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Databases · head to head

Apache Pulsar vs Dgraph

Apache Pulsar logo

Apache Pulsar

Databases

Cloud-native messaging and streaming with separated storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dgraph logo

Dgraph

Databases

Apache 2.0 distributed graph database written in Go, maintained by Hypermode, queried through GraphQL or its own DQL language.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Pulsar more components than Kafka: brokers, BookKeeper and ZooKeeper each need operating; Dgraph sharding is by predicate, so a single very hot predicate lives entirely in one Raft group and cannot be split further; adding nodes does not relieve it and the fix is a data model change.
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Pulsar covers Separated storage, Dgraph covers Apache 2.0 licence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apache Pulsar and Dgraph actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Pulsar and Dgraph differ
AttributeApache PulsarDgraph
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedLinux, Mac, Docker, Web
FoundedUnknown2016

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

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 Pulsar

  • Separated storage
  • Queuing and streaming
  • Built-in multi-tenancy
  • Geo-replication

Only in Dgraph

  • Apache 2.0 licence
  • Generated GraphQL API
  • DQL query language
  • Predicate sharding
  • Raft replication
  • Distributed ACID transactions
  • Written in Go
  • Full-text and geo indexing

What people use each for

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

Apache Pulsar

  • Platforms needing both work queues and replayable streams without running two systemsnot Dgraph
  • Multi-tenant messaging where isolation between teams is a requirementnot Dgraph
  • Deployments where storage and traffic grow at genuinely different ratesnot Dgraph

Dgraph

  • An application whose core data is a graph, such as permissions, social connections or product relationships, where the frontend already consumes GraphQLnot Apache Pulsar
  • A knowledge graph that outgrew a single machine and needs storage distributed across nodes without a per-core licence negotiationnot Apache Pulsar
  • Recommendation or fraud-detection features that traverse several hops at request time, where a relational join chain has become the bottlenecknot Apache Pulsar
  • Teams that want a graph database they can read, fork and self-host under a permissive licence rather than a source-available onenot Apache Pulsar

Where each one falls short

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

Apache Pulsar

  • More components than Kafka: brokers, BookKeeper and ZooKeeper each need operating
  • Correspondingly harder to run well, and the expertise is rarer than Kafka expertise
  • A much smaller ecosystem of connectors, tooling and hiring pool than Kafka
  • The architectural advantages only pay off at a scale most deployments never reach

Dgraph

  • Sharding is by predicate, so a single very hot predicate lives entirely in one Raft group and cannot be split further; adding nodes does not relieve it and the fix is a data model change.
  • Stewardship passed from Dgraph Labs to Hypermode after the original company stopped operating independently, so anyone building on it is betting on a second custodian rather than on the original team's roadmap.
  • The GraphQL layer is generated and opinionated, so anything it does not express drops you into DQL, which is a second language your team must learn and which no other database speaks.
  • The community is a fraction of Neo4j's, so operational answers, tuning experience, hiring and third-party tooling are all thinner, and unusual failure modes in a Zero and Alpha cluster leave you reading source rather than a forum.
  • There is no portable graph standard to migrate to; Cypher, Gremlin and SPARQL are all different query models, so the schema and every query is a rewrite if you later leave, and that cost grows with the application.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Pulsar

Free
  • Apache PulsarFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Dgraph

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Native GraphQL
    • Graph queries
    • Full-text search
  • Cloud$39/month
    • Managed service
    • Auto-scaling
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Pulsar if

  • You need separated storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want queuing and streaming.
Apache Pulsar review

Choose Dgraph if

  • You need apache 2.0 licence.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want generated graphql api.
Dgraph review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Pulsar or Dgraph better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Pulsar starts at Free and Dgraph at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Pulsar or Dgraph?
Apache Pulsar starts at Free and Dgraph at Free.
Does Apache Pulsar or Dgraph run on more platforms?
Apache Pulsar runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Dgraph runs on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use Apache Pulsar for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Pulsar best used for?
Apache Pulsar is most often used for platforms needing both work queues and replayable streams without running two systems, multi-tenant messaging where isolation between teams is a requirement, deployments where storage and traffic grow at genuinely different rates. Of those, platforms needing both work queues and replayable streams without running two systems and multi-tenant messaging where isolation between teams is a requirement are not what Dgraph is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Pulsar do that Dgraph cannot?
Apache Pulsar covers Separated storage, Queuing and streaming, Built-in multi-tenancy, Geo-replication. Dgraph covers Apache 2.0 licence, Generated GraphQL API, DQL query language, Predicate sharding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apache Pulsar: Is Apache Pulsar free?

Yes, open source under the Apache Software Foundation.

Dgraph: Is Dgraph open source?

Yes. The current repository is Apache 2.0, which is a permissive OSI licence, and the project is at v25 under Hypermode's maintenance.

Apache Pulsar: Pulsar or Kafka?

Pulsar separates storage from compute and covers queuing and streaming in one system. Kafka has a far larger ecosystem and hiring pool. Most teams should have a specific reason before choosing Pulsar.

Dgraph: Is it really GraphQL?

It serves a generated GraphQL API, which is real GraphQL for clients. Its native language, DQL, resembles GraphQL syntactically but is Dgraph's own language and is not the GraphQL specification.

Apache Pulsar: Why does separated storage matter?

Brokers hold no data, so adding or replacing one requires no rebalancing, and storage can grow without adding serving capacity.

Dgraph: How does it compare to Neo4j?

Neo4j has the larger ecosystem, Cypher, and far more operational precedent. Dgraph distributes storage across nodes by default and gives you a GraphQL endpoint without writing resolvers. The choice usually turns on whether you need horizontal scale and a GraphQL surface more than you need ecosystem depth.

Dgraph: What does a production cluster look like?

At minimum a set of Zero nodes for coordination and a replicated set of Alpha nodes for data, typically three of each for fault tolerance, which is a meaningfully larger operational footprint than a single graph server.

Dgraph: Who maintains it now?

Hypermode. Dgraph Labs, the original company, no longer operates it, and that change of custodian is the main non-technical risk to weigh.

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