whichdb
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Actian Zen vs DBMaker

Actian Zen: The Btrieve/Pervasive lineage: zero-admin embedded database with key-level and SQL access, now edge-focused. DBMaker: SYSCOM's ODBC-native SQL database from Taiwan, known for letting COBOL programs use SQL tables.

key differences

  • DBMaker is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Actian Zen (≤ 100 GB).
  • Only Actian Zen has json, compression, encryption at rest, offline sync.
  • Actian Zen can run embedded in your application process.

choose actian-zen for

  • +Accounting and practice-management software back ends
  • +Point-of-sale and retail store systems
  • +Edge devices that sync data to a central server

best at · Embedded, Edge, IoT

choose dbmaker for

  • +Migrating legacy COBOL indexed-file applications to a relational store
  • +ISV-bundled databases for Taiwanese enterprise and government software
  • +Departmental OLTP on Windows or Linux servers

best at · OLTP, Content

Actian ZenThe Btrieve/Pervasive lineage: zero-admin embedded database with key-level and SQL access, now edge-focused.
DBMakerSYSCOM's ODBC-native SQL database from Taiwan, known for letting COBOL programs use SQL tables.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
Key-Value
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Actian (HCLSoftware)
SYSCOM Group (Syscom Computer Engineering Co.)
First release
1982
1994
Latest version
16.0 (Jun 17, 2024)
5.4.8 (Jul 28, 2026)
License
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
ProprietaryProprietary
Free tier
—
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
11.7
0.0
Rank
#278
#715
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
290
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Client server
Client server, Single node
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
—
Edge
✓
—
Clouds
–
–
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
✓
✓
Secondary indexes
✓
✓
Full-text search
—
—
Vector search
—
—
Geospatial
—
—
JSON
✓
—
Change data capture
—
—
Triggers
✓
✓
Stored procedures
✓
✓
Materialized views
—
—
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
—
—
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
—
—
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
✓
—
Encryption at rest
✓
—
Role-based access
✓
✓
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
✓
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
SQL, Btrieve 2 API
SQL
Client languages
C, C++, C#, Java, Python, Delphi
C, Java, COBOL, PHP, Perl
Best for
Embedded, Edge, IoT, OLTP
OLTP, Content
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Actian Zen vs DBMaker: FAQ

What is the difference between Actian Zen and DBMaker?

Actian Zen: The Btrieve/Pervasive lineage: zero-admin embedded database with key-level and SQL access, now edge-focused. DBMaker: SYSCOM's ODBC-native SQL database from Taiwan, known for letting COBOL programs use SQL tables. DBMaker is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Actian Zen (≤ 100 GB). Only Actian Zen has json, compression, encryption at rest, offline sync. Actian Zen can run embedded in your application process.

When should I choose Actian Zen over DBMaker?

Choose Actian Zen for accounting and practice-management software back ends; point-of-sale and retail store systems; and edge devices that sync data to a central server. Choose DBMaker for migrating legacy COBOL indexed-file applications to a relational store; ISV-bundled databases for Taiwanese enterprise and government software; and departmental OLTP on Windows or Linux servers.

Is Actian Zen or DBMaker more popular?

Actian Zen ranks #278 on the WhichDB Score (11.7/100) and DBMaker ranks #715 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Actian Zen and DBMaker open source?

No. Actian Zen is proprietary, closed-source software. No. DBMaker is proprietary, closed-source software.