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Software · head to head

ClickHouse vs QuestDB

ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuestDB logo

QuestDB

Software

Fast open source time-series database for high throughput ingestion

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; QuestDB open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
  • They diverge on capability: ClickHouse covers Real-time Analytics, QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickHouse and QuestDB actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickHouse and QuestDB differ
AttributeClickHouseQuestDB
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows (via Docker)Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Founded20212014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 ClickHouse

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Linear Scalability
  • Data Compression
  • Vectorized Query Execution
  • Approximate Calculations
  • S3
  • MySQL
  • Kubernetes support

Only in QuestDB

  • High Throughput Ingestion
  • Time-series Optimization
  • SIMD Vectorization
  • Built-in Web Console
  • InfluxDB Line Protocol
  • Telegraf
  • Pandas
  • Windows support

Both cover

  • Column-oriented Storage
  • SQL Support
  • Kafka
  • PostgreSQL
  • Grafana
  • 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 QuestDB
  • Data warehousingnot QuestDB
  • Real-time analyticsnot QuestDB
  • Reportingnot QuestDB
  • Machine learningnot QuestDB

QuestDB

  • Time-series analytics ingesting up to 20M rows/second from IoT sensors or financial data feedsnot ClickHouse
  • Real-time dashboarding with 32ms time-to-first-row latency for minute-level analyticsnot ClickHouse
  • Applications requiring multi-tier storage (hot ingest, real-time SQL, cold Parquet archive)not 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

QuestDB

  • Open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
  • Enterprise edition pricing not published; requires contacting sales for custom quote
  • Ingestion limit of 20M rows/sec platform-dependent; may not scale to extreme throughput requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

QuestDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the QuestDB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose ClickHouse if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
  • You also want linear scalability.
ClickHouse review

Choose QuestDB if

  • You need high throughput ingestion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • You also want time-series optimization.
QuestDB review

Questions people ask

Is ClickHouse or QuestDB better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickHouse starts at Free and QuestDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickHouse or QuestDB?
ClickHouse starts at Free and QuestDB at Free.
Does ClickHouse or QuestDB run on more platforms?
ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker). QuestDB runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).
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 QuestDB is typically brought in for.
What can ClickHouse do that QuestDB cannot?
ClickHouse covers Real-time Analytics, Linear Scalability, Data Compression, Vectorized Query Execution. QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, Time-series Optimization, SIMD Vectorization, Built-in Web Console. Both handle Column-oriented Storage, SQL Support, Kafka, PostgreSQL.

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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Related pages

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