Google Cloud SQL vs Google Cloud Spanner vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database comparison

Google Cloud Spanner and Google Cloud SQL are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. Google Cloud Spanner is ranked #8 with an average rating of 10.0, while Google Cloud SQL is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.9. Google Cloud Spanner holds a 7.8% mindshare in DS, compared to Google Cloud SQL’s 7.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Google Cloud Spanner users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Google Cloud SQL users who would recommend it.

Google Cloud Spanner

Read 5 Google Cloud Spanner reviews

1,449 Views
1,377 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Google Cloud SQL

Read 24 Google Cloud SQL reviews

2,280 Views
2,189 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Read 134 Microsoft Azure SQL Database reviews

4,459 Views
4,370 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Google Cloud Spanner

Google Cloud SQL

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Google Cloud SQL, Google Cloud Spanner, and Microsoft Azure SQL Database based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), MongoDB and others in Database as a Service (DBaaS).

To learn more, read our detailed Database as a Service (DBaaS) Report (Updated: March 2026).

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Database as a Service (DBaaS)

March 2026

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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:

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Google Cloud Spanner is 7.8%, up from 4.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Cloud SQL is 7.6%, down from 16.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 10.5%, down from 15.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Azure SQL Database	10.5%
Google Cloud SQL	7.6%
Google Cloud Spanner	7.8%
Other	74.1%

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Featured Reviews

LijomonJose

System Architect at UST Global EspaÃ±a

Offers good performance to users

The tool lacks to offer AI features. In the future, I would like the product to offer AI features to users. Nowadays, we are creating small acronyms for our SQL Server. We put some templates. If I just put your name and stop it, the entire cloud can be explored, but such features are not there in Google Cloud Spanner. As a layman rather than a developer, if I create a tool or a procedure. If I write a procedure and then when you describe a procedure, a dummy procedure will be written for you, and it will be available for you as a template in SQL Server, but such kind features are not there in Google Cloud Spanner.

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Rituraj NSIT

Sde 2 at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees

Drag and drop workflows have simplified data mapping and currently improve my cloud database work

The IPaaS Connector, which I have found most valuable, is part of Google Cloud SQL. Google Cloud's user interface is really good, which improves efficiency in my database operations. The UI is excellent, making it easier to understand what we are doing. Currently, I am working on IPaaS Connector, so it is really just a clickable interface without writing any code. I simply use drag and drop and connecting lines, and it is working. Google Cloud SQL's global infrastructure improves our database's latency metrics because we are using Gemini in our project. Since both are products of Google, it makes our product faster.

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Thomas Sawyer

Executive Director, Platform Architecture at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group

Automatic tuning and multi-region availability have reduced manual workloads and improved performance management

The features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database that I like the most are easy scaling and high availability. I appreciate those features because it's easy to make Microsoft Azure SQL Database readily available in a multi-region infrastructure. Using Microsoft Azure SQL Database is very easy; it's much easier than SQL on-premise because I don't have to worry about deploying infrastructure, and I can rapidly deploy via infrastructure as code. I am using the automatic tuning feature in Microsoft Azure SQL Database. We are using the new feature of data encryption in Microsoft Azure SQL Database with customer-managed keys only. The reliability and stability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database platform are rock-solid; it's as good, if not better, than what our on-premise stability has been from an uptime perspective.

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

"Google Cloud Spanner is stable."

"It is a very scalable solution."

"The application deployment in the cloud is the best feature of the infrastructure."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its scalability. Scalability comes with two options, among which Google Cloud Spanner can scale horizontally, compared to other relational databases that scale vertically."

"The solution is stable and reliable."

"We can scale the solution if we need to."

"This is a stable solution and offers good performance."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"As a cloud product, we're always on the latest version of the solution, it self-updates, and it's easier to maintain so you don't really have to worry about the operation side of it."

"It supports different databases, like Postgres and MySQL."

"I found its storage and security to be the most valuable. It was a good experience. It is also very stable and scalable, and its support is perfect."

