Head-to-head · Distributed SQL Databases

PolarDB-X vs Huawei GaussDB

Updated Sep 2026
Both researched from official sources
5 checks side by side

PolarDB-X #7 in Distributed SQL Databases 5.7/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 6 features Visit PolarDB-X

Higher score Huawei GaussDB #8 in Distributed SQL Databases 6.1/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Huawei Cloud

PolarDB-X leads on 0 checks, Huawei GaussDB on 1, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

Highest scoreHuawei GaussDB · 6.1/10
Most featuresHuawei GaussDB · 5 of 6

Huawei GaussDB scores higher on our rubric for distributed sql databases: 6.1 against 5.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #8 and #7.

On deployment model, PolarDB-X gives you Both where Huawei GaussDB offers Cloud. Huawei GaussDB offers postgresql compatibility; PolarDB-X doesn't publish it.

PolarDB-X is the better fit for mySQL-compatible distributed HTAP. Huawei GaussDB is the better fit for managed PostgreSQL/MySQL HTAP.

PolarDB-X fits best
MySQL-compatible distributed HTAP
Huawei GaussDB fits best
Managed PostgreSQL/MySQL HTAP

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Side by side

Show only differences

Feature	PolarDB-X 5.7/10 Visit ↗	Huawei GaussDB 6.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	5.7	6.1
Ranking	#7 in Distributed SQL Databases	#8 in Distributed SQL Databases
Best for	MySQL-compatible distributed HTAP	Managed PostgreSQL/MySQL HTAP
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	Not published	Not published
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Docs	Tickets, Phone, Live chat, Email
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PolarDB-X 4/6 · Huawei GaussDB 5/6
PostgreSQL compatibility	Not published	✓ (best)
MySQL compatibility	✓	✓
Horizontal scaling	✓	✓
Multi-region deployment	✓	✓
Geo-partitioning	Not published	Not published
HTAP workloads	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Both	Cloud
Our review
Pros	Transparent distribution with automatic partition rebalancing Strongly consistent transactions with Paxos high availability HTAP support with column-store nodes and global secondary indexes	PostgreSQL-compatible and MySQL-compatible database modes Online scale-in and scale-out for distributed instances Cross-zone deployment and cross-region disaster recovery
Cons	Pricing varies by region, instance type, storage, and billing method Advanced distributed architecture may exceed simpler database needs Some ecosystem integrations are centered on Alibaba Cloud services	Pricing varies by region, configuration, storage, and billing mode Architecture choices span centralized and distributed deployment modes Online scaling is specified for distributed instances
Our verdict	PolarDB-X is Alibaba Cloud’s distributed relational database for applications with high concurrency, large tables, and growing storage requirements. It suits teams that want MySQL-compatible SQL syntax and ecosystem integration while… Read the review →	Huawei GaussDB is a managed cloud relational database service for enterprise workloads that need distributed storage, scale-out capacity, and availability features. It supports centralized and distributed deployment modes, with coordinator… Read the review →

P PolarDB-XDistributed SQL Databases 5.7Paid
H Huawei GaussDBDistributed SQL Databases 6.1Paid

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Strengths and trade-offs

PolarDB-X — where it wins
- Transparent distribution with automatic partition rebalancing
- Strongly consistent transactions with Paxos high availability
- HTAP support with column-store nodes and global secondary indexes
Where it doesn't
- Pricing varies by region, instance type, storage, and billing method
- Advanced distributed architecture may exceed simpler database needs
- Some ecosystem integrations are centered on Alibaba Cloud services
Huawei GaussDB — where it wins
- PostgreSQL-compatible and MySQL-compatible database modes
- Online scale-in and scale-out for distributed instances
- Cross-zone deployment and cross-region disaster recovery
Where it doesn't
- Pricing varies by region, configuration, storage, and billing mode
- Architecture choices span centralized and distributed deployment modes
- Online scaling is specified for distributed instances

PolarDB-X5.7/10 · Paid
A MySQL-compatible distributed database for scalable HTAP and high-concurrency workloads.
Visit PolarDB-X Full verdict →
Huawei GaussDB6.1/10 · Paid
A managed cloud database for PostgreSQL/MySQL-compatible HTAP at distributed scale.
Visit Huawei Cloud Full verdict →

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026