaling, unlike TiDB which separates them. This means scaling decisions are less flexible and optimization is more complex.
Source