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Apache Druid vs InfluxDB

Apache Druid logo

Apache Druid

Software

Real-time analytics database for sub-second OLAP queries

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
InfluxDB logo

InfluxDB

Software

Purpose-built time series database for metrics and events

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; InfluxDB high-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion, InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apache Druid and InfluxDB differ
AttributeApache DruidInfluxDB
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based)Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
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 InfluxDB

  • Time-series Storage
  • Flux Query Language
  • High Write Throughput
  • Data Compression
  • Retention Policies
  • Continuous Queries
  • Built-in Dashboards
  • Telegraf

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Docker support

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 InfluxDB
  • Applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows)not InfluxDB
  • Time-series and event analysis at massive scale with columnar storage efficiencynot InfluxDB

InfluxDB

  • Monitoringnot Apache Druid
  • IoT datanot Apache Druid
  • Financial datanot Apache Druid
  • Log analyticsnot Apache Druid
  • Observabilitynot 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

InfluxDB

  • High-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation
  • No support for joins or transactions like relational databases
  • Queries limited to 72-hour window in InfluxDB 3 OSS Core
  • Clustering and authentication features absent from community version

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Druid

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Apache Druid review.

InfluxDB

Free
  • Cloud Serverless FreeFree
    • 5 MB writes per 5 minutes
    • 300 MB queries per 5 minutes
    • 30 day retention
  • Cloud Serverless Usage-Based$null/mo
    • 0.0025 USD per MB ingested
    • 0.012 USD per 100 queries
    • 0.002 USD per GB-hour storage

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 InfluxDB if

  • You need time-series storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure.
  • You also want flux query language.
InfluxDB review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Druid or InfluxDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Druid starts at Free and InfluxDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Druid or InfluxDB?
Apache Druid starts at Free and InfluxDB at Free.
Does Apache Druid or InfluxDB run on more platforms?
Apache Druid runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based). InfluxDB runs on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure.
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 InfluxDB is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Druid do that InfluxDB cannot?
Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion, Sub-second Queries, Column-oriented Storage, Streaming Integration. InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage, Flux Query Language, High Write Throughput, Data Compression. Both handle Linux support, Docker support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

InfluxDB: Is there a free tier and what are the limits?

InfluxDB 3 Core OSS is free forever for local development and prototyping. Cloud Serverless free tier includes 5 MB writes per 5 minutes, 300 MB queries per 5 minutes, 30 day retention, and 2 databases.

Source
InfluxDB: Can I self-host InfluxDB?

Yes, InfluxDB 3 Core is fully open source and can be self-hosted with no license required. InfluxDB 3 Enterprise is self-managed and includes a 30-day free trial.

Source
InfluxDB: What are the series cardinality limitations?

InfluxDB is sensitive to high-cardinality data. High cardinality increases RAM usage and can trigger out-of-memory errors, making it unsuitable for some workloads with many unique tag combinations.

Source
InfluxDB: Does InfluxDB support SQL queries?

InfluxDB has limited SQL support. Full SQL is available in InfluxDB 3, but earlier versions support only specific SQL commands and use InfluxQL as the primary query language.

Source
InfluxDB: Can I export my data from InfluxDB?

Yes, data can be exported from InfluxDB using query results. However, the process and supported formats depend on the version and deployment type you are using.

Source
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