whichdb
vs

Apache IoTDB vs TDengine

Apache IoTDB: Apache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync. TDengine: Industrial-IoT time-series database with a table-per-device model and built-in streaming and caching.

key differences

  • Licensing: Apache IoTDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); TDengine is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3.0 (open-source edition)).
  • Only Apache IoTDB has triggers.
  • Only TDengine has secondary indexes, json.

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 tdengine for

  • +Industrial IoT and SCADA historian replacement
  • +Connected-vehicle telemetry
  • +Smart meters and energy grids
  • +Edge-to-cloud sensor data aggregation

best at · IoT, Time-series, Streaming

Apache IoTDBApache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync.
TDengineIndustrial-IoT time-series database with a table-per-device model and built-in streaming and caching.
overview
Primary model
Time-Series
Time-Series
Also supports
Relational, Hierarchical
Relational
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
TAOS Data
First release
2019
2019
Latest version
2.0.11 (Sep 11, 2026)
3.4.3.3 (Oct 19, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (copyleft)GNU AGPL v3.0 (open-source edition)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
22.8
17.4
Rank
#133
#192
GitHub stars
6.4K
25.2K
Stack Overflow questions
514
225
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
None
None
Consistency
Tunable
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Single node, Distributed, Client server
Distributed, Single node, 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#
C, Java, Python, Go, Rust, JavaScript, C#
Best for
IoT, Time-series, Edge, Real-time analytics
IoT, Time-series, Streaming, Real-time analytics
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache IoTDB vs TDengine: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache IoTDB and TDengine?

Apache IoTDB: Apache time-series database for industrial IoT with tree and table models and edge-to-cloud sync. TDengine: Industrial-IoT time-series database with a table-per-device model and built-in streaming and caching. Licensing: Apache IoTDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); TDengine is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3.0 (open-source edition)). Only Apache IoTDB has triggers. Only TDengine has secondary indexes, json.

When should I choose Apache IoTDB over TDengine?

Choose Apache IoTDB for industrial equipment and PLC data; power plant and wind turbine monitoring; and edge gateways syncing to a central cluster. Choose TDengine for industrial IoT and SCADA historian replacement; connected-vehicle telemetry; and smart meters and energy grids.

Is Apache IoTDB or TDengine more popular?

Apache IoTDB ranks #133 on the WhichDB Score (22.8/100) and TDengine ranks #192 (17.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache IoTDB and TDengine open source?

Yes. Apache IoTDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. TDengine is open source. License: GNU AGPL v3.0 (open-source edition).