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Dgraph vs Qdrant

Dgraph logo

Dgraph

Software

The only native GraphQL database with graph backend

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Qdrant logo

Qdrant

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dgraph the GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README; Qdrant free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dgraph and Qdrant actually diverge.

Attributes where Dgraph and Qdrant differ
AttributeDgraphQdrant
PlatformsLinux, Mac, Docker, WebCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming)
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Dgraph

  • Native GraphQL
  • Distributed Architecture
  • ACID Transactions
  • GraphQL Subscriptions
  • Full-text Search
  • Geolocation Queries
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • GraphQL

Only in Qdrant

Nothing recorded that Dgraph does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Dgraph

  • Knowledge graphsnot Qdrant
  • Fraud detectionnot Qdrant
  • Recommendation enginesnot Qdrant
  • Network analysisnot Qdrant
  • Master data managementnot Qdrant

Qdrant

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dgraph

  • The GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README

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

Dgraph

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Native GraphQL
    • Graph queries
    • Full-text search
  • Cloud$39/month
    • Managed service
    • Auto-scaling
    • Enterprise support

Qdrant

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Dgraph if

  • You need native graphql.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want distributed architecture.
Dgraph 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 Dgraph or Qdrant better?
Neither clearly leads. Dgraph 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, Dgraph or Qdrant?
Dgraph starts at Free and Qdrant at Free.
Does Dgraph or Qdrant run on more platforms?
Dgraph runs on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web. Qdrant runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming).
Can I use Dgraph for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dgraph best used for?
Dgraph is most often used for knowledge graphs, fraud detection, recommendation engines, network analysis. Of those, knowledge graphs and fraud detection are not what Qdrant is typically brought in for.
What can Dgraph do that Qdrant cannot?
Dgraph covers Native GraphQL, Distributed Architecture, ACID Transactions, GraphQL Subscriptions.
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