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Bitsy vs Neo4j

Bitsy: Small embeddable Java graph database for TinkerPop: in-memory, ACID, persisted to readable JSON text files. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.

key differences

  • Licensing: Bitsy is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)).
  • Neo4j is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Bitsy (≤ 100 GB).
  • Horizontal scaling is none in Bitsy and addon in Neo4j.
  • Only Bitsy has in-memory.
  • Only Neo4j has secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, geospatial, change data capture.
  • Bitsy can run embedded in your application process.

choose bitsy for

  • +Embedded graph storage in desktop or server Java applications
  • +Unit and integration tests for TinkerPop-based code
  • +Small to medium OLTP graphs that need durability without a server

best at · Traversal, Embedded, OLTP

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

BitsySmall embeddable Java graph database for TinkerPop: in-memory, ACID, persisted to readable JSON text files.
Neo4jThe default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
–
Vector
Type
Embedded library
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
LambdaZen
Neo4j, Inc.
First release
2013
2007
Latest version
3.6.6 (Jun 4, 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
1.4
61.2
Rank
#549
#15
GitHub stars
151
17.4K
Stack Overflow questions
–
23K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
Addon
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong, Causal
Schema
Schemaless
Flexible
Architecture
Embedded, In memory
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
Gremlin
Cypher, GQL
Client languages
Java
Java, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Rust (community)
Best for
Traversal, Embedded, OLTP
Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph, RAG
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Bitsy vs Neo4j: FAQ

What is the difference between Bitsy and Neo4j?

Bitsy: Small embeddable Java graph database for TinkerPop: in-memory, ACID, persisted to readable JSON text files. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud. Licensing: Bitsy is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)). Neo4j is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Bitsy (≤ 100 GB). Horizontal scaling is none in Bitsy and addon in Neo4j.

When should I choose Bitsy over Neo4j?

Choose Bitsy for embedded graph storage in desktop or server Java applications; unit and integration tests for TinkerPop-based code; and small to medium OLTP graphs that need durability without a server. Choose Neo4j for fraud rings and entity resolution; real-time recommendations; and knowledge graphs for GraphRAG.

Is Bitsy or Neo4j more popular?

Neo4j ranks #15 on the WhichDB Score (61.2/100) and Bitsy ranks #549 (1.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Bitsy and Neo4j open source?

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