CockroachDB on Desktop and SpinDB
Distributed SQL with strong consistency, Postgres wire-protocol compatible. Available on Layerbase Desktop and self-hosted with SpinDB.
Database
app_prod
Schema
- users
- sessions
- orders
- audit_log
| region | users |
|---|---|
| us-east1 | 12,847 |
| us-west2 | 9,231 |
| europe-west4 | 6,402 |
| asia-northeast1 | 3,118 |
Why is CockroachDB not on Cloud?
The CockroachDB Software License (CSL) wording makes us uncomfortable to host CockroachDB as a serverless platform. We didn't want to ship something where the licensing story was murky for our paying customers.
If you're with Cockroach Labs and would like to work with us on a clean managed offering, we would love to hear from you.
Contact usWhere to run it
Cloud, desktop, or self-host
One database, three places it can live. Pick the speed you want and move between them when you outgrow it.
Layerbase Cloud
CockroachDB provisioned on managed infrastructure.
Coming soonLayerbase Desktop
Run CockroachDB locally with the same dashboard and query console.
DownloadSpinDB
Open-source CLI to run CockroachDB on your own infra.
View on GitHubRun it your way
Desktop app or self-host with SpinDB
CockroachDB runs on your laptop with the Layerbase Desktop app, or anywhere else with SpinDB, our open-source CLI for managing local and self-hosted databases.
Native dashboard
Same dashboard chrome, query console, and connection manager as the Layerbase Cloud experience, running on your own machine.
Runs the upstream binary
No license substitution. You are running the engine maintainers ship, with the configuration knobs they document.
Your machine, your data
Data stays on disk. No managed-host TLS to terminate, no IP allowlist to maintain, no third party to trust.
Free for personal use
Layerbase Desktop is free for personal projects. Team and commercial use is covered under the standard license.
More on CockroachDB
All articles- June 14, 2026
Branching with any database
Neon branches Postgres. PlanetScale branches MySQL. Layerbase branches all of them, because branching happens at the filesystem, not inside the engine. Here is how it works.
Read - March 12, 2026
Which Relational Database Should I Pick?
A practical comparison of PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and CockroachDB to help you pick the right relational database for your project.
Read - March 3, 2026
Getting Started with CockroachDB
Build a distributed orders system with CockroachDB and TypeScript, using standard SQL over the PostgreSQL wire protocol with sharding and automatic replication.
Read
Questions
Common CockroachDB questions
Why is CockroachDB not on Layerbase Cloud?+
CockroachDB ships under the CockroachDB Software License (CSL), which restricts hosted commercial offerings. We do not run it as a managed service for that reason. On the desktop or via SpinDB you run the upstream binary directly under its standard license.
Can my Postgres app connect to CockroachDB?+
Yes. CockroachDB speaks the PostgreSQL wire protocol, so psql, libpq-based drivers, ORMs (Prisma, Drizzle, etc.) all work. There are some SQL dialect differences, primarily around schema and transactions.
How is the desktop experience different from cloud Postgres?+
Desktop CockroachDB still runs the full distributed SQL engine, just with a single in-process node. The dashboard surfaces the same connection panel, query console, and management UI as the rest of Layerbase.
When would Layerbase Cloud add CockroachDB?+
If the licensing landscape changes or we partner with Cockroach Labs directly. For now, desktop and self-host are the supported paths.
Can I move a schema from Postgres to CockroachDB?+
For most apps, yes. Identify Postgres-specific features your schema uses (custom types, certain extension features) and confirm they map to CockroachDB before migrating.