whichdb
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Apache Ignite vs Tarantool

Apache Ignite: A distributed, memory-first SQL database and compute grid; Ignite 3 rebuilt it around Raft and Calcite. Tarantool: In-memory database and Lua application server in one process, with an optional disk engine.

key differences

  • Apache Ignite is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Tarantool (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in Apache Ignite and addon in Tarantool.
  • Only Apache Ignite has joins, change data capture, ttl / expiry, encryption at rest, online schema changes.
  • Only Tarantool has geospatial, json, triggers.
  • Apache Ignite can run embedded in your application process.

choose apache-ignite for

  • +Accelerating legacy RDBMS with an in-memory SQL cache layer
  • +Real-time risk and pricing calculations
  • +Distributed caching with SQL queries over cached data
  • +HTAP workloads on a sharded JVM cluster

best at · Cache, OLTP, HTAP

choose tarantool for

  • +Low-latency transactional caches that are also the source of truth
  • +Session and user-profile storage for high-traffic sites
  • +Queues and real-time counters
  • +Fintech and telecom billing hot paths

best at · OLTP, Cache, Sessions

Apache IgniteA distributed, memory-first SQL database and compute grid; Ignite 3 rebuilt it around Raft and Calcite.
TarantoolIn-memory database and Lua application server in one process, with an optional disk engine.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
Relational
Document, Relational
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
VK
First release
2015
2008
Latest version
3.1.0 (Oct 29, 2025)
3.9.0 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)BSD 2-Clause License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
28.3
21.2
Rank
#98
#140
GitHub stars
5.1K
3.7K
Stack Overflow questions
3.1K
219
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Addon
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong, Eventual
Schema
Strict
Flexible
Architecture
In memory, Distributed, Embedded, Client server
In memory, Primary replica, Multi primary, Client server
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, Key-value API
Lua, SQL
Client languages
Java, C#, C++, Python, JavaScript
Lua, Go, Java, Python, C, C++, JavaScript, PHP
Best for
Cache, OLTP, HTAP, Real-time analytics
OLTP, Cache, Sessions, Queue
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache Ignite vs Tarantool: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache Ignite and Tarantool?

Apache Ignite: A distributed, memory-first SQL database and compute grid; Ignite 3 rebuilt it around Raft and Calcite. Tarantool: In-memory database and Lua application server in one process, with an optional disk engine. Apache Ignite is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Tarantool (≤ 10 TB). Horizontal scaling is native in Apache Ignite and addon in Tarantool. Only Apache Ignite has joins, change data capture, ttl / expiry, encryption at rest, online schema changes.

When should I choose Apache Ignite over Tarantool?

Choose Apache Ignite for accelerating legacy RDBMS with an in-memory SQL cache layer; real-time risk and pricing calculations; and distributed caching with SQL queries over cached data. Choose Tarantool for low-latency transactional caches that are also the source of truth; session and user-profile storage for high-traffic sites; and queues and real-time counters.

Is Apache Ignite or Tarantool more popular?

Apache Ignite ranks #98 on the WhichDB Score (28.3/100) and Tarantool ranks #140 (21.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache Ignite and Tarantool open source?

Yes. Apache Ignite is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Tarantool is open source. License: BSD 2-Clause License.