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Databases · head to head

Cockroach Labs vs YugabyteDB

Cockroach Labs logo

Cockroach Labs

Databases

The cloud-native distributed SQL database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YugabyteDB logo

YugabyteDB

Databases

Open source distributed SQL database for cloud native apps

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); YugabyteDB missing PostgreSQL functions and extensions despite claiming compatibility
  • They diverge on capability: Cockroach Labs covers Automatic Sharding, YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cockroach Labs and YugabyteDB differ
AttributeCockroach LabsYugabyteDB
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureCloud, On-premises, Kubernetes
Founded20152016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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

  • Automatic Sharding
  • Multi-region Replication
  • Geo-partitioning
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Survivability
  • PostgreSQL Compatibility
  • Terraform
  • Datadog

Only in YugabyteDB

  • PostgreSQL Compatible
  • Geo-distribution
  • Linear Scalability
  • High Availability
  • CDC Support
  • PostgreSQL
  • Cassandra
  • Spring

Both cover

  • Distributed SQL
  • ACID Transactions
  • Kubernetes

What people use each for

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

Cockroach Labs

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

YugabyteDB

  • Transaction processingnot Cockroach Labs
  • Data storagenot Cockroach Labs
  • Application backendnot Cockroach Labs
  • Reportingnot Cockroach Labs
  • Data analyticsnot 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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Cockroach Labs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cockroach Labs review.

YugabyteDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the YugabyteDB review.

Which should you pick?

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.
Cockroach Labs review

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.
YugabyteDB review

Questions people ask

Is Cockroach Labs or YugabyteDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Cockroach Labs starts at Free and YugabyteDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cockroach Labs or YugabyteDB?
Cockroach Labs starts at Free and YugabyteDB at Free.
Does Cockroach Labs or YugabyteDB run on more platforms?
Cockroach Labs runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. YugabyteDB runs on Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes.
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 YugabyteDB is typically brought in for.
What can Cockroach Labs do that YugabyteDB cannot?
Cockroach Labs covers Automatic Sharding, Multi-region Replication, Geo-partitioning, Horizontal Scaling. YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible, Geo-distribution, Linear Scalability, High Availability. Both handle Distributed SQL, ACID Transactions, Kubernetes.

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
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.

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
YugabyteDB: 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.

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
YugabyteDB: 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.

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
YugabyteDB: 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
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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