CockroachDB
Immich
| Feature | CockroachDB | Immich |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Best For | distributed-applications, fintech, global-companies, high-availability-apps | self-hosters, families, privacy-focused-users, photographers |
| Founded | 2015 | 2022 |
| Distributed Sql | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Region | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Scaling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Postgresql Compatible | ✓ | ✗ |
| Backup Recovery | ✓ | ✗ |
| Change Data Capture | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Tenancy | ✓ | ✗ |
| Photo Backup | ✗ | ✓ |
| Facial Recognition | ✗ | ✓ |
| Smart Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shared Albums | ✗ | ✓ |
| Memories | ✗ | ✓ |
| Map View | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile Apps | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ CockroachDB Pros
- Survives infrastructure failures automatically
- PostgreSQL-compatible wire protocol
- Horizontal scaling without application changes
- Multi-region deployment with low-latency reads
- Generous free tier (10 GiB storage)
✗ CockroachDB Cons
- Higher latency than single-node databases for simple queries
- Complex pricing model for serverless tier
- Some PostgreSQL features not fully supported
✓ Immich Pros
- Full Google Photos replacement (self-hosted)
- AI face recognition and smart search
- Mobile apps with automatic background backup
- Shared albums and partner sharing
✗ Immich Cons
- Self-hosting only (no managed cloud option)
- Resource-intensive (especially ML features)
- Still in active development (breaking changes possible)
The Verdict
CockroachDB is built for distributed applications and fintech, with a focus on distributed-sql and multi-region. Immich targets self hosters and families and leads with photo-backup and facial-recognition.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($0/mo for CockroachDB, $0/mo for Immich), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Immich edges out on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Immich has a slight overall edge — but if survives infrastructure failures automatically matters most to you, CockroachDB may still be the right call.