"They have good multi-region failure support, and we can just set up there and read replicas directly and we can fall back."

"Ease of management and the ability to oversee the statistics of your SQL."

"The deployment model allows for significant control and flexibility."

More Google Cloud SQL pros

"Its easy usage is the most valuable."

"It's easy to use in terms of their portal, which is very nicely organized."

"I would recommend SQL Azure."

"I am very happy with this solution; right now, I don't think there is anything I would change."

"We don't have to manage it much. It is managed by Microsoft, which makes it easy for us because there is no admin overhead for managing the servers. It is also easily scalable. During peak hours, it can scale higher."

"The solution effectively handles storing and maintaining information in databases."

"The product is quite stable. The performance is great and it's reliable."

"The data availability and speed are impressive, especially compared to legacy systems. The loading speeds are much faster on Azure SQL."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pros

Cons

"Google came up with something called Cloud Spanner Emulator, which fails to work like the real product if I want to develop some code and run a database locally on my machine."

"The tool needs to improve horizontal scaling."

"The cost can be a bit high."

"I want to improve the deployment of cameras and surveillance infrastructure."

"The cost can be a bit high."

"The tool lacks to offer AI features."

"When discussing media files, such as images and audio files, stored in Google Cloud, concerns about handling large amounts of data arise."

"Sometimes the sharing with third parties or configuring that in Google Cloud SQL is not the most intuitive."

"For data analysis, the AI area of the product has certain shortcomings where improvements are required."

"The most challenging part is dealing with legacy data from your old systems and migrating it into the new setup, but once you've completed the data migration, it becomes quite convenient to use."

"I am yet to explore a lot of features that are present in this solution. However, it would be good if more documentation is available for this solution."

"I am yet to explore a lot of features that are present in this solution. However, it would be good if more documentation is available for this solution. This would help us in preparing for the certification exam and understand it better. Currently, we don't have much documentation. We do the labs for 20 or 25 minutes, but we can't capture and download anything."

"The product's user interface could be more user-friendly to improve the overall user experience."

"The only room for improvement here is that they need to connect to more existing data sources so that it becomes easier for a layman to get a more realistic understanding of what's happening."

More Google Cloud SQL cons

"There could be more collaboration with other tools like Data Factory and Databricks."

"Microsoft Azure SQL Database would benefit from enhanced documentation, along with ongoing improvements to scalability and cost-effectiveness."

"The preset configuration switches we can select on SQL Azure should be made more liberal to work on."

"The benefits I have realized from using Microsoft Azure SQL Database are currently limited since we've only done it in test and dev environments right now, and we haven't moved to production, so we haven't realized the full gain just yet."

"We have a very small database running on SQL Azure. We have not been able to load bigger systems on it. It is still not something that is feasible. All our heavy-duty systems are on SAP, and it should have more compatibility with other vendors such as SAP. Its price can definitely be lower. It is pretty pricey."

"The solution has to scale up its expertise for hosting Oracle."

"The reason for this rating is that we do not get the support we need unless it is a critical situation. For example, in a priority B case, the support engineer may not contact us for two days, which is a significant area for improvement."

"The solution requires familiarity with its language so can be tricky."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is expensive."

"Google Cloud Spanner is an expensive solution."

"The solution is expensive."

"Price-wise, I heard that Google Cloud Spanner is on the higher side."

"From a financial perspective, Google Cloud SQL is on the cheaper side."

"While the platform’s pricing may be higher, it aligns with industry standards, considering the quality of service and features provided."

"It is not expensive, especially considering the significant reduction in database management time."

"The solution is affordable."

"The pricing is very much an important factor as to why we use this solution."

"It's really cheap. It wouldn't be more than, I believe it's around 50 euro per month for running a cloud SQL."

"You need to pay extra costs for backup and replication."

"The solution is moderately expensive."

"Offers options for paying the license on a yearly or a monthly basis."

"It's reasonably priced and when you compare it with other products in the cloud environment, it's cheaper."

