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Databases · head to head

DataStax vs Qdrant

DataStax logo

DataStax

Databases

The real-time data company for AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Qdrant logo

Qdrant

Databases

High-performance vector database for similarity search and embedding-based retrieval

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Qdrant free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DataStax and Qdrant actually diverge.

Attributes where DataStax and Qdrant differ
AttributeDataStaxQdrant
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming)
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

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 DataStax

  • Cassandra Compatible
  • Vector Search
  • Serverless
  • Multi-cloud
  • Streaming
  • CDC
  • GraphQL API
  • LangChain

Only in Qdrant

Nothing recorded that DataStax does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

DataStax

  • Real-time applicationsnot Qdrant
  • Content managementnot Qdrant
  • User profilesnot Qdrant
  • Mobile backendsnot Qdrant
  • Cachingnot Qdrant

Qdrant

  • Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) backends for LLM applicationsnot DataStax
  • Semantic search across large document corporanot DataStax
  • Multimodal retrieval (text, images, video) for recommendation systemsnot DataStax
  • Similarity-based product or content recommendationsnot DataStax
  • Real-time vector indexing for streaming embedding datanot DataStax

Where each one falls short

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

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

Qdrant

  • Free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments
  • Standard and Premium pricing usage-based; specific costs not published; requires calculator or quote
  • Requires understanding of embeddings and vector search concepts; not suitable for SQL-only teams
  • Early-stage serverless offering (coming soon) suggests maturity gaps in that deployment model

Pricing, plan by plan

DataStax

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5GB storage
    • 40M read/write ops
    • Vector search
  • Pay As You GoFree
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Multi-region
    • Enterprise support

Qdrant

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Single-node cluster
    • 0.5 vCPU
    • 1GB RAM
  • Standard$undefined/usage-based
    • Dedicated resources
    • Flexible scaling
    • High availability
  • Premium$undefined/minimum spend
    • SSO and SAML
    • Private VPC links
    • 99.9% uptime SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose DataStax if

  • You need cassandra compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
  • You also want vector search.
DataStax review

Choose Qdrant if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming).
Qdrant review

Questions people ask

Is DataStax or Qdrant better?
Neither clearly leads. DataStax starts at Free and Qdrant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DataStax or Qdrant?
DataStax starts at Free and Qdrant at Free.
Does DataStax or Qdrant run on more platforms?
DataStax runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Qdrant runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming).
Can I use DataStax for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DataStax best used for?
DataStax is most often used for real-time applications, content management, user profiles, mobile backends. Of those, real-time applications and content management are not what Qdrant is typically brought in for.
What can DataStax do that Qdrant cannot?
DataStax covers Cassandra Compatible, Vector Search, Serverless, Multi-cloud.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DataStax: 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.

Source
Qdrant: Can I use Qdrant for free?

Yes, Qdrant offers a free tier that provides a single node cluster with 0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 4GB disk space. It includes free cloud inference with selected models and is described as free forever for testing and prototypes.

Source
DataStax: How 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.

Source
Qdrant: How is Qdrant Cloud billing calculated?

Billing is calculated based on actual resource usage during each billing period. You are charged hourly for compute (vCPU), memory (GB), storage (GB), backups, and any paid inference tokens used.

Source
DataStax: Is there an enterprise licensing option?

DataStax is now part of IBM. Enterprise customers should contact IBM directly for licensing agreements and enterprise-specific pricing.

Source
Qdrant: What happens if I scale beyond the free tier?

The Standard Tier uses the same usage-based billing model as the free tier but adds features like dedicated resources with flexible scaling, highly available setups with backup and disaster recovery, and a 99.5% uptime SLA.

Source
DataStax: Can 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.

Source
Qdrant: What SLA does Qdrant offer?

The Standard Tier provides 99.5% uptime SLA. The Premium Tier, which requires a minimum spend for enterprises, offers 99.9% uptime SLA along with single sign-on and private VPC links.

Source
Qdrant: Are there dedicated cloud infrastructure options?

Yes, Qdrant offers Hybrid Cloud (runs on your infrastructure) and Private Cloud (complete isolation) options, both with custom pricing that requires contacting the sales team.

Source
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