CockroachDB vs IBM Db2 Database comparison

Cockroach and IBM are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Cockroach is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.4, while IBM is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.3. Cockroach holds a 4.1% mindshare in SQL, compared to IBM’s 7.5% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of Cockroach users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of IBM users who would recommend it.

CockroachDB

Read 12 CockroachDB reviews

2,405 Views
2,237 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Read 75 IBM Db2 Database reviews

4,932 Views
4,735 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

CockroachDB

IBM Db2 Database

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

IBM Db2 Database and CockroachDB compete in the database industry, serving enterprise-level customers. While both have their strengths, CockroachDB's cloud capabilities and user-friendly deployment give it an edge in cloud environments.

Features: IBM Db2 Database offers robust SQL dialect capabilities, platform versatility, and self-tuning memory management that optimize performance. It ensures reliability and integration with other IBM products. Db2 is known for its stability, scalability, and security, appealing to industries like banking. CockroachDB is recognized for its distributed nature, geo-replication, and fault tolerance, making it suitable for global applications. It supports SQL and is compatible with PostgreSQL, enabling scalability and availability in cloud deployments.

Room for Improvement: IBM Db2 faces challenges with a steep learning curve, complex licensing, and limited training and support resources. Cloud integration and administration complexity can be improved. CockroachDB could enhance PostgreSQL compatibility, disaster recovery features, and serverless pricing models. Better documentation and language support are needed to cater to a broader audience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Db2 is mainly deployed on-premises, with hybrid and private cloud options less advanced than CockroachDB's cloud capabilities. IBM's technical support is generally helpful but can be delayed or complex. CockroachDB benefits from simpler architecture and flexible deployment options. IBM’s customer service is robust but can be complex, while CockroachDB offers straightforward engagement.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Db2's pricing is often viewed as high due to complex licensing and mainframe costs, yet it provides significant ROI through performance. CockroachDB offers flexible pricing suitable for small to large enterprise solutions, with transparent and flexible pricing leading to positive ROI for performance.

To learn more, read our detailed CockroachDB vs. IBM Db2 Database Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CockroachDB vs. IBM Db2 Database

July 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

CockroachDB

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

11th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Db2 Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of CockroachDB is 4.1%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 7.5%, up from 6.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Dang Quy Tai

Student at Univerzita obrany

Geo-replication benefits with distributed setup and a helpful AI support chatbot

I am studying how to deploy CockroachDB and YugaByteDB, and learning some basic information about them. I am testing these databases as part of my school application to find a suitable database for our applications. Currently, I am using PostgreSQL, however, I want to try some distributed databases…

Read full review

ArpitKhare

Database Admin Senior Consultant at Capgemini

Offers optimizer plan and ALSM features along with exceptional stability

The TSA version of IBM Db2 Database doesn't meet my stability expectations. Every time when a switch over occurs, some stability issues can be noticed. The vendor should offer a free version of IBM Db2 Database. For instance, if our company wants to train new individuals on all the features of IBM Db2 Database, they can only be trained after purchasing the paid version of the solution. About ten years ago, a trial version was available for the solution that was highly beneficial for companies. The vendor can add AI or ML features in the future version of IBM Db2 Database.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The product has valuable security features."

"The most valuable feature is that CockroachDB is a distributed database, which can deploy nodes running in different regions."

"I use CockroachDB to test big data samples and to create the best structure for databases. We have four users and required 10 people for deployment and maintenance."

"The best feature of CockroachDB is the ability to keep the nodes in different locations."

"The subset of SQL that my client is using is completely supported."

"The availability and the easy to use feature is the most valuable. The documentation is also good."

"CockroachDB is highly reliable."

"The initial setup and deployment are simple."

More CockroachDB pros

"The stability of IBM Db2 Database is stable. We have not faced any downtime in one year. Our work is mostly during business hours and during that time, we haven't faced any downtime."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the integration with other IBM products."

"It's a very mature product."

"The scalability and availability of this solution are the most valuable features."

"Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need."

"The most valuable features are the simplicity of the database and the access to Db2 and Db2 information."

"The most valuable feature of the IBM Db2 Database is security."

"It is a scalable solution."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

Cons

"I would like CockroachDB to have more compatibility with PostgreSQL, especially with the connection string and technical integrations."

"The closer they can make CockroachDB to being completely compatible with Postgres, the better. It's almost compatible, but not completely. If it was, it would be nice to just be able to use Postgres libraries without any fiddling."

"The product must improve its disaster recovery features."

"I find the serverless offer a bit confusing."

