Azure Database for PostgreSQL vs Google Cloud Spanner comparison

Azure Database for PostgreSQL vs. Google Cloud Spanner

Download the complete report

Helped 913,683 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

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Open Source Databases (4th)

Google Cloud Spanner

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

8th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Azure Database for PostgreSQL is 3.9%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Cloud Spanner is 7.2%, up from 5.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Azure Database for PostgreSQL	3.9%
Google Cloud Spanner	7.2%
Other	88.9%

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Featured Reviews

Sathish Palanisamy

Staff Data Engineer at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees

Improves database performance, supports AI integration, and accelerates customer-focused innovation

Azure Database for PostgreSQL can be improved in the area of elastic capabilities. One of the things we were actively looking for is the elastic feature, which was made a GA at this Ignite event. I am really happy that finally in Azure, we have a product which we can use for elastic clusters. If you are bound with a single server, then you have a vertical limit. Now you do not have any limits. As long as your use case grows, we can grow. The only thing I would maybe be thinking about is we should also allow customers to pick different node sizes for every node inside the elastic eventually. Some nodes do not need that big capacity. So that may be a nice-to-have feature, though it is not a must-have at this point.

Read full review

Ethan Lo

Infrastructuer Security at Premise Data

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.

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

"Azure Database for PostgreSQL has influenced my application development process by enabling me to take some of what we used to do on-premises, with PostgreSQL hosted in virtual machines, and transition that process into a SaaS solution."

"In terms of integration, we already have SharePoint online, and we're starting to explore PowerApps and PowerFlow. It's all seamless. The ease of integrating SQL and licensing purposes plays a significant role, making it a comfortable choice for the organization."

"We use PostgreSQL to speed up application development. Our applications are ready sooner because we don't need to depend on other database teams."

"Backups are easy, resizing is quick, and the query analyzers help me find out what's happening in each of the queries."

"The flexibility that we have with the JSONB functionality allowed us to get data into the system, build the POC, get it in front of people, and then as we find needs for things to be more normally normalized, we can go back and make those changes."

"Azure Database has become easier to use over time."

"What I appreciate most about Azure Database for PostgreSQL is not one particular feature; I think it is the use case and the facility to have a single pane of glass for managing what is on the edge, what is on the cloud, especially now with Azure Local as well."

"PostgresSQL is acknowledged as an incredibly powerful industry leader. We've built critical pieces of national infrastructure in the UK that rely on Postgres. A version of Postgres on Azure that's easy to adopt enables us to innovate. The addition of AI extensions is even more exciting. It's a significant opportunity for us."

Cons

"The pay-as-you-go pricing model of Azure Database for PostgreSQL has actually increased costs."

"I rate it a seven because it sometimes takes a while to receive that first response from them, which may depend on the case."

"They can offer more RAG extensions. Currently, it only has the vector search. It does not presently support knowledge graph functionalities as Neo4j does. It also does not offer some tools to improve indexing the way other vector databases offer."

"I believe Azure Database for PostgreSQL can be improved by allowing features that are only enabled or configured during creation to be configurable without redeploying the entire database, a process which can impact our customers if it involves an application outage."

"However, when I start planning for production where the service will be up for two or three years, I prefer to pay upfront, as the pay-as-you-go model becomes expensive for production use."

"The critical service is the Azure OpenAI service. It would help to make it simpler and easier to integrate with that or cognitive services."

"For development purposes, it is fine, but on production, you need to have a check on the cost of it."

"Performance is one area that has constraints for our customers. I believe there could be improvements in the mirroring part and Change Data Capture (CDC)."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We do not pay for a full-year subscription because our usage is still at the beginning phase and not much. The pay-as-you-go model works well for us."

"The pay-as-you-go pricing model plays a critical role in managing database-related costs and resource allocation. We build using Infrastructure as Code (IAC) and maintain a focus on FinOps to control Azure service costs. Some clients are pushy on price. It's critical to automate it, so we're just using it when appropriate and switching it off in certain scenarios."

"There aren't any notable areas for improvement that I could see. PostgreSQL was self-sufficient with no need for additional database knowledge to maintain it."

"The pricing experience is positive. Azure Database for PostgreSQL reduces the need for hardware investments, and the pay-as-you-go pricing model positively affects database-related costs by allowing us to start small and scale as needed."

"Google Cloud Spanner is an expensive solution."

"It is expensive."

"The solution is expensive."

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

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Database as a Service (DBaaS) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Comms Service Provider

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Marketing Services Firm

Financial Services Firm

24%

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	16

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Database for PostgreSQL?

