whichdb
vs

ArangoDB vs Dgraph

ArangoDB: Native multi-model database: documents, graphs, search and vectors behind one query language. Dgraph: Distributed, horizontally scalable graph database in Go with native GraphQL and DQL.

key differences

  • Licensing: ArangoDB is source-available (Business Source License 1.1; ArangoDB Community License for binaries); Dgraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0).
  • Transactions: ArangoDB offers limited ACID; Dgraph offers full.
  • Only ArangoDB has joins, ttl / expiry.
  • Only Dgraph has change data capture.

choose arangodb for

  • +Knowledge graphs and GraphRAG pipelines
  • +Fraud and network analysis mixed with document data
  • +Recommendation engines
  • +Identity and access graphs

best at · Traversal, Knowledge graph, OLTP

choose dgraph for

  • +GraphQL application backends
  • +Knowledge graphs and content relationships
  • +Real-time recommendations
  • +Metadata and lineage graphs

best at · OLTP, Traversal, Knowledge graph

ArangoDBNative multi-model database: documents, graphs, search and vectors behind one query language.
DgraphDistributed, horizontally scalable graph database in Go with native GraphQL and DQL.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
Document, Key-Value, Search Engine, Vector, Spatial
Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Arango (ArangoDB Inc.)
Istari Digital
First release
2012
2016
Latest version
3.12.12.1 (Sep 29, 2026)
25.5.1 (Oct 22, 2026)
License
Source-availableBusiness Source License 1.1; ArangoDB Community License for binaries
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
40.0
22.4
Rank
#43
#137
GitHub stars
14.3K
21.8K
Stack Overflow questions
2K
108
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Strong, Eventual
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Single node, Distributed, Client server
Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
–
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
AQL
DQL, GraphQL
Client languages
JavaScript, Java, Go, Python, C#
Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, C#
Best for
Traversal, Knowledge graph, OLTP, Search
OLTP, Traversal, Knowledge graph, Vector search
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

ArangoDB vs Dgraph: FAQ

What is the difference between ArangoDB and Dgraph?

ArangoDB: Native multi-model database: documents, graphs, search and vectors behind one query language. Dgraph: Distributed, horizontally scalable graph database in Go with native GraphQL and DQL. Licensing: ArangoDB is source-available (Business Source License 1.1; ArangoDB Community License for binaries); Dgraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0). Transactions: ArangoDB offers limited ACID; Dgraph offers full. Only ArangoDB has joins, ttl / expiry.

When should I choose ArangoDB over Dgraph?

Choose ArangoDB for knowledge graphs and GraphRAG pipelines; fraud and network analysis mixed with document data; and recommendation engines. Choose Dgraph for GraphQL application backends; knowledge graphs and content relationships; and real-time recommendations.

Is ArangoDB or Dgraph more popular?

ArangoDB ranks #43 on the WhichDB Score (40.0/100) and Dgraph ranks #137 (22.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are ArangoDB and Dgraph open source?

Not in the OSI sense. ArangoDB is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: Business Source License 1.1; ArangoDB Community License for binaries. Yes. Dgraph is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.