vs

Badger vs NutsDB

Badger: Pure-Go LSM key-value store that separates keys from values to cut write amplification. NutsDB: Pure-Go embedded key-value store with Bitcask storage and Redis-like lists, sets and sorted sets.

key differences

  • Badger is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than NutsDB (≤ 100 GB).
  • Only Badger has pub/sub, compression, encryption at rest, time travel.

choose badger for

  • +Storage layer for Go databases and services
  • +Embedded state for Go daemons and CLIs
  • +Write-heavy local key-value workloads with medium-to-large values

best at · Embedded, OLTP, Metadata

choose nutsdb for

  • +Embedded queues and leaderboards in Go services
  • +Local caches with TTL
  • +Replacing a sidecar Redis for single-process apps

best at · Embedded, Cache, Queue

overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
–
–
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Dgraph (Istari Digital)
NutsDB contributors
First release
2017
2019
Latest version
4.9.6 (Aug 5, 2026)
1.1.0 (Dec 17, 2025)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
10.7
3.6
Rank
#294
#432
GitHub stars
15.8K
3.6K
Stack Overflow questions
10
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Embedded
Embedded
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
Go API
Go API
Client languages
Go
Go
Best for
Embedded, OLTP, Metadata
Embedded, Cache, Queue

Badger vs NutsDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Badger and NutsDB?

Badger: Pure-Go LSM key-value store that separates keys from values to cut write amplification. NutsDB: Pure-Go embedded key-value store with Bitcask storage and Redis-like lists, sets and sorted sets. Badger is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than NutsDB (≤ 100 GB). Only Badger has pub/sub, compression, encryption at rest, time travel.

When should I choose Badger over NutsDB?

Choose Badger for storage layer for Go databases and services; embedded state for Go daemons and CLIs; and write-heavy local key-value workloads with medium-to-large values. Choose NutsDB for embedded queues and leaderboards in Go services; local caches with TTL; and replacing a sidecar Redis for single-process apps.

Is Badger or NutsDB more popular?

Badger ranks #294 on the WhichDB Score (10.7/100) and NutsDB ranks #432 (3.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Badger and NutsDB open source?

Yes. Badger is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. NutsDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.