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Databases · head to head

Apache Solr vs Dgraph

Apache Solr logo

Apache Solr

Databases

Enterprise search platform built on Apache Lucene

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 Solr xML-heavy configuration and a developer experience that feels dated beside newer engines; 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 Solr covers Lucene-based indexing, 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 Solr and Dgraph actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Solr and Dgraph differ
AttributeApache SolrDgraph
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 Solr

  • Lucene-based indexing
  • Faceted search
  • SolrCloud
  • Schema control

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 Solr

  • Library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is centralnot Dgraph
  • Long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over noveltynot Dgraph
  • Search requiring precise, explicitly configured relevance tuningnot 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 Solr
  • A knowledge graph that outgrew a single machine and needs storage distributed across nodes without a per-core licence negotiationnot Apache Solr
  • Recommendation or fraud-detection features that traverse several hops at request time, where a relational join chain has become the bottlenecknot Apache Solr
  • Teams that want a graph database they can read, fork and self-host under a permissive licence rather than a source-available onenot Apache Solr

Where each one falls short

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

Apache Solr

  • XML-heavy configuration and a developer experience that feels dated beside newer engines
  • SolrCloud depends on ZooKeeper, adding a component Elasticsearch removed years ago
  • Smaller mindshare now, so newer tutorials, hiring and integrations favour Elasticsearch
  • Considerably heavier than a purpose-built application search engine

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 Solr

Free
  • Apache SolrFree
    • 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 Solr if

  • You need lucene-based indexing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want faceted search.
Apache Solr 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 Solr or Dgraph better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Solr 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 Solr or Dgraph?
Apache Solr starts at Free and Dgraph at Free.
Does Apache Solr or Dgraph run on more platforms?
Apache Solr runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Dgraph runs on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use Apache Solr for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Solr best used for?
Apache Solr is most often used for library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is central, long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over novelty, search requiring precise, explicitly configured relevance tuning. Of those, library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is central and long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over novelty are not what Dgraph is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Solr do that Dgraph cannot?
Apache Solr covers Lucene-based indexing, Faceted search, SolrCloud, Schema control. Dgraph covers Apache 2.0 licence, Generated GraphQL API, DQL query language, Predicate sharding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apache Solr: Is Apache Solr 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 Solr: Solr or Elasticsearch?

Both are built on Lucene. Elasticsearch has the larger ecosystem and a friendlier API; Solr is very mature and strong on faceted search, and remains common in library and catalogue systems.

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 Solr: Is Solr still maintained?

Yes, actively, as a top-level Apache project.

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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