Neon vs CockroachDB

Serverless Postgres with branching meets the cockroach of databases: hard to kill, spreads everywhere, and surprisingly good at sql. Here's our take.

Neon

Nice Pick

Serverless Postgres with branching. PlanetScale vibes, Postgres reality.

Pros

• Serverless Postgres
• Branching
• Generous free tier
• Scale to zero

Cons

• Newer
• Cold starts
• Smaller community

CockroachDB

The cockroach of databases: hard to kill, spreads everywhere, and surprisingly good at SQL.

Pros

• Strong consistency across distributed nodes without manual sharding
• PostgreSQL wire protocol compatibility for easy migration
• Automatic data replication and rebalancing for high availability

Cons

• Higher latency compared to single-node databases due to distributed overhead
• Complex licensing and pricing can be a headache for scaling

The Verdict

Use Neon if: You want serverless postgres and can live with newer.

Use CockroachDB if: You prioritize strong consistency across distributed nodes without manual sharding over what Neon offers.

The Bottom Line

Neon wins

Serverless Postgres with branching. PlanetScale vibes, Postgres reality.