Google Cloud SQL vs IBM Db2 Database comparison

Google and IBM are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Google is ranked #19 with an average rating of 7.8, while IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4. Google holds a 1.0% mindshare in SQL, compared to IBM’s 6.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Google Cloud SQL

Read 23 Google Cloud SQL reviews

1,988 Views
636 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Read 75 IBM Db2 Database reviews

3,607 Views
3,463 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Google Cloud SQL

IBM Db2 Database

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Google Cloud SQL and IBM Db2 Database based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Relational Databases Tools solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Cloud SQL vs. IBM Db2 Database Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud SQL vs. IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

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 SQL

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

19th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Database as a Service (DBaaS) (6th), Database Management Systems (DBMS) (6th)

IBM Db2 Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Google Cloud SQL is 1.0%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 6.6%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Db2 Database	6.6%
Google Cloud SQL	1.0%
Other	92.4%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Victor Danso

Database Engineer at Springer Nature

Migration to cloud eases management but needs better support for high I/O operations

Google Cloud SQL needs to improve its support for high-end I/O operations. On-prem systems with high I/O capabilities perform better, as Google Cloud SQL takes more time to handle the same tasks. There is also difficulty in changing the time zone after the database is set up. Moreover, some features available in MSSQL on-prem are missing on Google Cloud SQL, affecting migration potential.

Read full review

reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Support improves setup and maintenance while pricing influences decision

If you have a similar use case and the same deal with IBM as our company, it is definitely a good option and choice. The company I work with has more than 50,000 people and more than 500 support staff. We are not locked into one database vendor. We typically work with multiple database vendors simultaneously, selecting the top choice based on the deals we make and other considerations. We do not use IBM Db2 Database related to AI at this moment because our AI project PLC is still very small scale. We may consider it in the future if we have enough scale. Overall rating for IBM Db2 Database is 8.5 out of 10.

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

"It's SQL. SQL is so easy if you know something about databases. It's easy to learn."

"Google Cloud SQL is easy to start with and allows me to scale as needed, which is advantageous from a developer perspective."

"The setup was straightforward. Just a couple of clicks, and we were done."

"The product is scalable."

"The solution is easy to use. I am impressed with the tool's features and functionality."

"Google Cloud SQL is highly scalable."

"The most valuable feature for us is the Postgres on Google Cloud SQL since it supports most of the features we need."

"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."

More Google Cloud SQL pros

"The solution is stable."

"I have found the most valuable feature to be its availability."

"IBM Db2 Database is perfect and leading in this area."

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

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

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

"Reliable, robust with great features."

"IBM DB2 pureScale Feature is valuable."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

Cons

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

"Google Cloud SQL needs to improve its support for high-end I/O operations. On-prem systems with high I/O capabilities perform better, as Google Cloud SQL takes more time to handle the same tasks."

"The purging of the data could be better."

"Google Cloud SQL still needs better connectivity to outside, existing data sources."

"The performance compared to AWS is not as fast, and the technical support could be better as they don't have a dedicated team, but mostly AI handles the support now."

"The monitoring part could be better."

"To create a seamless data integration, the title integration of these databases with the data integration platforms is essential. This is what we would like to have in a future release."

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

More Google Cloud SQL cons

"They should simplify the management of Db2 as a relational database system. There should be the simplification of management. This is probably one of the most important asks for being successful in the future."

"There could be more user-friendly tools with features such as drag-and-drop functionality, visual basics, and low-code capabilities."

"The ease of use, or ease of management, could be improved."

"IBM Db2 Database is not ACID compliant, which would improve it. Db2 lacks Isolation, so when two people are trying to update the same field at the same time it can become stuck. Other newer databases do not have this issue, such as Microsoft SQL, Oracle DB, PostgreSQL, and SAP HANA."

"We need some time to improve the performance. We have to perform a weekly REORG, or else RUNSTATS for the databases."

"IBM Db2 Database could improve in the steps it takes for upgrades. It is not an easy process. The process of upgrading the version is lengthy and requires a lot of time. To make it more efficient, I suggest implementing some automation on the solution side. This will greatly reduce the time required for the upgrade."

"The product’s user interface is not easy to use."

"They could enhance the product's cloud integration and general-purpose database capabilities."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The solution is affordable."

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

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

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

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

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

"It is expensive when compared to other products."

"The solution's pricing is fine."

"We purchase the product's yearly license."

"Among Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2, Microsoft SQL Server is the cheapest one, and Oracle is the most expensive one. Db2 is in the middle. As compared to SQL Server, its price could go down. It will be good for customers."

"I rate the price of the IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten."

"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"It is expensive. The price depends on the size of the machine on which you are installing the Db2 and the features you are using. It also depends on the country. IBM has different policies and different options for payment for this product."

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

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

11%

Educational Organization

University

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	9

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	48

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Cloud SQL?

The implementation part of the product was easy.

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, so it is pretty good overall for maintaining our database security.

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 user perspective, if Google Cloud SQL integrated AI directly into the query so tha...

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?

The IBM Db2 Database is a good solution, but now there is a high maintenance charge. The IBM Db2 Database needs improved support, and there are many difficulties in using it. We tend to use the clo...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 31% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 28% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 15% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 6% of the time

Google Cloud Spanner vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 4% of the time

More Google Cloud SQL Competitors

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 40% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 17% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud SQL

January 2026

Download Google Cloud SQL product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Also Known As

No data available

DB2

Overview

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

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

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

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

Google Cloud SQL vs. IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

Free Report: Google Cloud SQL vs. IBM Db2 Database

Find out what your peers are saying about Google Cloud SQL vs. IBM Db2 Database and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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