Software · head to head
QuestDB vs Knack

QuestDB
Software
Fast open source time-series database for high throughput ingestion
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only QuestDB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: QuestDB open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features; Knack plans are priced by number of records and objects rather than users, ranging from $110 to $300 per month as data volume grows
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which QuestDB and Knack actually diverge.
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 QuestDB
- High Throughput Ingestion
- SQL Support
- Time-series Optimization
- SIMD Vectorization
- Column-oriented Storage
- Built-in Web Console
- InfluxDB Line Protocol
- PostgreSQL
Only in Knack
Nothing recorded that QuestDB does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
QuestDB
- Time-series analytics ingesting up to 20M rows/second from IoT sensors or financial data feedsnot Knack
- Real-time dashboarding with 32ms time-to-first-row latency for minute-level analyticsnot Knack
- Applications requiring multi-tier storage (hot ingest, real-time SQL, cold Parquet archive)not Knack
Knack
No use cases recorded yet. See the Knack review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
QuestDB
- Open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
- Enterprise edition pricing not published; requires contacting sales for custom quote
- Ingestion limit of 20M rows/sec platform-dependent; may not scale to extreme throughput requirements
Knack
- Plans are priced by number of records and objects rather than users, ranging from $110 to $300 per month as data volume grows
Pricing, plan by plan
QuestDB
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the QuestDB review.
Knack
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Knack review.
Which should you pick?
Choose QuestDB if
- You need high throughput ingestion.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- You also want sql support.
Choose Knack if
Nothing in the data separates Knack from QuestDB on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is QuestDB or Knack better?
- Neither clearly leads. QuestDB starts at Free and Knack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, QuestDB or Knack?
- QuestDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for QuestDB and On request for Knack.
- Does QuestDB or Knack run on more platforms?
- QuestDB runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP). Knack runs on Web.
- Can I use QuestDB for free?
- Yes. QuestDB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Knack starts at On request.
- What is QuestDB best used for?
- QuestDB is most often used for time-series analytics ingesting up to 20m rows/second from iot sensors or financial data feeds, real-time dashboarding with 32ms time-to-first-row latency for minute-level analytics, applications requiring multi-tier storage (hot ingest, real-time sql, cold parquet archive). Of those, time-series analytics ingesting up to 20m rows/second from iot sensors or financial data feeds and real-time dashboarding with 32ms time-to-first-row latency for minute-level analytics are not what Knack is typically brought in for.
- What can QuestDB do that Knack cannot?
- QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, SQL Support, Time-series Optimization, SIMD Vectorization.
Related pages
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- Knack vs PlanetScale
- Knack vs Azure SQL
- Knack vs ClickHouse
- Knack vs Couchbase
- Knack vs DuckDB
- Knack vs DynamoDB
- Knack vs MariaDB
- Knack vs Oracle Database
- Knack vs Amazon RDS
- Knack vs Amazon Redshift
- Knack vs Apache Druid
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