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Apache HugeGraph vs TigerGraph

Apache HugeGraph: Apache graph database from Baidu with Gremlin and Cypher, pluggable backends and a distributed store. TigerGraph: Distributed MPP graph database built for deep-link analytics on very large graphs.

key differences

  • Licensing: Apache HugeGraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); TigerGraph is proprietary (Proprietary (free Community Edition)).
  • Transactions: Apache HugeGraph offers limited ACID; TigerGraph offers full.
  • Only Apache HugeGraph has full-text search, ttl / expiry.
  • Only TigerGraph has transactions, vector search, stored procedures, encryption at rest, streaming ingest.

choose apache-hugegraph for

  • +Large knowledge graphs
  • +Risk control and anti-fraud
  • +Social relationship analysis
  • +GraphRAG pipelines

best at · Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph

choose tigergraph for

  • +Real-time fraud and AML detection
  • +Supply chain and network analysis
  • +Customer 360 and entity resolution
  • +Recommendation engines over large catalogs

best at · Graph analytics, Traversal, Real-time analytics

Apache HugeGraphApache graph database from Baidu with Gremlin and Cypher, pluggable backends and a distributed store.
TigerGraphDistributed MPP graph database built for deep-link analytics on very large graphs.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
–
Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
TigerGraph, Inc.
First release
2018
2017
Latest version
1.7.0 (Nov 16, 2025)
4.2.5 (Sep 2, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
ProprietaryProprietary (free Community Edition)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
9.3
16.6
Rank
#314
#198
GitHub stars
3.2K
–
Stack Overflow questions
–
38
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Single node, Distributed, Client server
Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
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
Gremlin, openCypher
GSQL, openCypher, GQL
Client languages
Java, Python, Go
Python (pyTigerGraph), Java, JavaScript, Go
Best for
Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph, RAG
Graph analytics, Traversal, Real-time analytics, Knowledge graph
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache HugeGraph vs TigerGraph: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache HugeGraph and TigerGraph?

Apache HugeGraph: Apache graph database from Baidu with Gremlin and Cypher, pluggable backends and a distributed store. TigerGraph: Distributed MPP graph database built for deep-link analytics on very large graphs. Licensing: Apache HugeGraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); TigerGraph is proprietary (Proprietary (free Community Edition)). Transactions: Apache HugeGraph offers limited ACID; TigerGraph offers full. Only Apache HugeGraph has full-text search, ttl / expiry.

When should I choose Apache HugeGraph over TigerGraph?

Choose Apache HugeGraph for large knowledge graphs; risk control and anti-fraud; and social relationship analysis. Choose TigerGraph for real-time fraud and AML detection; supply chain and network analysis; and customer 360 and entity resolution.

Is Apache HugeGraph or TigerGraph more popular?

TigerGraph ranks #198 on the WhichDB Score (16.6/100) and Apache HugeGraph ranks #314 (9.3/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache HugeGraph and TigerGraph open source?

Yes. Apache HugeGraph is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. No. TigerGraph is proprietary, closed-source software.