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Google Cloud Spanner vs MongoDB Atlas comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

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 Spanner
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
9th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MongoDB Atlas
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
Managed NoSQL Databases (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Google Cloud Spanner is 4.0%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MongoDB Atlas is 15.0%, up from 14.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Ethan Lo - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Luca Botti - PeerSpot reviewer
Supportive features enable effective data management and growth
I find MongoDB Atlas highly scalable and easy to use, with very good support. The pricing is quite scalable and applies to various scenarios, both for smaller and bigger companies. MongoDB Atlas has supported our data growth well, and my overall impression is very positive. It is easy to work with and has a reliable support structure. For structured data storage and performance, it provides a comprehensive solution, and the feedback was generally positive.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The application deployment in the cloud is the best feature of the infrastructure."
"We can scale the solution if we need to."
"Google Cloud Spanner is stable."
"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."
"It is a very scalable solution."
"Our databases used to be in-house. Now, they are in the cloud with MongoDB and everything is much easier."
"As a tester, it was easy to validate data, access data, make active run queries against it, and retrieve data from it."
"The solution is easy to use, the console is user-friendly, and overall a well-designed solution. It takes a complex system and makes it easy to understand. Additionally, the solution is always advancing and they provide a roadmap into what is coming in the future."
"I find MongoDB Atlas highly scalable and easy to use, with very good support."
"There are many valuable features, but scalability stands out. It can scale across zones. You can define multiple nodes. They have also partnered with AWS, offering great service with multiple features, including built-in backup, all under the same roof, without the need for external tools."
"The product is simple to use and enterprise-ready. It is also open-source."
"Administering the solution is easy."
"I find MongoDB Atlas highly scalable and easy to use, with very good support."
 

Cons

"The tool needs to improve horizontal scaling."
"The tool lacks to offer AI features."
"Google came up with something called Cloud Spanner Emulator, which fails to work like the real product if I want to develop some code and run a database locally on my machine."
"I want to improve the deployment of cameras and surveillance infrastructure."
"The cost can be a bit high."
"I would like to have better performance for user experience with the solution."
"I would like the solution to offer more integration capabilities since it is an area where the solution lacks."
"The speed when combining two documents is concerning."
"The product does not have ORM."
"The UI application for MongoDB crashes a lot, so we would have to use a third-party plugin to make it work."
"MongoDB Atlas should improve its user experience by providing better explanations or a wizard for people working with its UI."
"There are some features that could be useful for the customers I work with, which are related to migration from on-prem to the cloud."
"I am still new with it, but since I mentioned that I'm using this product for only the last six months and my experience with this product is good thus far, on a scale of one to ten, I would give MongoDB Atlas a six."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."
"It is expensive."
"Google Cloud Spanner is an expensive solution."
"Price-wise, I heard that Google Cloud Spanner is on the higher side."
"The tool is free since it's an open-source product."
"In my previous company, the product allowed use to build a database in a highly regulated environment with the ability to get distributed storage. We used MongoDB as a distributed storage to set up this environment for a critical business application with millions of dollars."
"The pricing is good. We originally chose it over DynamoDB because of the pricing."
"We pay for a license."
"The pricing and licensing is great."
"For our service, it was around 300 to 600 euros per month, which was acceptable for our customers."
"The solution is expensive overall. It does not require a license but if you want the support then you will need to purchase the license. They use a pay-as-you-go model and you are able to receive some discounts by making longer usage commitments."
"MongoDB Atlas is not expensive, and since it's a cloud-based solution, you pay by usage."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
14%
Retailer
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Healthcare Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Spanner?
Price-wise, I heard that Google Cloud Spanner is on the higher side. I am not sure if this is a rumor or if it's fake news, but I believe that having BigQuery and GCP together could be a little cos...
What do you like most about MongoDB Atlas?
There are many valuable features, but scalability stands out. It can scale across zones. You can define multiple nodes. They have also partnered with AWS, offering great service with multiple featu...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MongoDB Atlas?
The pricing is quite acceptable and scalable. For our service, it was around 300 to 600 euros per month, which was acceptable for our customers. We could scale up for better performance and scale d...
What needs improvement with MongoDB Atlas?
I am not an expert on what improvements could be made to MongoDB. The service is continually evolving with new features while maintaining reasonable pricing, making it attractive for developers.
 

Also Known As

Google Spanner
Atlas
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Streak, Optiva, Mixpanel
Wells Fargo, Forbes, Ulta Beauty, Bosch, Sanoma, Current (a Digital Bank), ASAP Log, SBB, Zebra Technologies, Radial, Kovai, Eni, Accuhit, Cognigy, and Payload.
Find out what your peers are saying about Google Cloud Spanner vs. MongoDB Atlas and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
832,138 professionals have used our research since 2012.