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Apache Jena TDB vs QLever

Apache Jena TDB: Apache Jena's native RDF store, embeddable in Java or served over SPARQL with Fuseki. QLever: Fast open-source SPARQL engine that serves all of Wikidata or OpenStreetMap from one machine.

key differences

  • QLever is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Apache Jena TDB (≤ 10 TB).
  • Transactions: Apache Jena TDB offers full ACID; QLever offers limited.
  • Only Apache Jena TDB has transactions, in-memory.
  • Only QLever has compression.
  • Apache Jena TDB can run embedded in your application process.

choose apache-jena-tdb for

  • +Embedded RDF storage in Java applications
  • +SPARQL endpoints for research datasets
  • +Ontology and vocabulary management
  • +Testing and prototyping semantic-web apps

best at · Knowledge graph, Metadata, Embedded

choose qlever for

  • +Public SPARQL endpoints for Wikidata, OSM, UniProt
  • +Large read-mostly knowledge graphs
  • +Research on big RDF datasets
  • +Replacing aging Blazegraph deployments

best at · Knowledge graph, OLAP, Scientific

Apache Jena TDBApache Jena's native RDF store, embeddable in Java or served over SPARQL with Fuseki.
QLeverFast open-source SPARQL engine that serves all of Wikidata or OpenStreetMap from one machine.
overview
Primary model
RDF / Triple Store
RDF / Triple Store
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
University of Freiburg (Chair of Algorithms and Data Structures)
First release
2008
2017
Latest version
6.2.0 (Jul 2026)
0.6.0 (Aug 13, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
18.9
17.9
Rank
#175
#186
GitHub stars
1.5K
931
Stack Overflow questions
2.4K
3
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Single node, Embedded, Client server
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
SPARQL
SPARQL
Client languages
Java
Any SPARQL client
Best for
Knowledge graph, Metadata, Embedded, Scientific
Knowledge graph, OLAP, Scientific, Geo
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache Jena TDB vs QLever: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache Jena TDB and QLever?

Apache Jena TDB: Apache Jena's native RDF store, embeddable in Java or served over SPARQL with Fuseki. QLever: Fast open-source SPARQL engine that serves all of Wikidata or OpenStreetMap from one machine. QLever is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Apache Jena TDB (≤ 10 TB). Transactions: Apache Jena TDB offers full ACID; QLever offers limited. Only Apache Jena TDB has transactions, in-memory.

When should I choose Apache Jena TDB over QLever?

Choose Apache Jena TDB for embedded RDF storage in Java applications; SPARQL endpoints for research datasets; and ontology and vocabulary management. Choose QLever for public SPARQL endpoints for Wikidata, OSM, UniProt; large read-mostly knowledge graphs; and research on big RDF datasets.

Is Apache Jena TDB or QLever more popular?

Apache Jena TDB ranks #175 on the WhichDB Score (18.9/100) and QLever ranks #186 (17.9/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache Jena TDB and QLever open source?

Yes. Apache Jena TDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. QLever is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.