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Database & Data Management · head to head

Elasticsearch vs ScyllaDB

Elasticsearch logo

Elasticsearch

Database & Data Management

The heart of the Elastic Stack for search and analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ScyllaDB logo

ScyllaDB

Database & Data Management

The real-time big data database compatible with Cassandra

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Elasticsearch eventual consistency model with 1-second default refresh interval, not suitable for real-time transactional requirements; ScyllaDB aWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in
  • They diverge on capability: Elasticsearch covers Full-text Search, ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elasticsearch and ScyllaDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Elasticsearch and ScyllaDB differ
AttributeElasticsearchScyllaDB
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, Docker, KubernetesLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web
Founded20102015

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 Elasticsearch

  • Full-text Search
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Distributed Architecture
  • RESTful API
  • Schema-free JSON
  • Aggregations
  • Machine Learning
  • Kibana

Only in ScyllaDB

  • Cassandra Compatible
  • DynamoDB Compatible
  • 10x Throughput
  • Low Latency
  • Auto-tuning
  • Lightweight Transactions
  • Change Data Capture
  • Cassandra Drivers

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Docker support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Elasticsearch

  • Real-time applications
  • Content management
  • User profiles
  • Mobile backends
  • Caching

ScyllaDB

  • Real-time applications
  • Content management
  • User profiles
  • Mobile backends
  • Caching

Both are used for real-time applications, content management, user profiles, mobile backends, caching, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Elasticsearch

  • Eventual consistency model with 1-second default refresh interval, not suitable for real-time transactional requirements
  • No support for ACID transactions or rollbacks; updates delete and re-insert documents
  • JVM-dependent architecture requires careful memory management and monitoring to prevent garbage collection issues at scale

ScyllaDB

  • AWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in

Pricing, plan by plan

Elasticsearch

Free
  • Self-ManagedFree
    • Open source
    • Self-hosted
  • Elasticsearch Cloud$16.4/month
    • Managed service
    • 14-day free trial

ScyllaDB

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full features
    • Community support
    • Self-managed
  • Cloud$0.3/hour
    • Managed service
    • Pay per hour
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Elasticsearch if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want real-time analytics.
Elasticsearch review

Choose ScyllaDB if

  • You need cassandra compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
  • You also want dynamodb compatible.
ScyllaDB review

Questions people ask

Is Elasticsearch or ScyllaDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Elasticsearch starts at Free and ScyllaDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Elasticsearch or ScyllaDB?
Elasticsearch starts at Free and ScyllaDB at Free.
Does Elasticsearch or ScyllaDB run on more platforms?
Elasticsearch runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes. ScyllaDB runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
Can I use Elasticsearch for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Elasticsearch best used for?
Elasticsearch is most often used for real-time applications, content management, user profiles, mobile backends.
What can Elasticsearch do that ScyllaDB cannot?
Elasticsearch covers Full-text Search, Real-time Analytics, Distributed Architecture, RESTful API. ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible, DynamoDB Compatible, 10x Throughput, Low Latency. Both handle Linux support, Docker support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Elasticsearch: Is Elasticsearch free?

Yes, Elasticsearch can be deployed as free and open-source software for self-managed installations. Elastic Cloud managed service starts at $16.40 per month, with a free 14-day trial available.

Source
Elasticsearch: Can I use Elasticsearch without Kibana?

Yes, Elasticsearch is a search engine independent of Kibana. Kibana is a visualization and analytics tool that works with Elasticsearch but is optional. You can use the Elasticsearch API directly for searching.

Source
Elasticsearch: Does Elasticsearch support real-time indexing?

Elasticsearch indexes data with a refresh interval, typically 1 second. Data becomes searchable after the refresh cycle, making it near-real-time but not instantaneous. This can be configured but impacts performance.

Source
Elasticsearch: What are Elasticsearch's scaling limitations?

Elasticsearch requires careful operational management at scale, including shard balancing, heap sizing, and monitoring. Large clusters can suffer from garbage collection issues and become expensive to operate.

Source
Elasticsearch: Does Elasticsearch support transactions and rollbacks?

No, Elasticsearch does not support ACID transactions or rollbacks. Updates are expensive operations that delete and re-insert documents, making it unsuitable for transactional workloads.

Source
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