# CockroachDB, Microsoft SQL Server vs Google Cloud SQL Comparison

| | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 29 | 2,284 | 366 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (55.6% of reviews) | Enterprise (45.3% of reviews) | Mid-Market (40.2% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | Pay As You Go Per Month | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### CockroachDB

Pros:
- Database Management (4 reviews)
- Ease of Use (4 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (4 reviews)
- Complexity (2 reviews)

### Microsoft SQL Server

Pros:
- Ease of Use (32 reviews)
- Database Management (29 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (21 reviews)
- High Licensing Cost (12 reviews)

### Google Cloud SQL

Pros:
- Database Management (22 reviews)
- Integrations (21 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (17 reviews)
- Cost Concerns (7 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.7 (23 reviews) | 9.0 (1872 reviews) | 9.1 (255 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.9 (24 reviews) | 8.6 (1890 reviews) | 9.2 (263 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 9.0 (14 reviews) | 8.1 (1013 reviews) | 9.1 (117 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 9.1 (9 reviews) | 8.3 (954 reviews) | 9.0 (98 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 9.0 (21 reviews) | 8.3 (1666 reviews) | 8.8 (247 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 9.2 (8 reviews) | 8.4 (903 reviews) | 9.0 (96 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.9 (21 reviews) | 8.4 (1841 reviews) | 9.4 (252 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### CockroachDB

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

### Microsoft SQL Server

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Google Cloud SQL

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Committed Use Discounts

Price: Pay As You Go Per Month

Description: You can lower the cost by purchasing 1-year or 3-year commitment plans. Visit cloud.google.com/sql/pricing to check pricing for your region.

Key Features:
- CPU and memory
- Other features are available only through on-demand model

[Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Database Management Systems (DBMS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 9.0/10 | 176 |
| **Google Cloud SQL** | 9.0/10 | 114 |

#### Management

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data dictionary** | Not enough data | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 8.8 (94 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | 8.8 (153 reviews) | 8.8 (96 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | Not enough data | 9.2 (161 reviews) | 9.2 (100 reviews) | 
| **Data Modeling** | Not enough data | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 8.9 (98 reviews) | 
| **Performance Analysis** | Not enough data | 8.9 (160 reviews) | 9.1 (98 reviews) | 

#### Maintenance

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Migration** | Not enough data | 8.9 (158 reviews) | 9.0 (99 reviews) | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | 9.0 (163 reviews) | 9.1 (104 reviews) | 
| **Multi-User Environment** | Not enough data | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 8.7 (99 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Encryption** | Not enough data | 8.9 (153 reviews) | 9.2 (98 reviews) | 
| **User Access Control** | Not enough data | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 9.2 (99 reviews) | 

### Relational Databases

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | 8.2/10 | 15 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.8/10 | 1469 |
| **Google Cloud SQL** | 9.1/10 | 145 |

#### Management 

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Schema** | 8.1 (9 reviews) | 9.1 (152 reviews) | 9.1 (106 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 8.1 (9 reviews) | 9.2 (157 reviews) | 9.3 (106 reviews) | 
| **ACID - Complaint** | 8.7 (10 reviews) | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 9.2 (101 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | 8.8 (7 reviews) | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 9.3 (101 reviews) | 

#### Support 

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Text Search** | 6.7 (8 reviews) | 8.5 (144 reviews) | 8.9 (106 reviews) | 
| **Data Types** | 7.8 (10 reviews) | 9.0 (150 reviews) | 9.1 (107 reviews) | 
| **Languages** | 7.3 (10 reviews) | 8.6 (144 reviews) | 8.9 (102 reviews) | 
| **Operating Systems** | 8.7 (10 reviews) | 8.3 (154 reviews) | 8.9 (103 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Database Locking** | 8.5 (8 reviews) | 8.8 (149 reviews) | 9.1 (101 reviews) | 
| **Access Control** | 8.9 (9 reviews) | 9.0 (151 reviews) | 9.1 (104 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | 7.6 (7 reviews) | 8.8 (147 reviews) | 9.2 (104 reviews) | 
| **Authentication** | 8.3 (9 reviews) | 9.0 (149 reviews) | 9.2 (108 reviews) | 

#### Performance 

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Disaster Recovery** | 8.5 (9 reviews) | 8.7 (149 reviews) | 9.1 (110 reviews) | 
| **Data Concurrency** | 7.9 (8 reviews) | 8.8 (142 reviews) | 9.0 (103 reviews) | 
| **Workload Management** | 8.1 (8 reviews) | 8.7 (152 reviews) | 9.0 (104 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Indexing** | 7.9 (7 reviews) | 8.6 (147 reviews) | 8.8 (101 reviews) | 
| **Query Optimizer** | 7.3 (8 reviews) | 8.8 (150 reviews) | 9.0 (101 reviews) | 

#### Database Features

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Storage** | 8.7 (15 reviews) | 8.9 (1299 reviews) | 9.2 (130 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 9.1 (15 reviews) | 9.0 (1302 reviews) | 9.2 (132 reviews) | 
| **Stability** | 8.7 (15 reviews) | 8.9 (1314 reviews) | 9.1 (130 reviews) | 
| **Scalability** | 9.2 (13 reviews) | 8.7 (1281 reviews) | 9.0 (130 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 8.0 (14 reviews) | 8.8 (1278 reviews) | 9.3 (124 reviews) | 
| **Data Manipulation** | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 8.8 (1281 reviews) | 8.9 (124 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 8.5 (14 reviews) | 9.1 (1301 reviews) | 9.2 (125 reviews) | 

### Vector Database

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Cloud SQL** | N/A | N/A |

#### Data Indexing

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Semantic Search** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Indexing Data** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Filters

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Accurate Search** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Single Stage Filtering - Vector Database** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Database as a Service (DBaaS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | 8.3/10 | 10 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Cloud SQL** | 9.0/10 | 109 |

#### Configuration

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Application Performance** | 8.5 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (92 reviews) | 
| **Orchestration** | 9.0 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (85 reviews) | 
| **Database Monitoring** | 8.8 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.0 (92 reviews) | 
| **Anomaly Detection** | 7.2 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (81 reviews) | 
| **Network Security** | 8.2 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.4 (87 reviews) | 

#### Database Administration

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Provisioning** | 8.3 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (87 reviews) | 
| **Governance** | 8.3 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (83 reviews) | 
| **Auditing** | 8.1 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (82 reviews) | 

#### Availability

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | 8.7 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (93 reviews) | 
| **Backup** | 9.0 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (91 reviews) | 
| **Archiving** | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (86 reviews) | 
| **Indexing** | 8.3 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (84 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Masking** | 6.7 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (74 reviews) | 
| **Authentication And Single Sign-On** | 8.1 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.1 (80 reviews) | 
| **Data Anonymization** | 6.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (75 reviews) | 

#### Data Management

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Replication** | 9.4 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (82 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Data Analytics** | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (76 reviews) | 

### Big Data Processing and Distribution

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.4/10 | 62 |
| **Google Cloud SQL** | N/A | N/A |

#### Database

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Real-Time Data Collection** | Not enough data | 8.6 (58 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Distribution** | Not enough data | 8.8 (57 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Lake** | Not enough data | 8.4 (54 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Integrations

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Hadoop Integration** | Not enough data | 7.8 (45 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Spark Integration** | Not enough data | 8.2 (46 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Platform

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Machine Scaling** | Not enough data | 8.2 (50 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Preparation** | Not enough data | 8.5 (54 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Spark Integration** | Not enough data | 8.2 (46 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Processing

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Processing** | Not enough data | 8.6 (53 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Workload Processing** | Not enough data | 8.5 (56 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Big Data

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Cloud SQL** | N/A | N/A |

#### Building Reports

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Transformation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Modeling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **WYSIWYG Report Design** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Integration APIs** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Platform

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Mobile User Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Customization ** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **User, Role, and Access Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Internationalization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Sandbox / Test Environments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Performance and Reliability** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Breadth of Partner Applications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (2):** [Database Management Systems (DBMS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-management-systems-dbms), [Relational Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases)

**Unique to CockroachDB (2):** [Database as a Service (DBaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-as-a-service-dbaas), [Vector Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vector-database)

**Unique to Microsoft SQL Server (2):** [Big Data Processing And Distribution Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/big-data-processing-and-distribution), [On-Premise Data Integration Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/on-premise-data-integration)

**Unique to Google Cloud SQL (1):** [Database as a Service (DBaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-as-a-service-dbaas)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | Google Cloud SQL | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 55.6% | 18.2% | 33.6% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 37.0% | 36.5% | 40.2% | 
| **Enterprise** | 7.4% | 45.3% | 26.2% | 

