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Databases · head to head

ClickHouse vs Magento

ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Databases

Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Magento logo

Magento

E-Commerce

Open-source ecommerce platform for enterprise retail

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ClickHouse limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems; Magento magento Open Source is available under the OSL v3 license as a free self-hosted edition, but Adobe sells a separate proprietary Adobe Commerce edition with additional B2B, page builder and cloud features not included in the open source code
  • They diverge on capability: ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Magento covers Multi-store management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickHouse and Magento actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickHouse and Magento differ
AttributeClickHouseMagento
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows (via Docker)Web
CategoryDatabasesE-Commerce
Founded20212008

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 ClickHouse

  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Real-time Analytics
  • SQL Support
  • Linear Scalability
  • Data Compression
  • Vectorized Query Execution
  • Approximate Calculations
  • Kafka

Only in Magento

  • Multi-store management
  • Advanced product catalog
  • Customer segmentation
  • Order management system
  • Inventory management
  • Progressive Web App
  • GraphQL API
  • Security & compliance

What people use each for

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

ClickHouse

  • Business intelligencenot Magento
  • Data warehousingnot Magento
  • Real-time analyticsnot Magento
  • Reportingnot Magento
  • Machine learningnot Magento

Magento

No use cases recorded yet. See the Magento review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Magento

  • Magento Open Source is available under the OSL v3 license as a free self-hosted edition, but Adobe sells a separate proprietary Adobe Commerce edition with additional B2B, page builder and cloud features not included in the open source code

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

Magento

Free
  • Magento Open SourceFree
    • Unlimited products
    • Multiple storefronts
    • Advanced marketing
  • Adobe Commerce$20000/year
    • All Open Source features
    • 24/7 enterprise support
    • Managed cloud hosting

Which should you pick?

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.
ClickHouse review

Choose Magento if

  • You need multi-store management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want advanced product catalog.
Magento review

Questions people ask

Is ClickHouse or Magento better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickHouse starts at Free and Magento at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickHouse or Magento?
ClickHouse starts at Free and Magento at Free.
Does ClickHouse or Magento run on more platforms?
ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker). Magento runs on Web.
Can I use ClickHouse for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ClickHouse best used for?
ClickHouse is most often used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting. Of those, business intelligence and data warehousing are not what Magento is typically brought in for.
What can ClickHouse do that Magento cannot?
ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, SQL Support, Linear Scalability. Magento covers Multi-store management, Advanced product catalog, Customer segmentation, Order management system.

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.

Source
ClickHouse: 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.

Source
ClickHouse: 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
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