whichdb
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ArcadeDB vs Neo4j

ArcadeDB: Multi-model Java database speaking SQL, Cypher, Gremlin, MongoDB and Redis protocols. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.

key differences

  • Licensing: ArcadeDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)).
  • Horizontal scaling is none in ArcadeDB and addon in Neo4j.
  • Only ArcadeDB has json.
  • Only Neo4j has change data capture, stored procedures, encryption at rest, streaming ingest.
  • ArcadeDB can run embedded in your application process.

choose arcadedb for

  • +Migrating off OrientDB
  • +Mixed graph and document app backends
  • +Embedded multi-model storage in Java
  • +Graph plus vector retrieval

best at · OLTP, Traversal, Vector search

choose neo4j for

  • +Fraud rings and entity resolution
  • +Real-time recommendations
  • +Knowledge graphs for GraphRAG
  • +Network and IT dependency mapping

best at · Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph

ArcadeDBMulti-model Java database speaking SQL, Cypher, Gremlin, MongoDB and Redis protocols.
Neo4jThe default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
Document, Key-Value, Vector, Time-Series
Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Arcade Data Ltd.
Neo4j, Inc.
First release
2021
2007
Latest version
26.10.2 (Oct 15, 2026)
2026.10.1 (Oct 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (copyleft)GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
13.9
61.2
Rank
#240
#15
GitHub stars
1.2K
17.4K
Stack Overflow questions
22
23K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
Addon
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong, Causal
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Single node, Primary replica, Embedded, Client server
Single node, Primary replica, 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
SQL, Cypher, Gremlin, GraphQL, MongoDB query language
Cypher, GQL
Client languages
Java, Any PostgreSQL driver, Python, JavaScript
Java, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Rust (community)
Best for
OLTP, Traversal, Vector search, Embedded
Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph, RAG
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

ArcadeDB vs Neo4j: FAQ

What is the difference between ArcadeDB and Neo4j?

ArcadeDB: Multi-model Java database speaking SQL, Cypher, Gremlin, MongoDB and Redis protocols. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud. Licensing: ArcadeDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)). Horizontal scaling is none in ArcadeDB and addon in Neo4j. Only ArcadeDB has json.

When should I choose ArcadeDB over Neo4j?

Choose ArcadeDB for migrating off OrientDB; mixed graph and document app backends; and embedded multi-model storage in Java. Choose Neo4j for fraud rings and entity resolution; real-time recommendations; and knowledge graphs for GraphRAG.

Is ArcadeDB or Neo4j more popular?

Neo4j ranks #15 on the WhichDB Score (61.2/100) and ArcadeDB ranks #240 (13.9/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are ArcadeDB and Neo4j open source?

Yes. ArcadeDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Neo4j is open source. License: GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise).