Softwr

Databases · head to head

Neo4j vs YugabyteDB

Neo4j logo

Neo4j

Databases

The world's leading graph database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YugabyteDB logo

YugabyteDB

Databases

Open source distributed SQL database for cloud native apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Neo4j auraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery; YugabyteDB missing PostgreSQL functions and extensions despite claiming compatibility
  • They diverge on capability: Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage, YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Neo4j and YugabyteDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Neo4j and YugabyteDB differ
AttributeNeo4jYugabyteDB
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, WebCloud, On-premises, Kubernetes
Founded20072016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

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 Neo4j

  • Native Graph Storage
  • Cypher Query Language
  • Graph Data Science
  • Full-text Search
  • Native Indexes
  • GraphQL
  • Spring Data
  • Apache Spark

Only in YugabyteDB

  • PostgreSQL Compatible
  • Distributed SQL
  • Geo-distribution
  • Linear Scalability
  • CDC Support
  • PostgreSQL
  • Cassandra
  • Kubernetes

Both cover

  • ACID Transactions
  • High Availability
  • Linux support
  • Mac support
  • Docker support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Neo4j

  • Graph database for learning and explorationnot YugabyteDB
  • Production workloads requiring high availability and multi-zone redundancynot YugabyteDB
  • Enterprise deployments needing custom infrastructurenot YugabyteDB

YugabyteDB

  • Transaction processingnot Neo4j
  • Data storagenot Neo4j
  • Application backendnot Neo4j
  • Reportingnot Neo4j
  • Data analyticsnot Neo4j

Where each one falls short

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

YugabyteDB

  • Missing PostgreSQL functions and extensions despite claiming compatibility
  • Not a true PostgreSQL replacement requiring schema and query compatibility testing before migration
  • Requires careful isolation level management or risk data corruption in production
  • Lacks built-in OLAP capabilities, requiring external systems for analytics
  • Coupled compute and storage scaling reduces optimization flexibility

Pricing, plan by plan

Neo4j

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Learning and exploration access
    • No credit card required
    • All graph tools included
  • AuraDB Professional$65/GB/month
    • 1GB minimum cluster
    • Hourly billing available ($0.09/hour for 1GB)
    • Daily backups with 7-day retention
  • AuraDB Business Critical$146/GB/month
    • 2GB minimum cluster
    • Hourly billing available ($0.40/hour for 2GB)
    • Up to 512GB maximum
  • Virtual Dedicated Cloud$null/custom
    • Custom pricing via sales contact
    • Dedicated VPC infrastructure
    • Hourly backups with 60-day retention

YugabyteDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the YugabyteDB review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose YugabyteDB if

  • You need postgresql compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes.
  • You also want distributed sql.
YugabyteDB review

Questions people ask

Is Neo4j or YugabyteDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Neo4j starts at Free and YugabyteDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Neo4j or YugabyteDB?
Neo4j starts at Free and YugabyteDB at Free.
Does Neo4j or YugabyteDB run on more platforms?
Neo4j runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. YugabyteDB runs on Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes.
Can I use Neo4j for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Neo4j best used for?
Neo4j is most often used for graph database for learning and exploration, production workloads requiring high availability and multi-zone redundancy, enterprise deployments needing custom infrastructure. Of those, graph database for learning and exploration and production workloads requiring high availability and multi-zone redundancy are not what YugabyteDB is typically brought in for.
What can Neo4j do that YugabyteDB cannot?
Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage, Cypher Query Language, Graph Data Science, Full-text Search. YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible, Distributed SQL, Geo-distribution, Linear Scalability. Both handle ACID Transactions, High Availability, Linux support, Mac support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Neo4j: Is Neo4j free?

Neo4j offers a free tier (AuraDB Free) for learning and exploration with no credit card required. Community Edition is also free and GPL3-licensed. Paid tiers start at $65/GB per month for AuraDB Professional.

Source
YugabyteDB: Is YugabyteDB a true drop-in replacement for PostgreSQL?

No, YugabyteDB is PostgreSQL-compatible but not a zero-change drop-in replacement. It requires compatibility testing with queries, stored procedures, and ORM configurations before migration.

Source
Neo4j: What does Neo4j's Professional tier include?

AuraDB Professional costs $65/GB per month with a 1GB minimum cluster, includes daily backups with 7-day retention, single-zone availability, and best-effort support. Hourly billing is available at $0.09/hour per GB.

Source
YugabyteDB: What isolation levels does YugabyteDB support?

YugabyteDB allows per-query selection between serializable isolation for critical operations and read-committed for analytics. However, this flexibility requires careful management to avoid accidental data corruption.

Source
Neo4j: What is Neo4j's most advanced pricing tier?

AuraDB Business Critical costs $146/GB per month with a 2GB minimum and includes multi-zone redundancy, 99.95% uptime SLA, 24/7 premium support with one-hour response times, and point-in-time recovery.

Source
YugabyteDB: Does YugabyteDB support both SQL and NoSQL workloads?

Yes, YugabyteDB offers YSQL for PostgreSQL-compatible SQL and YCQL for Cassandra-like NoSQL workloads, using the same DocDB storage engine to support both simultaneously.

Source
YugabyteDB: Can YugabyteDB scale compute and storage independently?

No, YugabyteDB couples compute and storage scaling, unlike TiDB which separates them. This means scaling decisions are less flexible and optimization is more complex.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Neo4j

More on YugabyteDB

Keep looking

Other head to heads