Apache ShardingSphere vs Citus
Apache ShardingSphere: Apache sharding middleware that adds sharding, read/write splitting and encryption over MySQL or Postgres. Citus: Postgres extension that shards tables across nodes for multi-tenant SaaS and real-time analytics.
key differences
- Licensing: Apache ShardingSphere is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Citus is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3).
- Horizontal scaling is addon in Apache ShardingSphere and native in Citus.
- Transactions: Apache ShardingSphere offers limited ACID; Citus offers full.
- Only Apache ShardingSphere has encryption at rest.
- Only Citus has full-text search, vector search, geospatial, json, triggers.
- Apache ShardingSphere can run embedded in your application process.
choose apache-shardingsphere for
- +Scaling Java/Spring applications on sharded MySQL
- +Transparent column encryption and data masking
- +Read/write splitting across replicas
- +Shadow databases for production load testing
best at · OLTP
choose citus for
- +Multi-tenant B2B SaaS sharded by customer
- +Real-time analytics dashboards over event data
- +Time-series and IoT ingestion with rollups
- +Scaling an existing Postgres app without changing databases
best at · OLTP, Real-time analytics, HTAP
Apache ShardingSphere vs Citus: FAQ
What is the difference between Apache ShardingSphere and Citus?
Apache ShardingSphere: Apache sharding middleware that adds sharding, read/write splitting and encryption over MySQL or Postgres. Citus: Postgres extension that shards tables across nodes for multi-tenant SaaS and real-time analytics. Licensing: Apache ShardingSphere is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Citus is open source (copyleft) (GNU AGPL v3). Horizontal scaling is addon in Apache ShardingSphere and native in Citus. Transactions: Apache ShardingSphere offers limited ACID; Citus offers full.
When should I choose Apache ShardingSphere over Citus?
Choose Apache ShardingSphere for scaling Java/Spring applications on sharded MySQL; transparent column encryption and data masking; and read/write splitting across replicas. Choose Citus for multi-tenant B2B SaaS sharded by customer; real-time analytics dashboards over event data; and time-series and IoT ingestion with rollups.
Is Apache ShardingSphere or Citus more popular?
Citus ranks #144 on the WhichDB Score (21.1/100) and Apache ShardingSphere ranks #308 (9.5/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.
Are Apache ShardingSphere and Citus open source?
Yes. Apache ShardingSphere is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Citus is open source. License: GNU AGPL v3.