Software · head to head
RavenDB vs Apache Druid
Apache Druid
Software
Real-time analytics database for sub-second OLAP queries
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: RavenDB the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal; Apache Druid open-source offering lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
- They diverge on capability: RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which RavenDB and Apache Druid actually diverge.
| Attribute | RavenDB | Apache Druid |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web | Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based) |
| Founded | 2010 | 1999 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 RavenDB
- ACID Transactions
- Auto-indexing
- Full-text Search
- Graph Queries
- Distributed Counters
- Time Series
- Document Compression
- .NET
Only in Apache Druid
- Real-time Ingestion
- Sub-second Queries
- Column-oriented Storage
- Streaming Integration
- Approximate Algorithms
- Flexible Schemas
- Time-based Partitioning
- Kafka
Both cover
- Linux support
- Docker support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
RavenDB
- Running a distributed document database with ACID transactionsnot Apache Druid
- Self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardwarenot Apache Druid
- Replicating operational data out to analytics systems through ETLnot Apache Druid
Apache Druid
- Real-time analytics platforms ingesting millions of events per second from streaming sourcesnot RavenDB
- Applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows)not RavenDB
- Time-series and event analysis at massive scale with columnar storage efficiencynot RavenDB
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
RavenDB
- The free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
- The free Community licence caps a customer at 60 cores and forces you to stay on the latest major version
- The Professional licence is limited to a single database, a 5 node cluster, 40 cores and 240 GB RAM
- Sharding across nodes, ETL to OLAP, Elasticsearch and Kafka, and data archival are Enterprise only
- Enterprise and AI licence pricing is contact us only with no published rate
Apache Druid
- Open-source offering lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
- Requires native integration with Apache Kafka or Amazon Kinesis for real-time ingestion; custom integrations need development
- High-concurrency query support (hundreds of thousands QPS) requires significant cluster infrastructure investment
Pricing, plan by plan
RavenDB
Free- CommunityFree
- 3 cores
- 6GB RAM
- Community support
- Professional$499/year
- Production use
- Professional support
- Advanced features
Apache Druid
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Apache Druid review.
Which should you pick?
Choose RavenDB if
- You need acid transactions.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- You also want auto-indexing.
Choose Apache Druid if
- You need real-time ingestion.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based).
- You also want sub-second queries.
Questions people ask
- Is RavenDB or Apache Druid better?
- Neither clearly leads. RavenDB starts at Free and Apache Druid at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, RavenDB or Apache Druid?
- RavenDB starts at Free and Apache Druid at Free.
- Does RavenDB or Apache Druid run on more platforms?
- RavenDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. Apache Druid runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based).
- Can I use RavenDB for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is RavenDB best used for?
- RavenDB is most often used for running a distributed document database with acid transactions, self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardware, replicating operational data out to analytics systems through etl. Of those, running a distributed document database with acid transactions and self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardware are not what Apache Druid is typically brought in for.
- What can RavenDB do that Apache Druid cannot?
- RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Full-text Search, Graph Queries. Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion, Sub-second Queries, Column-oriented Storage, Streaming Integration. Both handle Linux support, Docker support.