vs

DataScript vs Datomic

DataScript: Immutable in-memory database with Datomic-style Datalog queries for Clojure, ClojureScript and JavaScript. Datomic: Immutable Datalog database from Nubank where every fact is timestamped and queries run in the app process.

key differences

  • DataScript is primarily a graph database; Datomic is relational.
  • Licensing: DataScript is open source (copyleft) (Eclipse Public License 1.0); Datomic is open source (permissive) (Apache-2.0 (binaries only; source not published)).
  • Datomic is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than DataScript (≤ 100 GB).
  • Only DataScript has in-memory.
  • Only Datomic has full-text search, change data capture, time travel.

choose datascript for

  • +Client-side application state for ClojureScript apps
  • +Local-first note-taking and outliner tools
  • +In-memory graph queries over modest datasets

best at · Embedded, Local-first, Knowledge graph

choose datomic for

  • +Financial and banking domain models needing auditability
  • +Systems that must answer what was known at a given time
  • +Complex domain graphs in Clojure services

best at · OLTP, Event sourcing, Ledger

overview
Primary model
Graph
Relational
Also supports
Key-Value
Graph
Type
Embedded library
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Nikita Prokopov (tonsky)
Nubank (Cognitect)
First release
2014
2012
Latest version
1.8.1 (Aug 15, 2026)
1.0.7745 (Oct 16, 2026)
License
Open source (copyleft)Eclipse Public License 1.0
Open source (permissive)Apache-2.0 (binaries only; source not published)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
14.4
14.9
Rank
#233
#225
GitHub stars
5.8K
–
Stack Overflow questions
24
436
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Embedded, In memory
Distributed, Shared storage
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
✓
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS
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
Datalog, Pull API
Client languages
Clojure, ClojureScript, JavaScript
Clojure, Java
Best for
Embedded, Local-first, Knowledge graph
OLTP, Event sourcing, Ledger, Knowledge graph

DataScript vs Datomic: FAQ

What is the difference between DataScript and Datomic?

DataScript: Immutable in-memory database with Datomic-style Datalog queries for Clojure, ClojureScript and JavaScript. Datomic: Immutable Datalog database from Nubank where every fact is timestamped and queries run in the app process. DataScript is primarily a graph database; Datomic is relational. Licensing: DataScript is open source (copyleft) (Eclipse Public License 1.0); Datomic is open source (permissive) (Apache-2.0 (binaries only; source not published)). Datomic is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than DataScript (≤ 100 GB).

When should I choose DataScript over Datomic?

Choose DataScript for client-side application state for ClojureScript apps; local-first note-taking and outliner tools; and in-memory graph queries over modest datasets. Choose Datomic for financial and banking domain models needing auditability; systems that must answer what was known at a given time; and complex domain graphs in Clojure services.

Is DataScript or Datomic more popular?

Datomic ranks #225 on the WhichDB Score (14.9/100) and DataScript ranks #233 (14.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are DataScript and Datomic open source?

Yes. DataScript is open source. License: Eclipse Public License 1.0. Yes. Datomic is open source. License: Apache-2.0 (binaries only; source not published).