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Google Cloud Spanner

APIyesFREEnoDOCS4/5
GC7.9#21of 74
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Ranked in Database Software·Free trial

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About

Google Cloud Spanner is a globally distributed database that combines relational, graph, key-value, and search capabilities. It supports strong transactional consistency, with transactions described as Strong-ACID and ordered using TrueTime. Horizontal read and write scaling, automatic sharding, and geo-partitioning support distributed workloads. Spanner includes Spanner Graph, vector search, and built-in full-text search; a columnar engine supports ad hoc analytics on live data, and BigQuery integration enables federated queries. Google describes availability of up to 99.999%, with single-region, dual-region, and multi-region configurations. Spanner Omni is a downloadable version for on-premises, cross-cloud, or laptop use. Client libraries are available for C++, C#, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Ruby. A free trial instance is available for up to 90 days, but it is capped at 10 GB, has no SLA, and is not intended for production. Listed hourly compute prices per 100 processing units per replica are 0.03 USD per month for Standard, 0.04 USD per month for Enterprise, and 0.06 USD per month for Enterprise Plus.

Who it is for

Spanner suits teams building distributed applications that need transactions, multiple data models, or analytics on live data. Spanner Omni also provides a deployment option for teams running on-premises, across clouds, or on a laptop.

What is good

  • Strong-ACID transactions with TrueTime ordering
  • Horizontal scaling, sharding, and geo-partitioning
  • Includes graph, vector, and full-text search
  • Spanner Omni supports several deployment settings
  • Client libraries span eight listed languages

What to know first

  • Trial instance limited to 10 GB
  • Trial has no SLA and is not for production
  • Compute pricing is billed hourly per replica

Verdict

Spanner combines distributed transactions, multiple data models, search, and live-data analytics. The free trial is restricted to non-production use, and its listed compute prices are billed hourly per 100 processing units per replica.

Compared on database software

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Facts

Database
Spanner is a globally distributed database that unifies relational, graph, key-value, and search capabilities.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Transactions
Spanner provides strong transactional consistency and describes its transactions as Strong-ACID with TrueTime ordering.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Scaling
Spanner provides horizontal read and write scalability, automatic database sharding, and geo-partitioning.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Availability
Google says Spanner delivers up to 99.999% availability and offers single-region, dual-region, and multi-region configurations.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Search and graph
Spanner includes Spanner Graph, vector search, and built-in full-text search.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Analytics
Its columnar engine supports ad hoc analytics on live data, and it integrates with BigQuery for federated queries.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Deployment
Spanner Omni is a downloadable version that can run on-premises, across clouds, or on a laptop.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Programming languages
Client libraries are available for C++, C#, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Ruby.docs.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Integrations
Google documents integrations with Cloud Run, Dataflow, Cloud Storage, Compute Engine, GKE, Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, and Looker.docs.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Security
Spanner provides encryption in transit, identity and access controls, and security controls under a shared responsibility model.docs.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Compliance
Google lists ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA among Spanner’s certifications and compliance credentials.docs.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Trial limits
Free trial instances support up to 10 GB of data, do not include an SLA, and are not intended for production use.docs.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026
Support
Google lists support packages, Stack Overflow, online help communities, and bug or feature requests as support options for Spanner instances.docs.cloud.google.com · 29 Sept 2026

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