SingleStorevs
Redis
Redis: Caching and real-time data platform with reliable in-memory performance, but lacks SQL support and analytical querying capabilities.
SingleStore
The real-time distributed SQL database for data-intensive applications
As of 30 August 2026, SingleStore has a free plan and paid plans start at $0.99/month. SingleStore (formerly MemSQL) is a distributed, relational database that handles both transactions and real-time analytics at scale. Softwr lists it under Databases. SingleStore is made by SingleStore Inc., launched in 2011, available on Web.
Overview
What SingleStore does
SingleStore (formerly MemSQL) is a distributed, relational database that handles both transactions and real-time analytics at scale. It features a unique architecture combining in-memory and disk-based storage for optimal performance. SingleStore excels at fast ingest and millisecond query response times.
What people use it for
- Transaction processing
- Data storage
- Application backend
- Reporting
- Data analytics
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about SingleStore.
- High licensing costs that increase with data scale and cluster size
- Eventual consistency in replication: secondary replicas may lag during high write loads
- Complex operational setup requiring specialized knowledge for optimization
- Vendor lock-in due to proprietary technology without open-source alternatives
- Disorganized documentation and lack of online training resources
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of SingleStore
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- SingleStorevsClickHouse
ClickHouse: Open-source OLAP database optimized for analytics with columnar storage, but limited for transactional workloads.
- SingleStorevsApache Druid
Apache Druid: Distributed OLAP database for real-time ingestion and time-series analytics, but not designed for transactional consistency.
- SingleStorevsDuckDB
DuckDB: Embedded SQL OLAP engine for fast analytics on local data, but lacks distributed capabilities and cloud management.
Pricing
What SingleStore costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Free Tier
$0.99 /mo
- Usage-based pricing
- Limited resources
Capabilities
Features
Real-time Analytics
Fast Data Ingest
In-memory Processing
Distributed Architecture
MySQL Compatible
Columnar Storage
Vector Search
Kafka
Integration with Kafka
Spark
Integration with Spark
Tableau
Integration with Tableau
Looker
Integration with Looker
dbt
Integration with dbt
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Does SingleStore offer a free tier?
Yes, SingleStore offers a free tier starting from $0.99/month with usage-based pricing. The free tier allows developers to evaluate the platform with limited resources before scaling to production workloads.
SourceCan SingleStore handle both transactional and analytical workloads?
Yes, SingleStore is a hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP) database that combines operational (OLTP) and analytical (OLAP) workloads in a single unified engine, eliminating the need for separate systems.
SourceDoes SingleStore integrate with Apache Spark?
Yes, SingleStore provides the Spark Connector 3.0 for bidirectional data integration with Apache Spark. The connector supports SQL, Python, Scala, Java, and R for data loading and extraction.
SourceCan SingleStore ingest data from Kafka?
Yes, SingleStore supports high-throughput streaming ingestion from Apache Kafka and other sources, enabling millions of events per second without requiring ETL pipelines or data movement.
SourceIs SingleStore available as cloud or self-managed?
SingleStore offers both deployment options: SingleStoreDB Cloud (managed service) and SingleStore Self-Managed for on-premises or private cloud deployments. The managed service handles infrastructure, scaling, and maintenance automatically.
SourceBehind it
Who makes SingleStore
- Company
- SingleStore Inc.
- Based in
- San Francisco, California
- Founders
- Eric Frenkiel, Nikita Shamgunov, Adam Prout
Timeline
SingleStore over time
- Acquisition2025-09-10
Acquired by Vector Capital in growth buyout; management team and key shareholders remain as investors
Source - Renamed2020-10-27
MemSQL rebrands to SingleStore to reflect evolution beyond in-memory technology
Source - Milestone2019-01-01
Launch of MemSQL Helios cloud platform
Source - Funding2018-01-01$30m
Series D funding round of $30M
Source - Funding2016-01-01$36m
Series C funding round of $36M
Source - Milestone2013-01-01
MemSQL ships first GA release and lands marquee customers including Comcast and Zynga
Source - Founded2011-01-01
MemSQL founded by Eric Frenkiel, Nikita Shamgunov, and Adam Prout as Y Combinator startup
Source
Keep looking
Where to go from SingleStore
- SingleStore alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- SingleStore pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- SingleStore badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Databases softwareThe full category
- Best Databases softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Databases software for
Compare SingleStore with
- Apache Druid
- ClickHouse
- DuckDB
- Elasticsearch
- TiDB
- Materialize
- TimescaleDB
- Estuary
- Fivetran HVR
- Firebolt
- Nile
- Ninox
- Presto
- Privacera
- RavenDB
- Readyset
- Apache Pinot
- Apache Flink
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for SingleStore, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on SingleStore
SingleStore alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
SingleStore pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare SingleStore
Put it head to head with anything we hold
SingleStore badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Databases software alternatives
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