vs

Badger vs RocksDB

Badger: Pure-Go LSM key-value store that separates keys from values to cut write amplification. RocksDB: Meta's embeddable LSM-tree key-value engine, the storage layer under dozens of databases.

key differences

  • Only Badger has pub/sub, in-memory, 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 rocksdb for

  • +Storage engine for a custom database or service
  • +Stream-processing state stores (Kafka Streams, Flink)
  • +MySQL storage engine via MyRocks
  • +Write-heavy local indexes and caches on SSD

best at · Embedded, OLTP, Streaming

overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
–
–
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Dgraph (Istari Digital)
Meta
First release
2017
2013
Latest version
4.9.6 (Aug 5, 2026)
11.12 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0 or GPL-2.0 (dual)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
10.7
48.2
Rank
#294
#30
GitHub stars
15.8K
32.2K
Stack Overflow questions
10
504
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
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
C++ API
Client languages
Go
C++, C, Java
Best for
Embedded, OLTP, Metadata
Embedded, OLTP, Streaming, Metadata

Badger vs RocksDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Badger and RocksDB?

Badger: Pure-Go LSM key-value store that separates keys from values to cut write amplification. RocksDB: Meta's embeddable LSM-tree key-value engine, the storage layer under dozens of databases. Only Badger has pub/sub, in-memory, encryption at rest, time travel.

When should I choose Badger over RocksDB?

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 RocksDB for storage engine for a custom database or service; stream-processing state stores (Kafka Streams, Flink); and MySQL storage engine via MyRocks.

Is Badger or RocksDB more popular?

RocksDB ranks #30 on the WhichDB Score (48.2/100) and Badger ranks #294 (10.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Badger and RocksDB open source?

Yes. Badger is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. RocksDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0 or GPL-2.0 (dual).