| Data Model |
Primarily Key-Value and Document |
Multi-model: Document, Key-Value, Wide-Column (Cassandra API), Graph (Gremlin API), Table (Table API) |
Document-oriented |
Wide-column (Column-family) |
| Scalability |
Highly scalable, automatic partitioning (Partitioning) |
Massively scalable, automatic and instant scalability with global distribution options (Partitioning) |
Highly scalable, automatic scaling (Add Data – scaling is implicit) |
Massively scalable, horizontal scaling via nodes (Scalability) |
| Global Distribution |
Multi-region, multi-active with Global Tables |
Built-in global distribution with multi-region writes (multi-master) available (Global Data Distribution) |
Multi-region with strong consistency options (Locations) |
Global replication available (Replication Overview) |
| Consistency |
Tunable (Read Consistency): Eventual, Strong |
Five well-defined models (Consistency Levels): Strong, Bounded Staleness, Session, Consistent Prefix, Eventual |
Tunable (Transactions – implies strong), Eventual |
Strong consistency per row (Consistency) |
| Querying |
Key-based lookups, Scan, Query API with limited filtering |
SQL-like (SQL Query) for document model, API-specific for others |
Rich querying with indexing, including compound indexes |
Key-based lookups, range scans, filtering on columns |
| Transactions |
ACID transactions (multi-item) (Transactions) |
ACID transactions across documents within a partition (Transactions) |
ACID transactions (multi-document) (Transactions) |
Transactions within a single row (Transactions) |
| Serverless |
Fully serverless, auto-scaling to zero (On-Demand Pricing) |
Fully managed with serverless options and provisioned throughput with auto-scaling |
Fully serverless, pay-per-use (Firebase Pricing) |
Not fully serverless, billed by node hours (Pricing) |
| APIs/Ecosystem |
AWS ecosystem integration (AWS) |
Broad API support, strong Azure integration (Azure), integration with Microsoft Fabric |
GCP ecosystem integration (Google Cloud), Firebase integration |
GCP ecosystem integration (Google Cloud), HBase compatibility |
| Pricing |
Provisioned (Provisioned Pricing) and On-demand based on RCUs/WCUs and storage |
Provisioned Throughput (Provisioned Pricing) and Serverless based on request units, storage, and bandwidth |
Pay-per-read, pay-per-write, pay-per-storage (Firebase Pricing) |
Billed by node hours, storage, and network egress (Pricing) |
| Indexing |
Primary key (partition and sort key), Global Secondary Indexes (GSIs), Local Secondary Indexes (LSIs) |
Automatic indexing of all attributes by default, with options to customize (Index Policy) |
Automatic indexing with options for composite and single-field indexes |
Row key, column families, and qualifiers are indexed (Schema Design – key design is crucial for querying) |
| Managed Services |
Fully managed (Features) |
Fully managed (Overview), handles patching, upgrades, backups, global replication |
Fully managed (Overview), handles patching, upgrades, backups, multi-region |
Fully managed (Overview), handles patching, upgrades, backups, replication |