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Apache IoTDB vs CnosDB

Apache IoTDB: Apache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync. CnosDB: Rust cloud-native time-series database with SQL on DataFusion and InfluxDB-style ingestion.

key differences

  • Licensing: Apache IoTDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); CnosDB is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3.0).
  • Only Apache IoTDB has triggers, pub/sub.

choose apache-iotdb for

  • +Industrial equipment and PLC data
  • +Power plant and wind turbine monitoring
  • +Edge gateways syncing to a central cluster
  • +Rail and vehicle telemetry

best at · IoT, Time-series, Edge

choose cnosdb for

  • +Energy and utility telemetry
  • +IoT platforms needing multi-tenancy
  • +Replacing InfluxDB 1.x with a SQL-capable engine

best at · Time-series, IoT, Observability

Apache IoTDBApache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync.
CnosDBRust cloud-native time-series database with SQL on DataFusion and InfluxDB-style ingestion.
overview
Primary model
Time-Series
Time-Series
Also supports
Relational, Hierarchical
Columnar / OLAP
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
CnosDB
First release
2019
2022
Latest version
2.0.11 (Sep 11, 2026)
2.5.0 (Oct 23, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (copyleft)GNU AGPL v3.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
22.8
6.7
Rank
#133
#354
GitHub stars
6.4K
1.8K
Stack Overflow questions
514
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
None
None
Consistency
Tunable
Eventual
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Single node, Distributed, Client server
Single node, Distributed, 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
SQL
Client languages
Java, Python, C++, Go, C#
Go, Java, Python, Rust
Best for
IoT, Time-series, Edge, Real-time analytics
Time-series, IoT, Observability
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache IoTDB vs CnosDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache IoTDB and CnosDB?

Apache IoTDB: Apache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync. CnosDB: Rust cloud-native time-series database with SQL on DataFusion and InfluxDB-style ingestion. Licensing: Apache IoTDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); CnosDB is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3.0). Only Apache IoTDB has triggers, pub/sub.

When should I choose Apache IoTDB over CnosDB?

Choose Apache IoTDB for industrial equipment and PLC data; power plant and wind turbine monitoring; and edge gateways syncing to a central cluster. Choose CnosDB for energy and utility telemetry; IoT platforms needing multi-tenancy; and replacing InfluxDB 1.x with a SQL-capable engine.

Is Apache IoTDB or CnosDB more popular?

Apache IoTDB ranks #133 on the WhichDB Score (22.8/100) and CnosDB ranks #354 (6.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache IoTDB and CnosDB open source?

Yes. Apache IoTDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. CnosDB is open source. License: GNU AGPL v3.0.