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Google F1 vs Google Spanner Omni

Google F1: Google's internal distributed SQL database on Spanner that replaced sharded MySQL for AdWords. Google Spanner Omni: Downloadable Spanner that runs on your own servers, other clouds or a laptop, with Paxos and auto-sharding.

key differences

  • Only Google F1 has change data capture.
  • Only Google Spanner Omni has full-text search, vector search, json, columnar storage, compression.

choose google-f1 for

  • +Reference design for distributed SQL on a strongly consistent store
  • +Studying online schema-change protocols
  • +Background for choosing Spanner, CockroachDB or YugabyteDB

best at · OLTP, OLAP, HTAP

choose spanner-omni for

  • +Regulated or sovereign deployments that cannot use public cloud
  • +Hybrid apps sharing a data model with managed Spanner
  • +Multi-cloud distributed SQL with Spanner semantics
  • +Local development and CI against a real Spanner engine

best at · OLTP, Traversal, Vector search

Google F1Google's internal distributed SQL database on Spanner that replaced sharded MySQL for AdWords.
Google Spanner OmniDownloadable Spanner that runs on your own servers, other clouds or a laptop, with Paxos and auto-sharding.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
–
Graph, Key-Value, Vector, Search Engine, Columnar / OLAP
Type
Research prototype
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Google
Google
First release
2012
2026
Latest version
–
–
License
ProprietaryInternal Google software (not distributed)
ProprietaryProprietary (Developer and Commercial editions)
Free tier
—
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
0.0
1.1
Rank
#745
#577
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
–
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Active active
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Distributed, Multi primary
Distributed, Multi primary, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
—
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
Google Cloud, AWS
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
✓
✓
Secondary indexes
✓
✓
Full-text search
—
✓
Vector search
—
✓
Geospatial
—
—
JSON
—
✓
Change data capture
✓
—
Triggers
—
—
Stored procedures
—
—
Materialized views
—
—
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
—
—
Columnar storage
—
✓
In-memory
—
—
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
—
✓
Encryption at rest
—
—
Role-based access
—
✓
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
✓
✓
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
—
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
SQL
GoogleSQL, PostgreSQL dialect, GQL
Client languages
–
Java, Go, Python, JavaScript, C#, C++
Best for
OLTP, OLAP, HTAP
OLTP, Traversal, Vector search, Search
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Google F1 vs Google Spanner Omni: FAQ

What is the difference between Google F1 and Google Spanner Omni?

Google F1: Google's internal distributed SQL database on Spanner that replaced sharded MySQL for AdWords. Google Spanner Omni: Downloadable Spanner that runs on your own servers, other clouds or a laptop, with Paxos and auto-sharding. Only Google F1 has change data capture. Only Google Spanner Omni has full-text search, vector search, json, columnar storage, compression.

When should I choose Google F1 over Google Spanner Omni?

Choose Google F1 for reference design for distributed SQL on a strongly consistent store; studying online schema-change protocols; and background for choosing Spanner, CockroachDB or YugabyteDB. Choose Google Spanner Omni for regulated or sovereign deployments that cannot use public cloud, hybrid apps sharing a data model with managed Spanner and multi-cloud distributed SQL with Spanner semantics.

Is Google F1 or Google Spanner Omni more popular?

Google Spanner Omni ranks #577 on the WhichDB Score (1.1/100) and Google F1 ranks #745 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Google F1 and Google Spanner Omni open source?

No. Google F1 is proprietary, closed-source software. License: Internal Google software (not distributed). No. Google Spanner Omni is proprietary, closed-source software.