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Databases · head to head

ArangoDB vs InfluxDB

ArangoDB logo

ArangoDB

Databases

Multi-model database for graph, document, and search

From
Free
Rated
-
InfluxDB logo

InfluxDB

Logging

Purpose-built time series database for metrics and events

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; InfluxDB high-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation
  • They diverge on capability: ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArangoDB and InfluxDB actually diverge.

Attributes where ArangoDB and InfluxDB differ
AttributeArangoDBInfluxDB
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, WebCloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
CategoryDatabasesLogging
Founded20142012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 InfluxDB

  • Time-series Storage
  • Flux Query Language
  • High Write Throughput
  • Data Compression
  • Retention Policies
  • Continuous Queries
  • Built-in Dashboards
  • Telegraf

Both cover

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

InfluxDB

  • Monitoringnot ArangoDB
  • IoT datanot ArangoDB
  • Financial datanot ArangoDB
  • Log analyticsnot ArangoDB
  • Observabilitynot 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

InfluxDB

  • High-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation
  • No support for joins or transactions like relational databases
  • Queries limited to 72-hour window in InfluxDB 3 OSS Core
  • Clustering and authentication features absent from community version

Pricing, plan by plan

ArangoDB

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

InfluxDB

Free
  • Cloud Serverless FreeFree
    • 5 MB writes per 5 minutes
    • 300 MB queries per 5 minutes
    • 30 day retention
  • Cloud Serverless Usage-Based$undefined/mo
    • 0.0025 USD per MB ingested
    • 0.012 USD per 100 queries
    • 0.002 USD per GB-hour storage

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 InfluxDB if

  • You need time-series storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure.
  • You also want flux query language.

Questions people ask

Is ArangoDB or InfluxDB better?
Neither clearly leads. ArangoDB starts at Free and InfluxDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArangoDB or InfluxDB?
ArangoDB starts at Free and InfluxDB at Free.
Does ArangoDB or InfluxDB run on more platforms?
ArangoDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. InfluxDB runs on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, 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 InfluxDB is typically brought in for.
What can ArangoDB do that InfluxDB cannot?
ArangoDB covers Multi-model Support, AQL Query Language, Graph Traversals, Full-text Search. InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage, Flux Query Language, High Write Throughput, Data Compression. Both handle Linux support, Windows support, Mac support, Docker support.

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
InfluxDB: Is there a free tier and what are the limits?

InfluxDB 3 Core OSS is free forever for local development and prototyping. Cloud Serverless free tier includes 5 MB writes per 5 minutes, 300 MB queries per 5 minutes, 30 day retention, and 2 databases.

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
InfluxDB: Can I self-host InfluxDB?

Yes, InfluxDB 3 Core is fully open source and can be self-hosted with no license required. InfluxDB 3 Enterprise is self-managed and includes a 30-day free trial.

Source
InfluxDB: What are the series cardinality limitations?

InfluxDB is sensitive to high-cardinality data. High cardinality increases RAM usage and can trigger out-of-memory errors, making it unsuitable for some workloads with many unique tag combinations.

Source
InfluxDB: Does InfluxDB support SQL queries?

InfluxDB has limited SQL support. Full SQL is available in InfluxDB 3, but earlier versions support only specific SQL commands and use InfluxQL as the primary query language.

Source
InfluxDB: Can I export my data from InfluxDB?

Yes, data can be exported from InfluxDB using query results. However, the process and supported formats depend on the version and deployment type you are using.

Source
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