Softwr

Business Intelligence · head to head

Quantum Metric vs TiDB

Quantum Metric logo

Quantum Metric

Business Intelligence

Continuous product design platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TiDB logo

TiDB

Databases

Apache 2.0 distributed SQL database with MySQL wire compatibility and a separate columnar replica for analytical queries.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TiDB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Quantum Metric only enterprise plans are offered and the pricing page publishes no rate, no session volume tier and no minimum; TiDB a production cluster needs several placement driver, storage and SQL nodes before it is fault tolerant, so the minimum viable footprint is far larger than a MySQL server and TiDB is never the economical choice for a small database.
  • They diverge on capability: Quantum Metric covers Session Replay, TiDB covers MySQL wire compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quantum Metric and TiDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Quantum Metric and TiDB differ
AttributeQuantum MetricTiDB
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileCloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Self-managed
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDatabases

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2015).

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 Quantum Metric

  • Session Replay
  • Opportunity Analysis
  • Anomaly Detection
  • Real-time Alerts
  • Impact Scoring
  • Adobe Analytics
  • Google Analytics
  • Salesforce

Only in TiDB

  • MySQL wire compatibility
  • Horizontal write scaling
  • Distributed ACID transactions
  • TiFlash columnar replica
  • Automatic rebalancing
  • Raft replication
  • Apache 2.0 licence
  • Online schema change

What people use each for

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

Quantum Metric

  • Session replay and digital experience analytics for large web and mobile propertiesnot TiDB
  • Quantifying friction and conversion loss in checkout and signup flowsnot TiDB
  • Streaming behavioural insights into a data warehousenot TiDB

TiDB

  • A MySQL workload that has hit the write ceiling of a single primary and would otherwise need an application-level sharding layernot Quantum Metric
  • Reporting that must run against current transactional data, where the columnar replica removes the delay and the cost of an ETL pipelinenot Quantum Metric
  • Multi-region deployments needing a single logical database with automatic failover rather than manual primary promotionnot Quantum Metric
  • Migrating off a sharded MySQL estate where the sharding logic in the application has become the main source of bugs and operational toilnot Quantum Metric

Where each one falls short

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

Quantum Metric

  • Only enterprise plans are offered and the pricing page publishes no rate, no session volume tier and no minimum
  • The page states plans are built around your business, with the only routes being a personalised discussion, a live demo or product tours
  • There is no self-serve tier, free plan or trial published

TiDB

  • A production cluster needs several placement driver, storage and SQL nodes before it is fault tolerant, so the minimum viable footprint is far larger than a MySQL server and TiDB is never the economical choice for a small database.
  • Every transaction takes a timestamp from the placement driver and crosses the network to storage nodes, so simple point queries are slower than on single-node MySQL and latency-sensitive paths need to be measured, not assumed.
  • MySQL compatibility is at the wire and dialect level but not complete; stored procedures, triggers and events are not supported, so an application that pushed logic into the database cannot simply be repointed.
  • The columnar replica is an extra full copy of the data on its own nodes, so hybrid analytics roughly doubles storage and adds hardware that must be sized and paid for separately.
  • Operating it well requires cluster-specific expertise in TiUP or the Kubernetes operator, region hot spots, and rebalancing behaviour, so the licence is free but the running cost includes an engineer who understands distributed storage.

Pricing, plan by plan

Quantum Metric

On request
  • CustomFree
    • Full Platform
    • Real-time Analytics
    • Enterprise Support

TiDB

Free
  • ServerlessFree
    • 5GB storage
    • 50M request units
    • Free forever tier
  • Dedicated$250/month
    • Dedicated resources
    • SLA guarantees
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Quantum Metric if

  • You need session replay.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want opportunity analysis.
Quantum Metric review

Choose TiDB if

  • You need mysql wire compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Self-managed.
  • You also want horizontal write scaling.
TiDB review

Questions people ask

Is Quantum Metric or TiDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Quantum Metric starts at On request and TiDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quantum Metric or TiDB?
TiDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Quantum Metric and Free for TiDB.
Does Quantum Metric or TiDB run on more platforms?
Quantum Metric runs on Web, Mobile. TiDB runs on Cloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Self-managed.
Can I use TiDB for free?
Yes. TiDB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quantum Metric starts at On request.
What is Quantum Metric best used for?
Quantum Metric is most often used for session replay and digital experience analytics for large web and mobile properties, quantifying friction and conversion loss in checkout and signup flows, streaming behavioural insights into a data warehouse. Of those, session replay and digital experience analytics for large web and mobile properties and quantifying friction and conversion loss in checkout and signup flows are not what TiDB is typically brought in for.
What can Quantum Metric do that TiDB cannot?
Quantum Metric covers Session Replay, Opportunity Analysis, Anomaly Detection, Real-time Alerts. TiDB covers MySQL wire compatibility, Horizontal write scaling, Distributed ACID transactions, TiFlash columnar replica.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Quantum Metric: How much does Quantum Metric cost?

Quantum Metric uses custom pricing based on annual session volume, number of digital properties monitored, and product add-ons. Exact costs require contacting the sales team.

Source
TiDB: Is TiDB a drop-in replacement for MySQL?

At the protocol and dialect level it is close, and most applications connect unchanged. Stored procedures, triggers and events are not supported, and latency characteristics differ, so it needs testing rather than assumption.

Quantum Metric: Does Quantum Metric offer a free trial?

The pricing page does not mention a free trial option. Interested parties must request a demo to discuss pricing and obtain a custom quote.

Source
TiDB: What licence is it under?

Apache 2.0, for both TiDB and the underlying TiKV storage engine. TiKV is a graduated CNCF project, which is a meaningful governance signal in a market where several competitors moved to source-available licences.

Quantum Metric: What factors affect Quantum Metric pricing?

Pricing scales with digital properties (websites and applications monitored), session volume (data collected and analyzed), and customer success tier selected. Add-on products like employee experience, data enrichment, and data streaming have separate pricing considerations.

Source
TiDB: Do I need TiFlash?

Only for analytical queries. It is an optional columnar replica; without it TiDB is a distributed transactional database. With it you get analytics on live data at the cost of an additional full copy.

TiDB: Is the managed cloud the same software?

TiDB Cloud runs the same engine, with the control plane, scaling and operational tooling provided as a service. The entry tier is metered differently from a dedicated cluster, so the cost model rather than the engine is what changes.

TiDB: When is TiDB the wrong choice?

When the database is small enough for one server, when latency on single-row lookups is the primary constraint, or when the application depends on MySQL stored procedures and triggers.

Share

Related pages

More on Quantum Metric

More on TiDB

Keep looking

Other head to heads