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FaunaDB vs DataStax

FaunaDB logo

FaunaDB

Software

The distributed serverless database for modern applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DataStax logo

DataStax

Software

The real-time data company for AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FaunaDB the Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.; 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
  • They diverge on capability: FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, DataStax covers Cassandra Compatible.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FaunaDB and DataStax actually diverge.

Attributes where FaunaDB and DataStax differ
AttributeFaunaDBDataStax
PlatformsWebWeb, Aws, Azure, Gcp
Founded20122010

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 FaunaDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Document-relational Model
  • Global Distribution
  • Temporal Queries
  • Multi-tenancy
  • GraphQL
  • Netlify
  • Vercel

Only in DataStax

  • Cassandra Compatible
  • Vector Search
  • Multi-cloud
  • Streaming
  • CDC
  • LangChain
  • LlamaIndex
  • Kafka

Both cover

  • GraphQL API
  • Serverless
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

FaunaDB

  • Serverless applicationsnot DataStax
  • Rapid prototypingnot DataStax
  • Mobile backends
  • JAMstacknot DataStax
  • Microservicesnot DataStax

DataStax

  • Real-time applicationsnot FaunaDB
  • Content managementnot FaunaDB
  • User profilesnot FaunaDB
  • Mobile backends
  • Cachingnot FaunaDB

Both are used for mobile backends, 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.

FaunaDB

  • The Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.

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, plan by plan

FaunaDB

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100K read ops
    • 50K write ops
    • 1GB storage
  • Pro$25/month
    • Pay per use
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features

DataStax

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

Which should you pick?

Choose FaunaDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want document-relational model.
FaunaDB review

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

Questions people ask

Is FaunaDB or DataStax better?
Neither clearly leads. FaunaDB starts at Free and DataStax at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FaunaDB or DataStax?
FaunaDB starts at Free and DataStax at Free.
Does FaunaDB or DataStax run on more platforms?
FaunaDB runs on Web. DataStax runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
Can I use FaunaDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FaunaDB best used for?
FaunaDB is most often used for serverless applications, rapid prototyping, mobile backends, jamstack. Of those, serverless applications and rapid prototyping are not what DataStax is typically brought in for.
What can FaunaDB do that DataStax cannot?
FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Document-relational Model, Global Distribution, Temporal Queries. DataStax covers Cassandra Compatible, Vector Search, Multi-cloud, Streaming. Both handle GraphQL API, Serverless, Web support.
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