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ConceptBase.cc vs TerminusDB

ConceptBase.cc: Deductive object base for metamodeling, built on O-Telos with Datalog rules and unlimited meta-levels. TerminusDB: Git-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel.

key differences

  • ConceptBase.cc is primarily an object database; TerminusDB is graph.
  • Transactions: ConceptBase.cc offers limited ACID; TerminusDB offers full.
  • Only ConceptBase.cc has triggers.
  • Only TerminusDB has transactions, joins, json, compression, role-based access.

choose conceptbase for

  • +Designing and validating domain-specific modeling languages
  • +Method engineering and multi-level modeling research
  • +Teaching conceptual modeling and deductive databases

best at · Knowledge graph, Metadata

choose terminusdb for

  • +Collaborative curation of reference or master data
  • +Auditable knowledge graphs with review workflows
  • +Versioned configuration and product data
  • +Data products that need reproducible snapshots

best at · Knowledge graph, Content, Metadata

ConceptBase.ccDeductive object base for metamodeling, built on O-Telos with Datalog rules and unlimited meta-levels.
TerminusDBGit-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel.
overview
Primary model
Object
Graph
Also supports
Graph
Document, RDF / Triple Store
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
The ConceptBase Team (University of Skövde)
Gettier (DFRNT AB) and TerminusDB community
First release
1987
2019
Latest version
8.5.16 (Jul 21, 2026)
12.0.8 (Oct 12, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)FreeBSD-style license
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
1.4
21.0
Rank
#551
#146
GitHub stars
–
3.5K
Stack Overflow questions
–
2
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Client server
Single node, Client server
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
O-Telos, Datalog
WOQL (Datalog), GraphQL
Client languages
Java
Python, JavaScript, Rust, Elixir
Best for
Knowledge graph, Metadata
Knowledge graph, Content, Metadata
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

ConceptBase.cc vs TerminusDB: FAQ

What is the difference between ConceptBase.cc and TerminusDB?

ConceptBase.cc: Deductive object base for metamodeling, built on O-Telos with Datalog rules and unlimited meta-levels. TerminusDB: Git-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel. ConceptBase.cc is primarily an object database; TerminusDB is graph. Transactions: ConceptBase.cc offers limited ACID; TerminusDB offers full. Only ConceptBase.cc has triggers.

When should I choose ConceptBase.cc over TerminusDB?

Choose ConceptBase.cc for designing and validating domain-specific modeling languages; method engineering and multi-level modeling research; and teaching conceptual modeling and deductive databases. Choose TerminusDB for collaborative curation of reference or master data; auditable knowledge graphs with review workflows; and versioned configuration and product data.

Is ConceptBase.cc or TerminusDB more popular?

TerminusDB ranks #146 on the WhichDB Score (21.0/100) and ConceptBase.cc ranks #551 (1.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are ConceptBase.cc and TerminusDB open source?

Yes. ConceptBase.cc is open source. License: FreeBSD-style license. Yes. TerminusDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.