"The initial setup and pricing could be improved."

"We are looking for more features to support distributed high availability and geo-partitioning."

"I think the engine itself could be improved. If you miss a partition key, it should be able to be modeled. This is where AI could be really helpful. For example, if a user is from Australia, the system should know to look for their data there first instead of searching in the US or another continent."

"The platform could be more extensible."

More CockroachDB cons

"The management of Db2 should be simplified because there are not too many specialists in this area, and the learning curve of Db2 specialists is very long. After the courses, probably it takes one and a half or two years to get to the point when you are using the product properly in the production systems. So, the complexity is very high, and the most important thing is to simplify the management of the product, including self-maintenance. They should simplify the installation, management, and monitoring to simplify the product. It takes too long for a person to be a specialist in this product."

"Performance is something that can be improved with DB2."

"The usage of Db2 could be simplified, as it is quite complex and requires substantial knowledge of Db2 and zOS."

"The queries can be difficult for beginners because there are so many. I would like to see more use cases for flow analysis that enable us to correlate the flow with events. Adding this feature in a QI format would be good for beginners."

"The command line part of this solution could be much better."

"It would be ideal if the solution offered backup functionality. Many similar tools already do, which means Db2 is somewhat behind the curve in terms of what a customer might expect from it."

"When I look at Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Server provides me with better tools for database management."

"The technical support team is not very good when compared to the efficiency of Oracle's support."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's pricing is not cheap. However, the good thing is that customers are willing to pay for it if they want it."

"The product's price depends on the user's company and the contract model they enter into with CockroachDB. Depending on the contract model one enters into with CockroachDB, the product may or may not be expensive."

"I've used CockroachDB at a small scale on the free accounts because we are only testing."

"The pricing is good but can be made cheaper. I would rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"The platform is affordable even for the enterprise version. It provides value for investment in terms of performance."

"Compared to other databases, Db2 is relatively cheaper."

"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"Db2 is less expensive than Oracle."

"They are competitive and honest (compared to how peer firms approach licensing conversations). "

"It's very expensive."

"The total cost of the solution depends upon the PVU licensing"

"It is expensive."

"Clients are required to purchase a license."

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

33%

Computer Software Company

13%

Educational Organization

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

20%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about CockroachDB?

The subset of SQL that my client is using is completely supported.

See all answers

What needs improvement with CockroachDB?

I would like CockroachDB to have more compatibility with PostgreSQL, especially with the connection string and technical integrations.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for CockroachDB?

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Db2 Database?

Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Db2 Database?

IBM Db2 is an expensive solution. While I am not heavily involved with pricing, additional companies provide capabilities or products like those from BMC, which many installations might also purchase.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Db2 Database?

IBM is implementing some release improvements. It might be slightly slower than other database vendors, but it works well since banks typically do not move quickly with leading-edge technology.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 26% of the time

Citus Data vs CockroachDB

Compared 15% of the time

YugabyteDB vs CockroachDB

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Database vs CockroachDB

Compared 9% of the time

SAP HANA vs CockroachDB

Compared 3% of the time

More CockroachDB Competitors

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 33% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 19% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 14% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 13% of the time

Amazon Aurora vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CockroachDB

July 2025

Download CockroachDB product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

July 2025

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Also Known As

No data available

DB2

Overview

CockroachDB is a distributed SQL database built on a transactional and strongly-consistent key-value store. It scales horizontally; survives disk, machine, rack, and even datacenter failures with minimal latency disruption and no manual intervention; supports strongly-consistent ACID transactions; and provides a familiar SQL API for structuring, manipulating, and querying data.

CockroachDB is inspired by Google’s Spanner and F1 technologies, and it’s completely open source.

Cockroach

DB2 Enterprise for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is the ideal data server for the most demanding workloads. New XML support is designed to help firms minimize the time and effort it takes to persist and use their XML data reducing development costs and improving business agility.

IBM

Sample Customers

Baidu, Kindred, Tierion, Heroic Labs, Gorgias

Knorr-Bremse, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Australian Government Department of Defence, SCHWENK Zement, Friedhelm Loh Group, YAZAKI Europe Limited, Ekornes ASA, Baldor Electric, VSN Systemen BV, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, PLANSEE Group, TE Connectivity, Hansgrohe SE, Openmatics, University of Toronto

Buyer's Guide

CockroachDB vs. IBM Db2 Database

July 2025

Free Report: CockroachDB vs. IBM Db2 Database

Find out what your peers are saying about CockroachDB vs. IBM Db2 Database and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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