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Databases · head to head

ArangoDB vs Canary Labs

ArangoDB logo

ArangoDB

Databases

Multi-model database for graph, document, and search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Canary Labs logo

Canary Labs

Databases

Industrial process historian with published per-tag pricing and no client licence fees

From
$3000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ArangoDB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ArangoDB the company has repositioned around a wider platform, so ArangoDB is now described as the foundation inside Arango rather than the product itself; Canary Labs pricing steps by tag band rather than actual tags, so a site sitting just above a threshold pays the next band in full; growth from 3,400 to 3,600 tags is a licence purchase, not a rounding error.
  • They diverge on capability: ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, Canary Labs covers Loss-less compression.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArangoDB and Canary Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where ArangoDB and Canary Labs differ
AttributeArangoDBCanary Labs
Starting priceFree$3000/year
Pricing modelfreemiumPer tag band per year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, WebWindows, Web
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: 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 ArangoDB

  • Multi-model Support
  • AQL Query Language
  • Graph Traversals
  • Full-text Search
  • ACID Transactions
  • SmartGraphs
  • Satellite Collections
  • Foxx Microservices

Only in Canary Labs

  • Loss-less compression
  • Unlimited clients
  • Store and forward
  • Views service
  • Sparkplug B
  • Calculation engine
  • Axiom
  • ODBC and REST

What people use each for

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

ArangoDB

  • Graph, document and key-value data in one databasenot Canary Labs
  • Vector and full-text search alongside graph traversalnot Canary Labs
  • Avoiding separate stores for related and unstructured datanot Canary Labs
  • Backing AI applications needing both graph context and vectorsnot Canary Labs

Canary Labs

  • A manufacturer that needs a compliant historian but cannot justify a PI System enterprise agreementnot ArangoDB
  • A water utility replacing SCADA-embedded logging with a historian that survives the next SCADA replacementnot ArangoDB
  • An Ignition site that wants long-term storage and trending without paying per-client for dashboardsnot ArangoDB
  • A plant with regulatory data-retention obligations where swinging-door compression would not survive an auditnot ArangoDB

Where each one falls short

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

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

Canary Labs

  • Pricing steps by tag band rather than actual tags, so a site sitting just above a threshold pays the next band in full; growth from 3,400 to 3,600 tags is a licence purchase, not a rounding error.
  • CustomerCare at 18 percent of licence cost is effectively mandatory on perpetual licences because lapsing it removes upgrades, so the perpetual option is not really a one-time cost.
  • The storage format is proprietary; getting data out at volume means the ODBC connector, an additional 2,500 USD one-time or 1,000 USD a year, or writing against the REST API.
  • Canary is a small vendor with a limited partner network outside North America, so support coverage and integrator availability in Europe and Asia are thinner than for AVEVA or Ignition.
  • It is a Windows-only server product with no Linux or container deployment, which complicates placing collectors in modern edge estates.

Pricing, plan by plan

ArangoDB

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • All data models
    • AQL queries
    • Full-text search
  • ArangoGraph$99/month
    • Managed service
    • Graph analytics
    • Enterprise support

Canary Labs

$3000/year
  • Subscription, 3,500 tags$3000/year
    • Unlimited Axiom clients
    • Unlimited Excel clients
    • Support and upgrades included
  • Perpetual, 3,500 tags$8730/one-time
    • 7,400 USD licence plus 1,330 USD first-year CustomerCare
    • CustomerCare renews at 18 percent of licence cost per year
    • Unlimited clients
  • Private cloud, 3,500 tags$12320/year
    • Hosted by Canary
    • 1,500 USD one-time setup fee per system
    • Scales to around 58,684 USD per year at 60,000 tags
  • Enterprise unlimited$undefined/year
    • Unlimited tags
    • Negotiated licensing terms
    • Quoted pricing

Which should you pick?

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.
ArangoDB review

Choose Canary Labs if

  • You need loss-less compression.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want unlimited clients.
Canary Labs review

Questions people ask

Is ArangoDB or Canary Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. ArangoDB starts at Free and Canary Labs at $3000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArangoDB or Canary Labs?
ArangoDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ArangoDB and $3000/year for Canary Labs.
Does ArangoDB or Canary Labs run on more platforms?
ArangoDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. Canary Labs runs on Windows, Web.
Can I use ArangoDB for free?
Yes. ArangoDB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Canary Labs starts at $3000/year.
What is ArangoDB best used for?
ArangoDB is most often used for graph, document and key-value data in one database, vector and full-text search alongside graph traversal, avoiding separate stores for related and unstructured data, backing ai applications needing both graph context and vectors. Of those, graph, document and key-value data in one database and vector and full-text search alongside graph traversal are not what Canary Labs is typically brought in for.
What can ArangoDB do that Canary Labs cannot?
ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, AQL Query Language, Graph Traversals, Full-text Search. Canary Labs covers Loss-less compression, Unlimited clients, Store and forward, Views service.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ArangoDB: How is ArangoDB priced?

ArangoDB offers Community Edition (free) and Enterprise Edition. Pricing is customized based on deployment model (self-managed, managed cloud AWS/GCP, or OEM/embedded) and customer requirements. Contact Arango for a quote.

Source
Canary Labs: What does Canary cost?

8,730 USD for a 3,500 tag perpetual system including first-year CustomerCare, or 3,000 USD a year on subscription.

ArangoDB: What deployment options does ArangoDB offer?

ArangoDB can be deployed self-managed on customer infrastructure, as managed cloud (Arango Managed Platform on AWS/GCP), or as OEM/embedded solutions.

Source
Canary Labs: Are client licences extra?

No. Unlimited Axiom browser clients and unlimited Excel clients are included on every tier.

Canary Labs: Is perpetual cheaper than subscription?

Canary states perpetual pays off after roughly three years, and after that you still pay 18 percent CustomerCare annually.

Canary Labs: Does it use lossy compression?

No. Canary stores every collected value rather than approximating the trend, which matters for regulated data retention.

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