"We have the licensing fee, and we are also paying a third party to maintain it with an SLA. There is no infrastructure cost, but its running costs are higher than expected. There is the cost of the Azure cloud, which is pricier than expected, but it is not specific to SQL Azure. It is specific to the cloud. You expect it to be cheaper, but it is more expensive to run it."

"From a licensing benefit standpoint, we have clients who are coming with their own SQL licensing with Software Assurance, and they are able to use those licenses for their Azure SQL and reduce costs."

"Compared to other providers, the pricing is definitely on the affordable side."

"I recommend considering a pay-as-you-go pricing model initially."

"It is expensive for us. We are looking for something less expensive and thinking of migrating the whole system."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

22%

Computer Software Company

11%

Healthcare Company

Media Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

University

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

11%

Marketing Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	60
Midsize Enterprise	17
Large Enterprise	61

Questions from the Community

What is your primary use case for Google Cloud Spanner?

Google Cloud Spanner has all the features of a traditional relational database, including schemas, SQL queries, ACID ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Spanner?

Price-wise, I heard that Google Cloud Spanner is on the higher side. I am not sure if this is a rumor or if it's fake...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud Spanner?

The tool lacks to offer AI features. In the future, I would like the product to offer AI features to users. Nowadays,...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud SQL?

We have set up automated patch management for Google Cloud SQL, and it does on a daily basis what needs to be done, s...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud SQL?

Sometimes the sharing with third parties or configuring that in Google Cloud SQL is not the most intuitive. From a us...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Google Cloud SQL?

I have been using Google Cloud SQL for two or three years since I started.

See all answers

What do you like most about SQL Azure?

The automated scalability feature of SQL Azure has proven to be highly beneficial, particularly when deployed in the ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SQL Azure?

I would say I am at a basic experience level with the pricing, setup costs and licensing because while I am the admin...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SQL Azure?

I have no comments at the moment on how Microsoft Azure SQL Database can be improved. I have no comments on additiona...

See all answers

Comparisons

Oracle Database as a Service vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 22% of the time

Yugabyte Platform vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 15% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 13% of the time

Yugabyte Cloud vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Exadata Cloud at Customer vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 4% of the time

More Google Cloud Spanner Competitors

Amazon RDS vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 21% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 15% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 5% of the time

Oracle Exadata Cloud at Customer vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 5% of the time

Amazon Aurora vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 4% of the time

More Google Cloud SQL Competitors

Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 14% of the time

Azure Database for PostgreSQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 11% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 7% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

March 2026

Download Google Cloud Spanner product report

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud SQL

March 2026

Download Google Cloud SQL product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

March 2026

Download Microsoft Azure SQL Database product report

Also Known As

Google Spanner

No data available

Overview

Cloud Spanner is the first and only relational database service that is both strongly consistent and horizontally scalable. With Cloud Spanner you enjoy all the traditional benefits of a relational database: ACID transactions, relational schemas (and schema changes without downtime), SQL queries, high performance, and high availability. But unlike any other relational database service, Cloud Spanner scales horizontally, to hundreds or thousands of servers, so it can handle the highest of transactional workloads. With automatic scaling, synchronous data replication, and node redundancy, Cloud Spanner delivers up to 99.999% (five 9s) of availability for your mission critical applications. In fact, Google’s internal Spanner service has been handling millions of queries per second from many Google services for years.

Google

Google Cloud SQL is a fully-managed database service that makes it easy to set up, maintain, manage, and administer your relational PostgreSQL and MySQL databases in the cloud. Google Cloud SQL offers high performance, scalability, and convenience. Hosted on Google Cloud Platform, Cloud SQL provides a database infrastructure for applications running anywhere.

Google

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is a relational database-as-a-service that delivers predictable performance, scalability, business continuity, data protection, and near-zero administration to cloud developers and solution architects. This is the deep technical library for Azure SQL Database.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Streak, Optiva, Mixpanel

BeDataDriven, CodeFutures, Daffodil, GenieConnect, KiSSFLOW, LiveHive, SulAm_rica, Zync

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH

Buyer's Guide

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

March 2026

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