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Databases · head to head

QuestDB vs Redpanda

QuestDB logo

QuestDB

Databases

Fast open source time-series database for high throughput ingestion

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Redpanda logo

Redpanda

Databases

Kafka-compatible streaming platform with no ZooKeeper or JVM

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: QuestDB open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features; Redpanda the community edition is source-available rather than OSI open source, which matters for some procurement
  • They diverge on capability: QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, Redpanda covers Kafka API compatible.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuestDB and Redpanda actually diverge.

Attributes where QuestDB and Redpanda differ
AttributeQuestDBRedpanda
Pricing modelopen-sourceSource-available community edition with paid enterprise and cloud tiers
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP)Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
Founded2014Unknown

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 QuestDB

  • High Throughput Ingestion
  • SQL Support
  • Time-series Optimization
  • SIMD Vectorization
  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Built-in Web Console
  • InfluxDB Line Protocol
  • PostgreSQL

Only in Redpanda

  • Kafka API compatible
  • No JVM or ZooKeeper
  • Thread-per-core
  • Built-in HTTP proxy and schema registry

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 Redpanda
  • Real-time dashboarding with 32ms time-to-first-row latency for minute-level analyticsnot Redpanda
  • Applications requiring multi-tier storage (hot ingest, real-time SQL, cold Parquet archive)not Redpanda

Redpanda

  • Kafka workloads where the operational cost of running Kafka is the blockernot QuestDB
  • Latency-sensitive streaming where tail latency mattersnot QuestDB
  • Smaller teams wanting streaming without a dedicated platform groupnot QuestDB

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

Redpanda

  • The community edition is source-available rather than OSI open source, which matters for some procurement
  • Kafka API compatibility is high but not total, and deep ecosystem tools can hit gaps
  • Smaller community than Kafka, so fewer people have solved your problem before
  • Some operational and tiered-storage features are enterprise-only

Pricing, plan by plan

QuestDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the QuestDB review.

Redpanda

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Kafka-compatible broker
    • Single binary
    • Community support

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.
QuestDB review

Choose Redpanda if

  • You need kafka api compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want no jvm or zookeeper.
Redpanda review

Questions people ask

Is QuestDB or Redpanda better?
Neither clearly leads. QuestDB starts at Free and Redpanda at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QuestDB or Redpanda?
QuestDB starts at Free and Redpanda at Free.
Does QuestDB or Redpanda run on more platforms?
QuestDB runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP). Redpanda runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use QuestDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Redpanda is typically brought in for.
What can QuestDB do that Redpanda cannot?
QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, SQL Support, Time-series Optimization, SIMD Vectorization. Redpanda covers Kafka API compatible, No JVM or ZooKeeper, Thread-per-core, Built-in HTTP proxy and schema registry.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

QuestDB: How much does QuestDB Enterprise cost?

QuestDB does not publish specific pricing for the Enterprise tier. Customers must contact QuestDB via their enterprise contact form to receive a custom quote.

Source
Redpanda: Is Redpanda free?

A community edition is free and source-available. Enterprise features and Redpanda Cloud are paid, and the licence is not OSI open source.

QuestDB: Does QuestDB offer a free version?

Yes, QuestDB Open Source is completely free and recommended for evaluation, prototyping, and pilot projects. Enterprise features, high availability, security, and dedicated support require the paid Enterprise tier.

Source
Redpanda: Can I use my Kafka clients?

Yes. Redpanda implements the Kafka API, so existing clients and most tooling connect without changes.

QuestDB: What deployment options does QuestDB offer?

QuestDB offers open source deployment, Enterprise deployment, and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) deployment. Pricing details for BYOC and Enterprise tiers are not published and require direct contact with sales.

Source
Redpanda: Why remove ZooKeeper and the JVM?

Both are significant sources of Kafka’s operational burden — tuning, coordination and failure modes. Removing them is the core of Redpanda’s pitch.

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