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Database & Data Management · head to head

ClickHouse vs Neo4j

ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Database & Data Management

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Neo4j logo

Neo4j

Database & Data Management

The world's leading graph database

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; Neo4j auraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • They diverge on capability: ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickHouse and Neo4j actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickHouse and Neo4j differ
AttributeClickHouseNeo4j
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows (via Docker)Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
Founded20212007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).

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
  • S3

Only in Neo4j

  • Native Graph Storage
  • Cypher Query Language
  • ACID Transactions
  • High Availability
  • Graph Data Science
  • Full-text Search
  • Native Indexes
  • GraphQL

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.

ClickHouse

  • Business intelligencenot Neo4j
  • Data warehousingnot Neo4j
  • Real-time analyticsnot Neo4j
  • Reportingnot Neo4j
  • Machine learningnot Neo4j

Neo4j

  • Running a managed graph database on AWS, Azure or Google Cloudnot ClickHouse
  • Building knowledge graphs and GraphRAG retrieval for AI applicationsnot ClickHouse
  • Fraud detection, recommendations and supply chain analysis over connected datanot ClickHouse

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

Neo4j

  • AuraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • AuraDB Free imposes limits on node and relationship counts and runs single-zone only
  • SSO authentication and role-based access control are excluded from AuraDB Free and AuraDB Professional, starting only at Business Critical at $146 per GB per month with a 2GB minimum cluster
  • AuraDB Professional starts at $65 per GB per month with a minimum 1GB cluster and caps at 128GB memory per instance
  • AuraDB Professional backups are daily with only 7-day retention, against 30 days on Business Critical
  • Customer managed keys and private endpoints are available only on AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud, which is quote only with no published price
  • Change data capture, query log forwarding, secondaries and access to Neo4j Professional Services are excluded below the Business Critical tier
  • Support on AuraDB Free is community only and AuraDB Professional is best effort, with 24x7 one-hour response starting at Business Critical
  • AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud is sold on prepaid contract terms with enterprise commercial negotiation rather than self-serve card payment

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

Neo4j

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Single database
    • Cypher queries
    • APOC library
  • AuraDB FreeFree
    • 50K nodes
    • 175K relationships
    • Cloud hosted
  • AuraDB Professional$65/month
    • Dedicated instance
    • Auto-scaling
    • Enterprise support

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 Neo4j if

  • You need native graph storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want cypher query language.
Neo4j review

Questions people ask

Is ClickHouse or Neo4j better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickHouse starts at Free and Neo4j at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickHouse or Neo4j?
ClickHouse starts at Free and Neo4j at Free.
Does ClickHouse or Neo4j run on more platforms?
ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker). Neo4j runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, 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 Neo4j is typically brought in for.
What can ClickHouse do that Neo4j cannot?
ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, SQL Support, Linear Scalability. Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage, Cypher Query Language, ACID Transactions, High Availability. 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.

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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