Azure Database for PostgreSQL's pay-as-you-go pricing model has affected my database-related cost and resource allocation. I do not know the exact minute details of the database cost. For even mino...

What needs improvement with Azure Database for PostgreSQL?

Apart from the scaling aspect, I would like to see improvements in the user interface. If a guided journey could be created, I would prefer that approach. Some cloud platforms I've used have journe...

What is your primary use case for Azure Database for PostgreSQL?

Azure Database for PostgreSQL serves several use cases for me. I use it primarily for testing and development environments where I need flexible database access without long-term commitments.

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...

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Comparisons

Compared 14% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Compared 12% of the time

MySQL vs Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Compared 10% of the time

PostgreSQL vs Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Compared 7% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Compared 7% of the time

More Azure Database for PostgreSQL Competitors

Oracle Database as a Service vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 16% of the time

Yugabyte Platform vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 13% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 11% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 10% of the time

IBM Db2 on Cloud vs Google Cloud Spanner

Compared 2% of the time

More Google Cloud Spanner Competitors

Product Reports

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Download Azure Database for PostgreSQL product report

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Download Google Cloud Spanner product report

Also Known As

No data available

Google Spanner

Overview

Azure Database for PostgreSQL offers efficient management, robust networking, and seamless Microsoft integration. Known for its strong performance and high satisfaction in enterprise settings, it provides operational efficiency, security, and monitoring.

With features that facilitate Azure integration, easy configuration, and AI integration, Azure Database for PostgreSQL serves as a valuable choice for businesses requiring operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Users benefit from powerful vector capabilities, seamless Microsoft service integration, straightforward management, and user authentication ensuring high satisfaction. Easy optimization, query analysis, and backup operations make it suitable for varied enterprise applications. However, improvements in flexible scaling, cost-effectiveness of monitoring tools, and enhanced integration with Azure OpenAI would enhance its capabilities further.

What Are the Key Features of Azure Database for PostgreSQL?

Robust Networking: Offers seamless Azure integration to optimize cloud resources.
AI Integration: Simplifies incorporating artificial intelligence into databases.
Monitoring Tools: Provides comprehensive tools for efficient database management.
Security: Ensures user data is protected with high-standard security protocols.
Cost-Effectiveness: Delivers efficient operations with budget-friendly solutions.

What Benefits Should Users Consider?

Operational Efficiency: Streamlines database management tasks, reducing workload.
High Satisfaction: Receives positive feedback for its reliable performance in enterprises.
Enterprise Compatibility: Integrates across various Microsoft services for enhanced productivity.
User-Friendly Management: Facilitates straightforward database administration.
Scalability: Supports businesses with potential growth through flexible solutions.

Industries such as healthcare, retail, and finance leverage Azure Database for PostgreSQL for backend solutions, incident reporting, and public information sharing. Managed service providers utilize its strong performance for client needs, while administrators use it for applications like ControlM. Its flexibility supports containerized applications and disaster recovery, ensuring compatibility with diverse environments.

Microsoft

Google Cloud Spanner is a fully managed, scalable, globally distributed, and strongly consistent database service. It offers traditional relational database semantics alongside non-traditional scale and availability.

Google Cloud Spanner is designed for applications that require high availability, strong consistency, and the ability to scale across regions without sacrificing performance. It supports SQL semantics and guarantees ACID transactions. With seamless horizontal scaling, it enables businesses to automatically expand their databases in response to load demands, maintaining performance and reliability. Built with advanced technology, it provides developers the ability to focus on building applications without worrying about infrastructure complexity.

What are the key features of Google Cloud Spanner?

Global scale: Allows horizontal scaling across regions with ease.
Strong consistency: Ensures all read and write operations are atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable.
SQL support: Provides ANSI SQL support, allowing easy integration with existing applications.
Automatic sharding: Manages data partitioning under the hood for optimal performance.
High availability: Delivers an SLA of 99.999% uptime, crucial for business-critical applications.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Reduced operational complexity: Minimizes database management tasks, allowing focus on application development.
Cost efficiency: Optimizes resource usage and minimizes unnecessary provisioning costs.
Scalability: Supports application growth without infrastructure reengineering.
Consistent performance: Maintains high performance under heavy and variable workloads.

Google Cloud Spanner's implementation in the finance sector facilitates real-time transaction processing and fraud detection systems. In retail, it handles large volumes of transactional data, supporting services like inventory management. Healthcare uses it for managing patient data across geographic locations, ensuring data consistency and accessibility.

Google

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Streak, Optiva, Mixpanel

Azure Database for PostgreSQL vs. Google Cloud Spanner