Software · head to head
ArangoDB vs Dgraph
ArangoDB
Software
Multi-model database for graph, document, and search
- 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; Dgraph the GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README
- They diverge on capability: ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, Dgraph covers Native GraphQL.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ArangoDB and Dgraph actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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
- SmartGraphs
- Satellite Collections
- Foxx Microservices
- Pregel
- Kafka
Only in Dgraph
- Native GraphQL
- Distributed Architecture
- GraphQL Subscriptions
- Geolocation Queries
- Horizontal Scaling
- GraphQL
- Ratel UI
- Slash GraphQL
Both cover
- Full-text Search
- ACID Transactions
- 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 Dgraph
- Vector and full-text search alongside graph traversalnot Dgraph
- Avoiding separate stores for related and unstructured datanot Dgraph
- Backing AI applications needing both graph context and vectorsnot Dgraph
Dgraph
- Knowledge graphsnot ArangoDB
- Fraud detectionnot ArangoDB
- Recommendation enginesnot ArangoDB
- Network analysisnot ArangoDB
- Master data managementnot 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
Dgraph
- The GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README
Pricing, plan by plan
ArangoDB
Free- CommunityFree
- All data models
- AQL queries
- Full-text search
- ArangoGraph$99/month
- Managed service
- Graph analytics
- Enterprise 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 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 Dgraph if
- You need native graphql.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
- You also want distributed architecture.
Questions people ask
- Is ArangoDB or Dgraph better?
- Neither clearly leads. ArangoDB 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, ArangoDB or Dgraph?
- ArangoDB starts at Free and Dgraph at Free.
- Does ArangoDB or Dgraph run on more platforms?
- ArangoDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. Dgraph runs on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
- 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 Dgraph is typically brought in for.
- What can ArangoDB do that Dgraph cannot?
- ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, AQL Query Language, Graph Traversals, SmartGraphs. Dgraph covers Native GraphQL, Distributed Architecture, GraphQL Subscriptions, Geolocation Queries. Both handle Full-text Search, ACID Transactions, Linux support, Mac support.