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Databases · head to head

ArangoDB vs Dragonfly

ArangoDB logo

ArangoDB

Databases

Multi-model database for graph, document, and search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dragonfly logo

Dragonfly

Databases

High-performance Redis-compatible in-memory datastore with 25x better throughput

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Dragonfly flex tier starting at $36/month may be underpriced, requiring careful usage monitoring
  • They diverge on capability: ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, Dragonfly covers Redis API compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArangoDB and Dragonfly actually diverge.

Attributes where ArangoDB and Dragonfly differ
AttributeArangoDBDragonfly
Pricing modelfreemiumUsage-based cloud pricing with flexible tiers
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, WebCloud, AWS, GCP, Azure
Founded2014Unknown

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 ArangoDB

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

Only in Dragonfly

  • Redis API compatibility
  • Thread-per-core architecture
  • High-performance caching
  • Memory efficiency
  • Real-time leaderboards
  • Message queue support
  • ML feature serving
  • Cloud deployment

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 Dragonfly
  • Vector and full-text search alongside graph traversalnot Dragonfly
  • Avoiding separate stores for related and unstructured datanot Dragonfly
  • Backing AI applications needing both graph context and vectorsnot Dragonfly

Dragonfly

  • High-throughput caching for web applicationsnot ArangoDB
  • Real-time leaderboards and rankingsnot ArangoDB
  • Message queue and event processingnot ArangoDB
  • ML model feature serving at millisecond latenciesnot ArangoDB
  • Gaming session state and player data storagenot 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

Dragonfly

  • Flex tier starting at $36/month may be underpriced, requiring careful usage monitoring
  • Business tier $2,000/month represents significant jump in cost
  • Limited to in-memory storage, not suitable for cold data or archival
  • Bring-your-own-cloud requirement on Business tier adds operational complexity
  • Cloud availability dependent on AWS/GCP/Azure uptime

Pricing, plan by plan

ArangoDB

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

Dragonfly

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 100 cloud credits for new signups
    • Equivalent to free trial
  • Business$2000/month
    • Starting price for enterprise offering
    • Bring-your-own-cloud deployment
    • Auto-scaling with custom SLAs
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Any-cloud deployment
    • Custom instances and sizing

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 Dragonfly if

  • You need redis api compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want thread-per-core architecture.
Dragonfly review

Questions people ask

Is ArangoDB or Dragonfly better?
Neither clearly leads. ArangoDB starts at Free and Dragonfly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArangoDB or Dragonfly?
ArangoDB starts at Free and Dragonfly at Free.
Does ArangoDB or Dragonfly run on more platforms?
ArangoDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. Dragonfly runs on Cloud, AWS, GCP, Azure.
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 Dragonfly is typically brought in for.
What can ArangoDB do that Dragonfly cannot?
ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, AQL Query Language, Graph Traversals, Full-text Search. Dragonfly covers Redis API compatibility, Thread-per-core architecture, High-performance caching, Memory efficiency.

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
Dragonfly: How much faster is Dragonfly than Redis?

Dragonfly achieves 3.97M queries per second compared to Redis's 718K QPS, representing a 25x improvement. Memory efficiency is also 30% better.

Source
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
Dragonfly: Can I migrate from Redis to Dragonfly without code changes?

Yes. Dragonfly maintains full API compatibility with Redis and Memcached, allowing drop-in replacement with minimal to no code modifications.

Source
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