Azure SQL Database vs CockroachDB Cloud

Azure SQL Database7.5Visit CockroachDB Cloud7.0Visit

Higher score Azure SQL Database #5 in Managed Database Hosting 7.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Azure SQL

vs

CockroachDB Cloud #7 in Managed Database Hosting 7.0/10 From $0.06 · 30-day trial ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit CockroachDB

• Azure SQL Database fits best

  Low-cost Azure SQL applications

• CockroachDB Cloud fits best

  Distributed PostgreSQL-compatible applications

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Side by side

Feature	Azure SQL Database 7.5/10 Visit ↗	CockroachDB Cloud 7.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.5	7.0
Ranking	#5 in Managed Database Hosting	#7 in Managed Database Hosting
Best for	Low-cost Azure SQL applications	Distributed PostgreSQL-compatible applications
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Web
Support	Docs, Community	Docs
Compliance	2FA	HIPAA, PCI DSS
Integrations	4 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Azure SQL Database 2/3 · CockroachDB Cloud 2/3
High availability	✓	✓
Point-in-time recovery	Not published	✓ (best)
Read replicas	✓ (best)	Not published
Specs
Database type	Not published	Relational
Scaling model	Not published	Both
Backup retention	7 days	Not published
Our review
Pros	Free offer supports up to 10 databases Serverless compute, elastic pools, and Hyperscale storage Built-in backups, monitoring, maintenance, and high availability	PostgreSQL-compatible SQL with ACID transactions Multi-region deployment with automatic scaling and rebalancing Backups, encryption, private connectivity, and recovery features
Cons	Basic is limited to 30 maximum concurrent logins Basic includes 2 GB and allows up to 7 days of backup retention Platform coverage is centered on Microsoft Azure	No free plan; usage is billed monthly by vCPU-hour Rates vary by cloud provider and region Advanced compliance and dedicated infrastructure require Mission Critical
Our verdict	Azure SQL Database is a managed relational database service built on Microsoft’s SQL Server engine. It is intended for development teams and organizations building or modernizing cloud applications on Azure. The service supports single… Read the review →	CockroachDB Cloud is a fully managed distributed SQL database for teams running applications across cloud regions and providers. It combines PostgreSQL-compatible SQL with ACID transactions, single- and multi-region deployment, automatic… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Azure SQL Database — where it wins

  • Free offer supports up to 10 databases
  • Serverless compute, elastic pools, and Hyperscale storage
  • Built-in backups, monitoring, maintenance, and high availability

  Where it doesn't

  • Basic is limited to 30 maximum concurrent logins
  • Basic includes 2 GB and allows up to 7 days of backup retention
  • Platform coverage is centered on Microsoft Azure

• CockroachDB Cloud — where it wins

  • PostgreSQL-compatible SQL with ACID transactions
  • Multi-region deployment with automatic scaling and rebalancing
  • Backups, encryption, private connectivity, and recovery features

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; usage is billed monthly by vCPU-hour
  • Rates vary by cloud provider and region
  • Advanced compliance and dedicated infrastructure require Mission Critical

• Azure SQL Database7.5/10 · Free plan

  A low-cost managed SQL service for applications built on Azure.

  Visit Azure SQLFull verdict →
• CockroachDB Cloud7.0/10 · From $0.06 · 30-day trial

  A PostgreSQL-compatible managed database for applications spanning regions and clouds.

  Visit CockroachDBFull verdict →