NoSQL (key-value, document, wide-column, graph) · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon Keyspaces (for Apache Cassandra) vs Bigtable / Spanner
Amazon Keyspaces maps partly to Bigtable (wide-column, HBase-compatible) and to Spanner's Cassandra Adapter, which lets Cassandra clients use Spanner.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon Keyspaces (for Apache Cassandra) | Bigtable Spanner |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available Generally available |
| What it is | Serverless, Cassandra Query Language (CQL)-compatible wide-column database with on-demand or provisioned capacity and multi-Region replication. | Wide-column NoSQL database for large, low-latency workloads, with an HBase-compatible client, replication across clusters, and change streams. Globally distributed, strongly consistent relational database with GoogleSQL and PostgreSQL dialects, up to 99.999% availability, and compute measured in processing units or nodes. |
| Pricing model | On-demand per read and write request unit, or provisioned capacity, plus storage. | Bigtable bills per node and storage; Spanner bills compute capacity and storage. |
| Docs | Amazon Keyspaces (for Apache Cassandra) docs | Bigtable docs Spanner docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon Keyspaces (for Apache Cassandra) pricing | Bigtable pricing Spanner pricing |
Key differences
- Bigtable isn't CQL-compatible; data models and queries need rework.
- The Spanner Cassandra Adapter keeps CQL clients but runs on Spanner's engine.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- On-demand per read and write request unit, or provisioned capacity, plus storage. Amazon Keyspaces (for Apache Cassandra) pricing →
- GCP
- Bigtable bills per node and storage; Spanner bills compute capacity and storage. Bigtable pricing → Spanner pricing →
And on Azure?
Direct match Azure's equivalent is Azure Cosmos DB for Apache Cassandra, Azure Managed Instance for Apache Cassandra. AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon Keyspaces (for Apache Cassandra)?
Amazon Keyspaces maps partly to Bigtable (wide-column, HBase-compatible) and to Spanner's Cassandra Adapter, which lets Cassandra clients use Spanner.
How does pricing compare between Amazon Keyspaces (for Apache Cassandra) and Bigtable and Spanner?
AWS: On-demand per read and write request unit, or provisioned capacity, plus storage. Google Cloud: Bigtable bills per node and storage; Spanner bills compute capacity and storage. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure Cosmos DB for Apache Cassandra and Azure Managed Instance for Apache Cassandra (direct match). Amazon Keyspaces maps to Azure Cosmos DB for Apache Cassandra (serverless-style, RU-based) or Azure Managed Instance for Apache Cassandra (managed open-source Cassandra clusters).