Azure SQL Database VS Google Cloud Spanner
As of 30 October 2026, Google Cloud Spanner is named by 112 companies and Azure SQL Database by 1,059; Azure SQL Database skews to companies under 200 people (32% vs 35%), Google Cloud Spanner to companies over 1,000 (37% vs 40%).
As of 30 October 2026 · refreshed daily · counts move as websites, DNS and career sites are re-read.
The website-and-DNS footprint is not comparable between a marketing suite and a CRM: Azure SQL Database's script and mail records show on hundreds of thousands of small sites, Google Cloud Spanner rarely leaves a trace outside its own apps. Compare on the job-posting numbers; use the footprint for reach.
- Azure SQL Database: 2–200 employees
- 32%
- Google Cloud Spanner: 2–200 employees
- 35%
- Azure SQL Database: 1,000+ employees
- 40%
- Google Cloud Spanner: 1,000+ employees
- 37%
- Postings per company, 90 days
- 2.9 · 2.5
- Website or DNS footprint
- 0 · 0
Who chooses which
Share of each tool's companies in every segment. "Leans" marks a gap of more than two points.
| Segment | Azure SQL Database | share | Google Cloud Spanner | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed | 8 | 1% | 2 | 2% | even |
| 2-10 employees | 42 | 4% | 2 | 2% | Azure SQL Database |
| 11-50 employees | 119 | 11% | 12 | 11% | even |
| 51-200 employees | 178 | 17% | 25 | 22% | Google Cloud Spanner |
| 201-500 employees | 183 | 17% | 21 | 19% | even |
| 501-1000 employees | 110 | 10% | 9 | 8% | Azure SQL Database |
| 1001-5000 employees | 200 | 19% | 15 | 13% | Azure SQL Database |
| 5001-10000 employees | 63 | 6% | 8 | 7% | even |
| 10,001+ employees | 156 | 15% | 18 | 16% | even |
| Segment | Azure SQL Database | share | Google Cloud Spanner | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology & software | 476 | 45% | 68 | 61% | Google Cloud Spanner |
| Business & finance services | 247 | 23% | 21 | 19% | Azure SQL Database |
| Manufacturing & industry | 103 | 10% | 4 | 4% | Azure SQL Database |
| Health care | 32 | 3% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Commerce & trade | 29 | 3% | 3 | 3% | even |
| Consumer services & leisure | 29 | 3% | 5 | 4% | even |
| Public, community & associations | 27 | 3% | 3 | 3% | even |
| Utilities & infrastructure | 26 | 2% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Transport, logistics & rental | 22 | 2% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Media & content | 21 | 2% | 3 | 3% | even |
| Property & construction | 21 | 2% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Automotive | 14 | 1% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Segment | Azure SQL Database | share | Google Cloud Spanner | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 650 | 61% | 80 | 71% | Google Cloud Spanner |
| United Kingdom | 88 | 8% | 4 | 4% | Azure SQL Database |
| Canada | 51 | 5% | 1 | 1% | Azure SQL Database |
| India | 35 | 3% | 3 | 3% | even |
| Germany | 28 | 3% | 3 | 3% | even |
| Australia | 26 | 2% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Belgium | 16 | 2% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Netherlands | 15 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Poland | 15 | 1% | 3 | 3% | even |
| France | 14 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Spain | 12 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Switzerland | 9 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Singapore | – | – | 4 | 4% | outside top 12 |
| Japan | – | – | 3 | 3% | outside top 12 |
| Brazil | – | – | 2 | 2% | outside top 12 |
| Colombia | – | – | 1 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Denmark | – | – | 1 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Segment | Azure SQL Database | share | Google Cloud Spanner | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineering | 1,485 | 37% | 183 | 47% | Google Cloud Spanner |
| Data & AI | 1,203 | 30% | 76 | 20% | Azure SQL Database |
| IT operations & business systems | 855 | 21% | 57 | 15% | Azure SQL Database |
| Product, program & project management | 35 | 1% | 2 | 1% | even |
| Engineering (non-software) | 19 | 0% | 2 | 1% | even |
| Sales | 18 | 0% | 18 | 5% | Google Cloud Spanner |
| General management & consulting | 13 | 0% | 1 | 0% | even |
| Customer service & success | 9 | 0% | 1 | 0% | even |
| Quality, safety & environment | 9 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Construction and civil | 7 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Marketing & communications | 6 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Finance & accounting | 4 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Logistics warehouse and transport | – | – | 2 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Unclassified | – | – | 1 | 0% | outside top 12 |
The companies behind each column
Companies using Azure SQL Database →
Companies using Google Cloud Spanner →
relational databases ranked →
Quote the sentence with the date and the link. The numbers change daily; the link always shows the current ones.
Google Cloud Spanner is named by 112 companies in job postings and Azure SQL Database by 1,059; 0 name both. (Breaknorm, 30 October 2026, https://breaknorm.co/compare/azure-sql-database-vs-google-cloud-spanner)
Read from the source, not self-reported
Every number on this page can be traced to a page we crawled or a posting we read. Full methodology →
- Job postingsRead hourly from career sites. A tool counts when the employer's own text names it as the team's system; both tools can count for one company.
- Website and DNSScripts and embeds on the company's pages, plus SPF, DKIM, MX and CNAME records of its domain that point at the vendor.
- SegmentsCountry, size and industry from the company profile built from its website.
- Not a reviewNo ratings, prices or feature claims. For those, read the vendors.
Azure SQL Database vs Google Cloud Spanner: questions
Which is more used, Azure SQL Database or Google Cloud Spanner?
By companies naming it in their own job postings, Azure SQL Database (1,059) over Google Cloud Spanner (112). By website-and-DNS footprint, Google Cloud Spanner (0 vs 0), because its scripts and mail records sit on many small company sites.
Who chooses Azure SQL Database?
32% of Azure SQL Database companies have 2 to 200 employees, against 35% for Google Cloud Spanner. 40% of Azure SQL Database companies have over 1,000 employees, against 37% for Google Cloud Spanner.
Do companies run both?
0 companies name both in their postings, usually Azure SQL Database in marketing and Google Cloud Spanner in sales, or during a migration.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the employer's own text in job postings read hourly from career sites, and from scripts found on company websites in our crawl. No vendor data, no surveys.
Get either list your way
The same data as a search, over MCP and the API, as bulk files, or pushed to you as it changes.
Every company on either tool,
with the person who owns it
Filter on Azure SQL Database or Google Cloud Spanner. Start free, no card.