Softwr

Software · head to head

Apache Druid vs FaunaDB

Apache Druid logo

Apache Druid

Software

Real-time analytics database for sub-second OLAP queries

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FaunaDB logo

FaunaDB

Software

The distributed serverless database for modern applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Druid open-source offering lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features; FaunaDB the Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion, FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apache Druid and FaunaDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Druid and FaunaDB differ
AttributeApache DruidFaunaDB
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based)Web
Founded19992012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apache Druid

  • Real-time Ingestion
  • Sub-second Queries
  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Streaming Integration
  • Approximate Algorithms
  • Flexible Schemas
  • Time-based Partitioning
  • Kafka

Only in FaunaDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Document-relational Model
  • GraphQL API
  • Global Distribution
  • Temporal Queries
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Serverless
  • GraphQL

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apache Druid

  • Real-time analytics platforms ingesting millions of events per second from streaming sourcesnot FaunaDB
  • Applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows)not FaunaDB
  • Time-series and event analysis at massive scale with columnar storage efficiencynot FaunaDB

FaunaDB

  • Serverless applicationsnot Apache Druid
  • Rapid prototypingnot Apache Druid
  • Mobile backendsnot Apache Druid
  • JAMstacknot Apache Druid
  • Microservicesnot Apache Druid

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apache Druid

  • Open-source offering lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
  • Requires native integration with Apache Kafka or Amazon Kinesis for real-time ingestion; custom integrations need development
  • High-concurrency query support (hundreds of thousands QPS) requires significant cluster infrastructure investment

FaunaDB

  • The Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Druid

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Apache Druid review.

FaunaDB

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100K read ops
    • 50K write ops
    • 1GB storage
  • Pro$25/month
    • Pay per use
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Druid if

  • You need real-time ingestion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based).
  • You also want sub-second queries.
Apache Druid review

Choose FaunaDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want document-relational model.
FaunaDB review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Druid or FaunaDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Druid starts at Free and FaunaDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Druid or FaunaDB?
Apache Druid starts at Free and FaunaDB at Free.
Does Apache Druid or FaunaDB run on more platforms?
Apache Druid runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based). FaunaDB runs on Web.
Can I use Apache Druid for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Druid best used for?
Apache Druid is most often used for real-time analytics platforms ingesting millions of events per second from streaming sources, applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows), time-series and event analysis at massive scale with columnar storage efficiency. Of those, real-time analytics platforms ingesting millions of events per second from streaming sources and applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows) are not what FaunaDB is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Druid do that FaunaDB cannot?
Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion, Sub-second Queries, Column-oriented Storage, Streaming Integration. FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Document-relational Model, GraphQL API, Global Distribution.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Apache Druid

More on FaunaDB

Keep looking

Other head to heads