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Google Cloud Spanner vs MongoDB Atlas comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 2, 2025

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

Google Cloud Spanner
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
8th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MongoDB Atlas
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
Managed NoSQL Databases (7th), AWS Marketplace (18th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Google Cloud Spanner is 4.7%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MongoDB Atlas is 13.3%, down from 15.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Ethan Lo - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable and scalable relational database that ensures a return on investment for its users
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. You can change Google Cloud Spanner's resource configuration, which is done through processing units. Suppose you set up Google Cloud Spanner initially with a hundred processing units, and then you run out of resources since your database used too much CPU. In the aforementioned scenario, you can scale up or down and face no downtime in the production phase. The solution's features are important when running a company twenty-four hours, seven days a week.
Laksiri Bala - PeerSpot reviewer
Room for improvement in data handling leads to enhanced cost-effective data management performance
It would be beneficial if MongoDB Atlas could better support OLTP aspects and data frames, as well as enhance its capabilities for data pipelines and visualization dashboards. Furthermore, supporting the medallion architecture could be a valuable addition, and incorporating improved spatial and vector handling for geographical data could make it more competitive. Enhancing vector processing for AI capabilities would also be critical.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We can scale the solution if we need to."
"The application deployment in the cloud is the best feature of the infrastructure."
"Google Cloud Spanner is stable."
"It is a very scalable solution."
"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 cloud-based nature of this solution makes it flexible and scalable."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The product is simple to use and enterprise-ready. It is also open-source."
"The most valuable feature of MongoDB Atlas is it's seamless when working with a lot of different systems. Additionally, it is able to adjust the data based on the data being received."
"It's flexible. We don't need to have a solid upstream availability failover, and everything is seamless in Atlas."
"I rate MongoDB Atlas a nine out of ten."
"I find MongoDB Atlas highly scalable and easy to use, with very good support."
"I am impressed with the tool's integrations."
 

Cons

"The cost can be a bit high."
"The tool needs to improve horizontal scaling."
"I want to improve the deployment of cameras and surveillance infrastructure."
"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 lacks to offer AI features."
"The initial setup is not too difficult but can be somewhat tricky."
"I would like to have better performance for user experience with the solution."
"From an improvement standpoint, MongoDB can improve security."
"We had some edge cases where scalability was an issue where a node went offline, and we had to deal with that."
"It would be great if it were easier to integrate MongoDB Atlas with AWS services. Technical support for MongoDB Atlas could be better."
"MongoDB Atlas should improve its user experience by providing better explanations or a wizard for people working with its UI."
"A few areas that we have noticed as being problematic with the MongoDB Atlas include user access to the platform. Currently, it is difficult to restrict and control what actions a user can perform within the solution, which poses a challenge from an internal auditing perspective."
"That is the only drawback that I find with MongoDB: creating the trigger."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Google Cloud Spanner is an expensive solution."
"It is expensive."
"Price-wise, I heard that Google Cloud Spanner is on the higher side."
"The solution is expensive."
"The price of MongoDB Atlas is highly expensive to use and maintain. They are taking advantage of the users with such a high price."
"The tool is free since it's an open-source product."
"The pricing is acceptable for enterprise tier."
"We're currently using the Atlas for the night and don't require a license. However, it can be a problem if you want to use their enterprise environment. Then you need to purchase the license."
"The solution is fairly priced. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten."
"For our service, it was around 300 to 600 euros per month, which was acceptable for our customers."
"I am using the free version of the solution."
"The solution is expensive overall. It does not require a license but if you want the support then you will need to purchase the license. They use a pay-as-you-go model and you are able to receive some discounts by making longer usage commitments."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
22%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Retailer
8%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

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 transactions, and provides excellent integration and monitoring tools as well as...
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 news, but I believe that having BigQuery and GCP together could be a little cos...
What do you like most about MongoDB Atlas?
There are many valuable features, but scalability stands out. It can scale across zones. You can define multiple nodes. They have also partnered with AWS, offering great service with multiple featu...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MongoDB Atlas?
The price of MongoDB Atlas is reasonable, which is why many organizations, including mine, are opting for it.
What needs improvement with MongoDB Atlas?
There is nothing about MongoDB Atlas I would like to improve or any weak points at this time. I have not thought through what other features I would like to see included in future updates. MongoDB ...
 

Also Known As

Google Spanner
Atlas, MongoDB Atlas (pay-as-you-go)
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Streak, Optiva, Mixpanel
Wells Fargo, Forbes, Ulta Beauty, Bosch, Sanoma, Current (a Digital Bank), ASAP Log, SBB, Zebra Technologies, Radial, Kovai, Eni, Accuhit, Cognigy, and Payload.
Find out what your peers are saying about Google Cloud Spanner vs. MongoDB Atlas and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
862,624 professionals have used our research since 2012.