NetApp-owned managed service for Cassandra, Kafka, OpenSearch, PostgreSQL and Cadence with a bring-your-own-cloud model

DataStax
The real-time data company for AI applications
As of 13 November 2026, DataStax is free to use. DataStax provides a real-time data platform built on Apache Cassandra. Softwr lists it under Databases. DataStax is made by DataStax Inc., launched in 2010, available on Web.
Overview
What DataStax does
DataStax provides a real-time data platform built on Apache Cassandra. DataStax Astra DB is a serverless, multi-cloud database-as-a-service that simplifies cloud-native application development. It combines the power of Cassandra with vector search for AI applications.
What people use it for
- Real-time applications
- Content management
- User profiles
- Mobile backends
- Caching
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about DataStax.
- DataStax's own Astra DB documentation states the Enterprise plan is an annual, contract-based plan with negotiated pricing, meaning list prices are not published for that tier
- DataStax's Astra DB documentation directs Standard plan customers to IBM's watsonx.data pricing for exact consumption-based rates following the DataStax/IBM deal, rather than publishing them on DataStax's own site
Pricing
What DataStax costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Free
Free
- 5GB storage
- 40M read/write ops
- Vector search
Pay As You Go
Free
- Usage-based pricing
- Multi-region
- Enterprise support
Capabilities
Features
Cassandra Compatible
Vector Search
Serverless
Multi-cloud
Streaming
CDC
GraphQL API
LangChain
Integration with LangChain
LlamaIndex
Integration with LlamaIndex
Kafka
Integration with Kafka
Spark
Integration with Spark
Kubernetes
Integration with Kubernetes
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is DataStax available as a managed service?
Yes, DataStax is available as Astra DB, a managed database service. Users can sign up for Astra DB directly to create accounts and access the platform.
SourceHow is DataStax priced?
DataStax (now part of IBM) does not publish pricing on its documentation homepage. Pricing information would need to be obtained through the Astra DB signup page or by contacting IBM directly.
SourceIs there an enterprise licensing option?
DataStax is now part of IBM. Enterprise customers should contact IBM directly for licensing agreements and enterprise-specific pricing.
SourceCan I try DataStax without an account?
To use DataStax Astra DB, account creation is required. The documentation does not mention a free trial or demonstration environment that does not require signup.
SourceBehind it
Who makes DataStax
- Company
- DataStax Inc.
- Based in
- Santa Clara, California
Keep looking
Where to go from DataStax
- DataStax alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- DataStax pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- DataStax badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Databases softwareThe full category
- Best Databases softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for DataStax, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on DataStax
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Its rating, and an embed for your own site
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