In simple English
This is a database that stores your application data across multiple computers. If one computer breaks, your app keeps working without losing data. It handles the same commands as PostgreSQL, so most existing applications work with it. Running a distributed database needs multiple servers and careful setup. It costs significant server resources and ongoing attention to keep healthy.
What it is
CockroachDB is a cloud-native distributed SQL database written in Go (a programming language built for fast, reliable network services). It provides strongly consistent transactions across multiple machines without requiring a single master server.
What it is good for
Solo builders and teams who need a database that scales across multiple servers and survives hardware failures without downtime.
- Survives server failures automatically without manual intervention.
- Scales horizontally by adding more machines to your cluster.
- Supports standard PostgreSQL drivers and tools for easy connection.
- Requires multiple servers or nodes to provide true high availability.
- Custom software licence restricts certain commercial hosting uses.
- Demands careful memory planning and monitoring for production stability.
Traditional single-server PostgreSQL or MySQL setups
PostgreSQL client drivers and ORMs
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curl https://binaries.cockroachdb.com/cockroach-v24.3.0.linux-amd64.tgz | tar -xz sudo cp -i cockroach-v24.3.0.linux-amd64/cockroach /usr/local/bin/ cockroach start-single-node --insecure