Best Distributed SQL Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: TBase is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of MySQL and CrateDB. The best-ranked option with a free plan is MySQL. The lowest first paid tier on this page is CockroachDB Cloud at $0.06/mo.
Distributed SQL databases can be compared on how they support distribution, workloads and compatibility. Consider horizontal scaling, multi-region deployment and geo-partitioning, then check whether HTAP workloads and MySQL or PostgreSQL compatibility are relevant to your needs. Deployment model, free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add practical comparison points. TBase, MySQL and CrateDB appear among the first entries, followed by TiDB Cloud and CockroachDB Cloud. Use the ranked order and listed criteria to assess which options align with your workload and environment.
23 distributed SQL databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | App | Score | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | PostgreSQL compatibility | MySQL compatibility | Horizontal scaling | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  TBase | 7.6 | Free | — | — | self_hosted | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | MySQL | 6.4 | — | Yes | — | both | — | — | — | View |
| 3 |  CrateDB | 6.3 | — | Yes | — | both | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 4 | TiDB Cloud | 6.3 | — | Yes | — | cloud | No | Yes | Yes | View |
| 5 | CockroachDB Cloud | 6.2 | $0.06/mo | No | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 6 |  OceanBase Database | 6.2 | Free | Yes | — | both | — | Yes | Yes | View |
| 7 |  SingleStore Helios | 6.2 | $0.99/mo | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 8 |  VoltDB | 6.2 | Free | No | — | both | — | — | Yes | View |
| 9 |  YDB | 6.2 | Free | — | — | both | — | — | Yes | View |
| 10 | Amazon RDS | 6.1 | Free | No | — | cloud | — | — | — | View |
| 11 | PrestoDB | 6.1 | Free | — | — | self_hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 12 | YugabyteDB Anywhere | 6.1 | — | No | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 13 | Oracle Database | 5.7 | — | No | — | both | — | — | Yes | View |
| 14 | Google Cloud Spanner | 5.4 | — | No | — | both | Yes | No | Yes | View |
| 15 | MatrixOne | 5.3 | — | Yes | — | both | No | Yes | Yes | View |
| 16 | PolarDB-X | 5.3 | — | — | — | both | — | Yes | Yes | View |
| 17 |  Tencent Cloud CDN | 5.3 | CNY 21/mo | — | — | both | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 18 | TDSQL | 5.2 | — | — | — | both | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 19 |  ActorDB | 5.1 | — | — | — | self_hosted | — | Yes | Yes | View |
| 20 | BigchainDB | 5.1 | — | — | — | self_hosted | No | No | — | View |
| 21 |  Huawei CloudTable ClickHouse | 5.1 | — | — | — | cloud | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 22 |  MariaDB Enterprise Analytics | 5.1 | — | No | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 23 | Apache Ignite | 4.9 | — | — | — | self_hosted | — | — | — | View |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which distributed SQL database is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
TBase is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 7.6. MySQL is second and CrateDB third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 23 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, CockroachDB Cloud has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.06/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.