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Developer Tools · head to head

Helm vs RavenDB

H

Helm

Developer Tools

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HelmFull review
RavenDB logo

RavenDB

Databases

The fully transactional NoSQL document database

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit RavenDBFull review

The short version

  • Helm is a Kubernetes package manager, licensed Apache 2; RavenDB is an open-source document-oriented database written in C#.
  • Helm is free; RavenDB starts at $499/yr.
  • Where RavenDB falls short: the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helm and RavenDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Helm and RavenDB differ
AttributeHelmRavenDB
Pricing modelOpen-sourceFreemium
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted, Web
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: founded for Helm.

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 Helm

Nothing recorded that RavenDB does not also cover.

Only in RavenDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Auto-indexing
  • Full-text Search
  • Graph Queries
  • Distributed Counters
  • Time Series
  • Document Compression
  • .NET

What people use each for

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

Helm

  • Kubernetes package manager and deployment toolnot RavenDB

RavenDB

  • Running a distributed document database with ACID transactionsnot Helm
  • Self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardwarenot Helm
  • Replicating operational data out to analytics systems through ETLnot Helm

Where each one falls short

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

Helm

  • Contributors must sign commits under the Developer Certificate of Origin to have them accepted, per helm.sh, a process requirement not all Kubernetes tools impose

RavenDB

  • The free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • The free Community licence caps a customer at 60 cores and forces you to stay on the latest major version
  • The Professional licence is limited to a single database, a 5 node cluster, 40 cores and 240 GB RAM
  • Sharding across nodes, ETL to OLAP, Elasticsearch and Kafka, and data archival are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise and AI licence pricing is contact us only with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

RavenDB

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • 3 cores
    • 6GB RAM
    • Community support
  • Professional$499/yr
    • Production use
    • Professional support
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Choose RavenDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted, Web.
  • You also want auto-indexing.
RavenDB review

Questions people ask

Is Helm or RavenDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Helm starts at Free and RavenDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helm or RavenDB?
Helm starts at Free and RavenDB at Free.
Does Helm or RavenDB run on more platforms?
Helm runs on Web. RavenDB runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted, Web.
Can I use Helm for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Helm best used for?
Helm is most often used for kubernetes package manager and deployment tool. Of those, kubernetes package manager and deployment tool is not what RavenDB is typically brought in for.
What can Helm do that RavenDB cannot?
RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Full-text Search, Graph Queries.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Helm: How much does Helm cost?

Helm is free and open-source. It is a graduated project in the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) with no commercial pricing model.

Source
RavenDB: Is RavenDB free or open source?

RavenDB is open source under the AGPLv3 license and available on GitHub. It also offers a free developer license with enterprise-level features limited to 9 cores, 36GB max RAM, 3 nodes, and non-commercial use.

Source
RavenDB: Can I use RavenDB commercially for free?

RavenDB offers a free Community License that permits commercial deployment with unlimited databases and sizes, subject to a 60-core maximum per customer and requirement to run the latest major version.

Source
RavenDB: What commercial licensing options does RavenDB offer?

RavenDB offers Professional, Enterprise, and AI tiers for commercial use. Pricing for these tiers requires contacting their sales team at [email protected].

Source
RavenDB: Does RavenDB offer a cloud hosting option?

RavenDB Cloud provides a fully managed cloud database with maintenance, failover, and backups included. Pricing is available at cloud.ravendb.net/pricing.

Source
RavenDB: Is there a refund window if I purchase RavenDB?

RavenDB offers a 30-day refund window for purchased licenses.

Source
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