### By Industry

#### CockroachDB

- **Computer Software:** 29.6%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 18.5%
- **Financial Services:** 14.8%
- **Telecommunications:** 3.7%
- **Retail:** 3.7%
- **Internet:** 3.7%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.7%
- **Higher Education:** 3.7%
- **Government Administration:** 3.7%
- **Computer Games:** 3.7%
- **Other:** 11.1%

#### Microsoft SQL Server

- **Information Technology and Services:** 24.1%
- **Computer Software:** 13.8%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 5.4%
- **Financial Services:** 4.3%
- **Higher Education:** 2.9%
- **Education Management:** 2.6%
- **Banking:** 2.5%
- **Government Administration:** 2.4%
- **Insurance:** 2.4%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.2%
- **Other:** 37.5%

#### Google Cloud SQL

- **Information Technology and Services:** 23.5%
- **Computer Software:** 18.0%
- **Staffing and Recruiting:** 6.4%
- **Banking:** 5.8%
- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 4.1%
- **Retail:** 3.8%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 3.8%
- **Financial Services:** 3.2%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.3%
- **Consulting:** 1.5%
- **Other:** 27.6%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to CockroachDB

- [YugabyteDB](https://www.g2.com/products/yugabytedb/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (65 reviews)
- [MongoDB Atlas](https://www.g2.com/products/mongodb-atlas/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (899 reviews)
- [Amazon DynamoDB](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-web-services-aws-amazon-dynamodb/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (529 reviews)
- [SingleStore](https://www.g2.com/products/singlestore/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (118 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [Snowflake](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (756 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1680 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [ScyllaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/scylladb/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (427 reviews)

### Alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server

- [Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (375 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (620 reviews)
- [Snowflake](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (756 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1680 reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1012 reviews)
- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (908 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)
- [Google Cloud BigQuery](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-bigquery/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1226 reviews)

### Alternatives to Google Cloud SQL

- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (908 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)
- [Azure SQL Database](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-sql-database/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (241 reviews)
- [Supabase](https://www.g2.com/products/supabase-supabase/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (51 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1680 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [MongoDB Atlas](https://www.g2.com/products/mongodb-atlas/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (899 reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1012 reviews)
- [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/mariadb/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (226 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### CockroachDB

No discussions available for this product.

### Microsoft SQL Server

- Title: [How can I work on the same query if the connection is lost (timeout) and then I reconnect?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/15675-how-can-i-work-on-the-same-query-if-the-connection-is-lost-timeout-and-then-i-reconnect) — 4 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "You can change the timeout for the query:

In the object explorer, right click a server and select properties. 
Go to Remote server connections, look for ..."
- Title: [How could I make much easier the experience with the order of my database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/13520-how-could-i-make-much-easier-the-experience-with-the-order-of-my-database) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "If you have SQL knowledge you can generate queries to obtain the specific data you're looking for based on selected criteria."
- Title: [What is the best way to save your queries?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12127-what-is-the-best-way-to-save-your-queries) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "I recommend that you use the saved querys in plain text or .sql or txt format you can use the same sql server query creator or a notepad +++ tool, they are..."
- Title: [Is there a free version of Microsoft SQL Server?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-a-free-version-of-microsoft-sql-server) — 3 comments
  > **Top comment:** "yes, SQL Server Express offers it as a free edition. It provides service, albeit in a limited framework."
- Title: [how did you import a MySQL database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-did-you-import-a-mysql-database) — 3 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "You can use the LinkedServer feature to mySQL database using the provider.
Check here for further..."

### Google Cloud SQL

- Title: [What is Cloud SQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-cloud-sql) — 3 comments *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Cloud SQL is a fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server with rich extension collections, configuration flags, and..."
- Title: [What is Google Cloud SQL used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-google-cloud-sql-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Cloud SQL automates tasks such as: Backups, Replication, Patches, Encryption, Storage capacity increases."
- Title: [How much is Google Cloud SQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-much-is-google-cloud-sql) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "It depends on different type of instances and configuration you use. It starts from 0.01 USD per hour."
- Title: [What are the features of Cloud SQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-features-of-cloud-sql) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Reduces maintenance cost and automates database provisioning, storage capacity, replication and backup. "

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/cockroachdb-vs-microsoft-sql-server-vs-google-cloud-sql)