Software · head to head
ArangoDB vs ClickHouse
ArangoDB
Software
Multi-model database for graph, document, and search
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
ClickHouse
Software
Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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; ClickHouse limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
- They diverge on capability: ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ArangoDB and ClickHouse actually diverge.
| Attribute | ArangoDB | ClickHouse |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web | Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker) |
| Founded | 2014 | 2021 |
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 ArangoDB
- Multi-model Support
- AQL Query Language
- Graph Traversals
- Full-text Search
- ACID Transactions
- SmartGraphs
- Satellite Collections
- Foxx Microservices
Only in ClickHouse
- Column-oriented Storage
- Real-time Analytics
- SQL Support
- Linear Scalability
- Data Compression
- Vectorized Query Execution
- Approximate Calculations
- S3
Both cover
- Kafka
- Linux support
- Mac support
- Docker support
- Web support
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 ClickHouse
- Vector and full-text search alongside graph traversalnot ClickHouse
- Avoiding separate stores for related and unstructured datanot ClickHouse
- Backing AI applications needing both graph context and vectorsnot ClickHouse
ClickHouse
- Business intelligencenot ArangoDB
- Data warehousingnot ArangoDB
- Real-time analyticsnot ArangoDB
- Reportingnot ArangoDB
- Machine learningnot 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
ClickHouse
- Limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
- Requires upfront schema design discipline with MergeTree engine choices and sort/partition keys
- Experimental vector search support, not production-ready for vector operations
- Different query syntax from standard SQL requiring migration planning
- Limited JOIN capabilities compared to traditional relational databases
- Migration complexity with 2-4 weeks estimated for data type mapping and query translation
Pricing, plan by plan
ArangoDB
Free- CommunityFree
- All data models
- AQL queries
- Full-text search
- ArangoGraph$99/month
- Managed service
- Graph analytics
- Enterprise support
ClickHouse
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.
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.
Choose ClickHouse if
- You need column-oriented storage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
- You also want real-time analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is ArangoDB or ClickHouse better?
- Neither clearly leads. ArangoDB starts at Free and ClickHouse at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ArangoDB or ClickHouse?
- ArangoDB starts at Free and ClickHouse at Free.
- Does ArangoDB or ClickHouse run on more platforms?
- ArangoDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
- Can I use ArangoDB for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 ClickHouse is typically brought in for.
- What can ArangoDB do that ClickHouse cannot?
- ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, AQL Query Language, Graph Traversals, Full-text Search. ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, SQL Support, Linear Scalability. Both handle Kafka, Linux support, Mac support, Docker support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ClickHouse: What is ClickHouse best used for?
ClickHouse is optimized for analytical workloads on large datasets. It excels at fast aggregations and queries, being 10-100x faster than PostgreSQL on large aggregations.
SourceClickHouse: Does ClickHouse support transactions?
ClickHouse has limited transaction support and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations. It is not suitable for transactional workloads requiring strict ACID guarantees.
SourceClickHouse: How does ClickHouse compare to PostgreSQL?
ClickHouse is 10-100x faster for analytics but PostgreSQL is better for transactional workloads. Many teams use both: PostgreSQL for writes via MaterializedPostgreSQL replication to ClickHouse for analytics.
Source