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Databases · head to head

QuestDB vs YugabyteDB

QuestDB logo

QuestDB

Databases

Fast open source time-series database for high throughput ingestion

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: QuestDB open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features; YugabyteDB missing PostgreSQL functions and extensions despite claiming compatibility
  • They diverge on capability: QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuestDB and YugabyteDB actually diverge.

Attributes where QuestDB and YugabyteDB differ
AttributeQuestDBYugabyteDB
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP)Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes
Founded20142016

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
  • Grafana

Only in YugabyteDB

  • PostgreSQL Compatible
  • Distributed SQL
  • Geo-distribution
  • Linear Scalability
  • High Availability
  • ACID Transactions
  • CDC Support
  • Cassandra

Both cover

  • PostgreSQL
  • Linux support
  • Mac support
  • Docker support
  • Web support

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

YugabyteDB

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

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

QuestDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the QuestDB review.

YugabyteDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the YugabyteDB 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.
QuestDB 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 QuestDB or YugabyteDB better?
Neither clearly leads. QuestDB 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, QuestDB or YugabyteDB?
QuestDB starts at Free and YugabyteDB at Free.
Does QuestDB or YugabyteDB run on more platforms?
QuestDB runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP). YugabyteDB runs on Cloud, On-premises, Kubernetes.
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 YugabyteDB is typically brought in for.
What can QuestDB do that YugabyteDB cannot?
QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, SQL Support, Time-series Optimization, SIMD Vectorization. YugabyteDB covers PostgreSQL Compatible, Distributed SQL, Geo-distribution, Linear Scalability. Both handle PostgreSQL, Linux support, Mac support, Docker support.

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
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
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
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
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
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
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