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Firebolt vs Neo4j

Firebolt logo

Firebolt

Software

Sub-second analytics at cloud data warehouse scale

From
$1.84/hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Neo4j logo

Neo4j

Software

The world's leading graph database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Neo4j has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Firebolt compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop; Neo4j auraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • They diverge on capability: Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firebolt and Neo4j actually diverge.

Attributes where Firebolt and Neo4j differ
AttributeFireboltNeo4j
Starting price$1.84/hourFree
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, KubernetesLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
Founded20192007

Identical on both: 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 Firebolt

  • Sub-second Queries
  • Sparse Indexes
  • Data Pruning
  • Decoupled Storage/Compute
  • SQL Support
  • Semi-structured Data
  • Workload Isolation
  • Airflow

Only in Neo4j

  • Native Graph Storage
  • Cypher Query Language
  • ACID Transactions
  • High Availability
  • Graph Data Science
  • Full-text Search
  • Native Indexes
  • GraphQL

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Firebolt

  • Data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirementsnot Neo4j
  • Real-time business intelligence platforms requiring ACID transactions and snapshot isolationnot Neo4j
  • Applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queriesnot Neo4j

Neo4j

  • Running a managed graph database on AWS, Azure or Google Cloudnot Firebolt
  • Building knowledge graphs and GraphRAG retrieval for AI applicationsnot Firebolt
  • Fraud detection, recommendations and supply chain analysis over connected datanot Firebolt

Where each one falls short

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

Firebolt

  • Compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
  • Storage pass-through charged at $0.0264/GB monthly on compressed data; uncompressed storage could exceed this
  • Azure deployment currently in Preview status; production recommendations unclear
  • Vector indexes limited to float arrays; other data types require alternative indexing strategies
  • Free tier credits ($200) limited; no perpetual free tier for production use

Neo4j

  • AuraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • AuraDB Free imposes limits on node and relationship counts and runs single-zone only
  • SSO authentication and role-based access control are excluded from AuraDB Free and AuraDB Professional, starting only at Business Critical at $146 per GB per month with a 2GB minimum cluster
  • AuraDB Professional starts at $65 per GB per month with a minimum 1GB cluster and caps at 128GB memory per instance
  • AuraDB Professional backups are daily with only 7-day retention, against 30 days on Business Critical
  • Customer managed keys and private endpoints are available only on AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud, which is quote only with no published price
  • Change data capture, query log forwarding, secondaries and access to Neo4j Professional Services are excluded below the Business Critical tier
  • Support on AuraDB Free is community only and AuraDB Professional is best effort, with 24x7 one-hour response starting at Business Critical
  • AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud is sold on prepaid contract terms with enterprise commercial negotiation rather than self-serve card payment

Pricing, plan by plan

Firebolt

$1.84/hour

No published plan breakdown. See the Firebolt review.

Neo4j

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Single database
    • Cypher queries
    • APOC library
  • AuraDB FreeFree
    • 50K nodes
    • 175K relationships
    • Cloud hosted
  • AuraDB Professional$65/month
    • Dedicated instance
    • Auto-scaling
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Firebolt if

  • You need sub-second queries.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want sparse indexes.
Firebolt review

Choose Neo4j if

  • You need native graph storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want cypher query language.
Neo4j review

Questions people ask

Is Firebolt or Neo4j better?
Neither clearly leads. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour and Neo4j at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firebolt or Neo4j?
Neo4j has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1.84/hour for Firebolt and Free for Neo4j.
Does Firebolt or Neo4j run on more platforms?
Firebolt runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes. Neo4j runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use Neo4j for free?
Yes. Neo4j has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour.
What is Firebolt best used for?
Firebolt is most often used for data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements, real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation, applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queries. Of those, data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements and real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation are not what Neo4j is typically brought in for.
What can Firebolt do that Neo4j cannot?
Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Sparse Indexes, Data Pruning, Decoupled Storage/Compute. Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage, Cypher Query Language, ACID Transactions, High Availability. Both handle Web support.
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