CockroachDB
CockroachDB is a distributed SQL database made by Cockroach Labs. It is available as the managed CockroachDB Cloud service and as software you run yourself under the CockroachDB Enterprise license. Since 18 November 2024 there is no separate open source Core edition, and the free self-hosted option is Enterprise Free for individuals and businesses under $10M in annual revenue.
Facts checked on against the sources listed at the end of this page.
- Pricing
- Pay as you goPaid from $0.092 per vCPU-hour on Standard (AWS us-east-1)
- Open source
- NoProprietary (CockroachDB Enterprise license)
A good fit for
- Applications that need SQL with transactions across several regions
- Systems that must stay available when a node or zone fails
- Small companies that want a free self-hosted option under the revenue limit
- Teams that prefer a managed service billed by vCPU-hour
Not a good fit for
- Teams that need an open source license: CockroachDB Core was retired on 18 November 2024
- Companies over $10M in annual revenue that want a free self-hosted database: they need a paid Enterprise license
- Small single-region apps where a plain Postgres or MySQL service costs less and is simpler
- Predictable flat monthly bills: Cloud pricing depends on vCPU-hours and region
CockroachDB pricing
CockroachDB Cloud bills by vCPU-hour under the Cockroach Continuum pricing, which applies to Cloud organizations created on or after 15 September 2026. Existing customers stay on their current pricing unless they opt in. Rates shown are for AWS us-east-1 and vary by region.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud trial | Free for 30 days | $400 in credit for new organizations. Standard needs no credit card. After the trial, clusters pause and you have a 30-day grace period to add a payment method before they are deleted. |
| Standard | $0.092 per vCPU-hour, about $203 a month for 2 vCPUs and 100 GB | The lower-cost Cloud edition. |
| Mission Critical | $0.162 per vCPU-hour, about $1,528 a month for 12 vCPUs and 100 GB | The higher edition, which needs a credit card. |
| Enterprise Free (self-hosted) | $0 | For individuals and businesses under $10M in annual revenue. Community support only. |
Prices in USD, checked on 14 October 2026. Current prices on cockroachlabs.com.
Main features
- Distributed SQL
- Relational data and transactions across multiple nodes and regions.
- Two cloud editions
- CockroachDB Cloud comes as Standard and Mission Critical.
- Self-hosted option
- Run the software yourself under the Enterprise or Enterprise Free license.
- Change data capture
- Sold as an add-on on Cloud, billed per vCPU-hour.
- Physical cluster replication
- A Cloud add-on, billed per vCPU-hour.
- Committed-use discounts
- Annual and committed-use contracts get volume discounts, bought as upfront credits worth $1 each.
About CockroachDB
CockroachDB speaks SQL and spreads data across several nodes, so a cluster can keep running when a node or zone fails. Teams use it for applications that need strong consistency and a relational model at a scale one server cannot handle.
You can use it as CockroachDB Cloud, where Cockroach Labs runs the cluster, or run it yourself. On 18 November 2024 Cockroach Labs retired the Core edition and moved all self-hosted users to a single Enterprise license. Enterprise Free covers individuals and businesses under $10M in annual revenue, renewed each year if you still qualify.
Enterprise Free requires telemetry, except for ephemeral clusters of 7 days or less, and offers community support only.
- Made by
- Cockroach Labs
- Launched
- 2015
- Free plan
- Cloud: 30-day trial with $400 in credit. Self-hosted: Enterprise Free for individuals and businesses under $10M in annual revenue.
CockroachDB alternatives
Questions about CockroachDB
Is CockroachDB open source?
No longer. Cockroach Labs retired the Core edition on 18 November 2024 and moved self-hosted users to the CockroachDB Enterprise license. The source code is still on GitHub.
Is CockroachDB free?
Self-hosted Enterprise Free is $0 for individuals and businesses under $10M in annual revenue. CockroachDB Cloud has a 30-day trial with $400 in credit, then bills by usage.
How much does CockroachDB Cloud cost?
Standard is $0.092 per vCPU-hour, which the pricing page puts at about $203 a month for 2 vCPUs and 100 GB. Mission Critical is $0.162 per vCPU-hour. Rates are for AWS us-east-1 and vary by region.
What happened to CockroachDB Core?
It was eliminated on 18 November 2024. Core users moved to a single Enterprise license and gained access to Enterprise Free features.
Does CockroachDB use SQL?
Yes. It is a distributed SQL database with relational tables and transactions.
Sources and links
Work on CockroachDB? Claim this listing. Something wrong or out of date? Suggest a correction. Stats come from the public GitHub and npm APIs and update every day.