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Apache DataFusion vs ClickHouse

Apache DataFusion: Extensible Rust query engine library on Apache Arrow for building databases and data systems. ClickHouse: Open-source columnar OLAP database known for very fast aggregations over billions of rows.

key differences

  • ClickHouse is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Apache DataFusion (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is addon in Apache DataFusion and native in ClickHouse.
  • Transactions: Apache DataFusion offers none ACID; ClickHouse offers limited.
  • Only Apache DataFusion has in-memory, runs in webassembly.
  • Only ClickHouse has secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, geospatial, json.
  • ClickHouse has a serverless option; Apache DataFusion does not.
  • Apache DataFusion can run embedded in your application process.

choose apache-datafusion for

  • +Building custom databases and query engines
  • +Embedded SQL in Rust services
  • +Accelerating Spark via Comet
  • +Query layer for time-series or log stores

best at · OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse

choose clickhouse for

  • +Product and web analytics
  • +Log and observability backends
  • +Real-time dashboards over event streams
  • +Time-series and IoT metrics at scale

best at · Real-time analytics, OLAP, Observability

Apache DataFusionExtensible Rust query engine library on Apache Arrow for building databases and data systems.
ClickHouseOpen-source columnar OLAP database known for very fast aggregations over billions of rows.
overview
Primary model
Columnar / OLAP
Columnar / OLAP
Also supports
Relational
Relational, Document, Vector, Time-Series
Type
Embedded library
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
ClickHouse, Inc.
First release
2019
2016
Latest version
55.2.0 (Oct 7, 2026)
26.10.2.103 (Oct 24, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
31.6
69.8
Rank
#76
#10
GitHub stars
9.5K
50.6K
Stack Overflow questions
–
2.2K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Massive (Multi-PB)
Horizontal scaling
Addon
Native
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
None
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Eventual
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, In memory
Distributed, Shared storage, Single node, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
✓
Serverless
—
✓
Embedded
✓
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Aiven
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, DataFrame API (Rust/Python), Substrait
SQL (ClickHouse dialect), PRQL, KQL (experimental)
Client languages
Rust, Python
Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, Rust, C++, C#
Best for
OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse
Real-time analytics, OLAP, Observability, Warehouse
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache DataFusion vs ClickHouse: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache DataFusion and ClickHouse?

Apache DataFusion: Extensible Rust query engine library on Apache Arrow for building databases and data systems. ClickHouse: Open-source columnar OLAP database known for very fast aggregations over billions of rows. ClickHouse is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Apache DataFusion (≤ 10 TB). Horizontal scaling is addon in Apache DataFusion and native in ClickHouse. Transactions: Apache DataFusion offers none ACID; ClickHouse offers limited.

When should I choose Apache DataFusion over ClickHouse?

Choose Apache DataFusion for building custom databases and query engines; embedded SQL in Rust services; and accelerating Spark via Comet. Choose ClickHouse for product and web analytics; log and observability backends; and real-time dashboards over event streams.

Is Apache DataFusion or ClickHouse more popular?

ClickHouse ranks #10 on the WhichDB Score (69.8/100) and Apache DataFusion ranks #76 (31.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache DataFusion and ClickHouse open source?

Yes. Apache DataFusion is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. ClickHouse is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.