Database & Data Management · head to head
Apache Pinot vs ArangoDB
Apache Pinot
Database & Data Management
Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
ArangoDB
Database & Data Management
Multi-model database for graph, document, and search
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service; ArangoDB the company has repositioned around a wider platform, so ArangoDB is now described as the foundation inside Arango rather than the product itself
- They diverge on capability: Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apache Pinot and ArangoDB actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apache Pinot | ArangoDB |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | freemium |
| Platforms | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes | Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web |
| Founded | 1999 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).
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 Pinot
- Real-time Analytics
- Column-oriented
- Distributed Processing
- SQL Support
- Pluggable Indexing
- Star-tree Index
- Upsert Support
- Presto
Only in ArangoDB
- Multi-model Support
- AQL Query Language
- Graph Traversals
- Full-text Search
- ACID Transactions
- SmartGraphs
- Satellite Collections
- Foxx Microservices
Both cover
- Kafka
- Spark
- Linux support
- Docker support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apache Pinot
- Sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested datanot ArangoDB
- User-facing dashboards inside a productnot ArangoDB
- Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot ArangoDB
- Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot ArangoDB
ArangoDB
- Graph, document and key-value data in one databasenot Apache Pinot
- Vector and full-text search alongside graph traversalnot Apache Pinot
- Avoiding separate stores for related and unstructured datanot Apache Pinot
- Backing AI applications needing both graph context and vectorsnot Apache Pinot
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apache Pinot
- Self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
- Managed hosting comes from third parties such as StarTree rather than from the project
- Built for user-facing real-time OLAP, so it is not a general purpose database
ArangoDB
- The company has repositioned around a wider platform, so ArangoDB is now described as the foundation inside Arango rather than the product itself
- Neither the community licence terms nor cloud pricing are stated on the main site
- arangodb.com redirects to arango.ai
Pricing, plan by plan
Apache Pinot
Free- Open SourceFree
- Real-time analytics
- SQL queries
- Horizontal scaling
ArangoDB
Free- CommunityFree
- All data models
- AQL queries
- Full-text search
- ArangoGraph$99/month
- Managed service
- Graph analytics
- Enterprise support
Which should you pick?
Choose Apache Pinot if
- You need real-time analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- You also want column-oriented.
Choose ArangoDB if
- You need multi-model support.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- You also want aql query language.
Questions people ask
- Is Apache Pinot or ArangoDB better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apache Pinot starts at Free and ArangoDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apache Pinot or ArangoDB?
- Apache Pinot starts at Free and ArangoDB at Free.
- Does Apache Pinot or ArangoDB run on more platforms?
- Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. ArangoDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- Can I use Apache Pinot for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Apache Pinot best used for?
- Apache Pinot is most often used for sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested data, user-facing dashboards inside a product, real-time metrics at high ingest rates, petabyte-scale analytics as run at linkedin and uber. Of those, sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested data and user-facing dashboards inside a product are not what ArangoDB is typically brought in for.
- What can Apache Pinot do that ArangoDB cannot?
- Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support. ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, AQL Query Language, Graph Traversals, Full-text Search. Both handle Kafka, Spark, Linux support, Docker support.