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Apache IoTDB vs GridDB

Apache IoTDB: Apache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync. GridDB: Toshiba's memory-first container database for IoT time series, with per-container ACID and SQL.

key differences

  • Licensing: Apache IoTDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); GridDB is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3.0 (server); Apache-2.0 clients).
  • Transactions: Apache IoTDB offers none ACID; GridDB offers limited.
  • Only Apache IoTDB has triggers, pub/sub, columnar storage, role-based access, streaming ingest.
  • Only GridDB has transactions, secondary indexes, in-memory.

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 griddb for

  • +Factory and plant sensor data
  • +Smart grid and energy monitoring
  • +Infrastructure monitoring for social systems
  • +IoT apps needing per-device transactional updates

best at · IoT, Time-series, OLTP

Apache IoTDBApache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync.
GridDBToshiba's memory-first container database for IoT time series, with per-container ACID and SQL.
overview
Primary model
Time-Series
Time-Series
Also supports
Relational, Hierarchical
Key-Value, Relational
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
Toshiba Digital Solutions
First release
2019
2013
Latest version
2.0.11 (Sep 11, 2026)
5.9.0 (Feb 18, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (copyleft)GNU AGPL v3.0 (server); Apache-2.0 clients
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
22.8
10.7
Rank
#133
#295
GitHub stars
6.4K
2.5K
Stack Overflow questions
514
572
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
None
Limited
Consistency
Tunable
Tunable
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Single node, Distributed, Client server
Distributed, In memory, 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, TQL
Client languages
Java, Python, C++, Go, C#
Java, C, Python, Go, JavaScript
Best for
IoT, Time-series, Edge, Real-time analytics
IoT, Time-series, OLTP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache IoTDB vs GridDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache IoTDB and GridDB?

Apache IoTDB: Apache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync. GridDB: Toshiba's memory-first container database for IoT time series, with per-container ACID and SQL. Licensing: Apache IoTDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); GridDB is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3.0 (server); Apache-2.0 clients). Transactions: Apache IoTDB offers none ACID; GridDB offers limited. Only Apache IoTDB has triggers, pub/sub, columnar storage, role-based access, streaming ingest.

When should I choose Apache IoTDB over GridDB?

Choose Apache IoTDB for industrial equipment and PLC data; power plant and wind turbine monitoring; and edge gateways syncing to a central cluster. Choose GridDB for factory and plant sensor data; smart grid and energy monitoring; and infrastructure monitoring for social systems.

Is Apache IoTDB or GridDB more popular?

Apache IoTDB ranks #133 on the WhichDB Score (22.8/100) and GridDB ranks #295 (10.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache IoTDB and GridDB open source?

Yes. Apache IoTDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. GridDB is open source. License: GNU AGPL v3.0 (server); Apache-2.0 clients.