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Datahike vs TerminusDB

Datahike: Open-source, durable Datalog database for Clojure with Datomic-style immutable history. TerminusDB: Git-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel.

key differences

  • Datahike is primarily a relational database; TerminusDB is graph.
  • Licensing: Datahike is open source (copyleft) (Eclipse Public License 1.0); TerminusDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0).
  • Only Datahike has secondary indexes, in-memory.
  • Only TerminusDB has json, compression, role-based access, branching, online schema changes.
  • Datahike can run embedded in your application process.

choose datahike for

  • +Clojure apps wanting Datalog and history without Datomic
  • +Knowledge graphs and research data with provenance
  • +Embedded databases in ClojureScript apps

best at · OLTP, Knowledge graph, Embedded

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

DatahikeOpen-source, durable Datalog database for Clojure with Datomic-style immutable history.
TerminusDBGit-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Graph
Also supports
Graph
Document, RDF / Triple Store
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
replikativ (Christian Weilbach and contributors)
Gettier (DFRNT AB) and TerminusDB community
First release
2018
2019
Latest version
0.8.1913 (Oct 26, 2026)
12.0.8 (Oct 12, 2026)
License
Open source (copyleft)Eclipse Public License 1.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
5.8
21.0
Rank
#374
#146
GitHub stars
1.9K
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
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, 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
Datalog, Pull API
WOQL (Datalog), GraphQL
Client languages
Clojure, ClojureScript, Java
Python, JavaScript, Rust, Elixir
Best for
OLTP, Knowledge graph, Embedded
Knowledge graph, Content, Metadata
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Datahike vs TerminusDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Datahike and TerminusDB?

Datahike: Open-source, durable Datalog database for Clojure with Datomic-style immutable history. TerminusDB: Git-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel. Datahike is primarily a relational database; TerminusDB is graph. Licensing: Datahike is open source (copyleft) (Eclipse Public License 1.0); TerminusDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0). Only Datahike has secondary indexes, in-memory.

When should I choose Datahike over TerminusDB?

Choose Datahike for clojure apps wanting Datalog and history without Datomic; knowledge graphs and research data with provenance; and embedded databases in ClojureScript apps. Choose TerminusDB for collaborative curation of reference or master data; auditable knowledge graphs with review workflows; and versioned configuration and product data.

Is Datahike or TerminusDB more popular?

TerminusDB ranks #146 on the WhichDB Score (21.0/100) and Datahike ranks #374 (5.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Datahike and TerminusDB open source?

Yes. Datahike is open source. License: Eclipse Public License 1.0. Yes. TerminusDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.