CockroachDB vs MongoDB Atlas Pricing (2026)

Which one is cheaper?

One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.

Can I use either one for free?

Both offer free plans, so you can try each without paying. Start with whichever fits your workflow better and upgrade when you hit the limits.

How do they charge?

Both use a usage-based model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.

Which one is a better deal?

Depends on what you need. CockroachDB: At $0.18/hr for 2 vCPUs, they're positioning competitively against managed Postgres alternatives like AlloyDB or Aurora, but the distributed SQL angle means they're really gunning for teams that have outgrown single-region databases — not the cheapest option, but cheaper than building multi-region resilience yourself. MongoDB Atlas: Atlas sits in the premium tier of managed databases, competing directly with AWS DocumentDB and Azure Cosmos DB, but leans on MongoDB's native compatibility as a differentiator over cloud-vendor lock-in alternatives. They're not the cheapest option — they're pitching developer experience and ecosystem depth to teams that want to avoid the friction of self-managing MongoDB.

Still deciding? See the best CockroachDB alternatives or the best MongoDB Atlas alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.