Azure SQL Database vs Google Cloud SQL

Azure SQL Database8.9Visit Google Cloud SQL8.8Visit

Higher score Azure SQL Database #6 in Relational Databases 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Azure SQL

vs

Google Cloud SQL #7 in Relational Databases 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Google Cloud

• Azure SQL Database fits best

  Low-cost managed SQL Server

• Google Cloud SQL fits best

  Managed databases in Google Cloud

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Side by side

Feature	Azure SQL Database 8.9/10 Visit ↗	Google Cloud SQL 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.8
Ranking	#6 in Relational Databases	#7 in Relational Databases
Best for	Low-cost managed SQL Server	Managed databases in Google Cloud
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$0.04 usage-based
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Web
Integrations	4 integrations	6 integrations
Features Azure SQL Database 4/4 · Google Cloud SQL 3/4
Managed service	✓	✓
High availability	✓	✓
Read replicas	✓	✓
JSON data support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment model	Cloud	Cloud
Backup retention	7 days	7 days
Maximum connections	30 connections	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free offer supports up to 10 databases Serverless compute, backups, failover, and replicas Integrates with Azure Functions, Power BI, and Microsoft Fabric	Supports managed MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server instances Regional failover, replicas, encryption, and point-in-time backups Integrates with BigQuery, Cloud Run, GKE, and Cloud Observability
Cons	Basic allows 30 maximum concurrent logins Free usage is capped at 100,000 vCore seconds monthly Cloud and API coverage may not suit broader deployment needs	No free plan is available Pricing varies by region, engine, machine type, storage, and configuration Advanced capabilities are tied to the Google Cloud ecosystem
Our verdict	Azure SQL Database is a cloud-native relational database service built on Microsoft’s SQL Server engine. It is designed for development teams and organizations building or modernizing cloud applications on Azure. The service supports… Read the review →	Google Cloud SQL is a fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. It is designed for teams that want database administration tasks such as backups, maintenance, updates, encryption, monitoring, logging,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Azure SQL Database — where it wins

  • Free offer supports up to 10 databases
  • Serverless compute, backups, failover, and replicas
  • Integrates with Azure Functions, Power BI, and Microsoft Fabric

  Where it doesn't

  • Basic allows 30 maximum concurrent logins
  • Free usage is capped at 100,000 vCore seconds monthly
  • Cloud and API coverage may not suit broader deployment needs

• Google Cloud SQL — where it wins

  • Supports managed MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server instances
  • Regional failover, replicas, encryption, and point-in-time backups
  • Integrates with BigQuery, Cloud Run, GKE, and Cloud Observability

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Pricing varies by region, engine, machine type, storage, and configuration
  • Advanced capabilities are tied to the Google Cloud ecosystem

• Azure SQL Database8.9/10 · Free plan

  A low-cost managed SQL Server service with a free offer and Azure-native features.

  Visit Azure SQLFull verdict →
• Google Cloud SQL8.8/10 · Paid

  A managed MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server service with strong Google Cloud integration.

  Visit Google CloudFull verdict →