DataStax Astra DB vs ScyllaDB
DataStax Astra DB: Serverless Cassandra-as-a-service with vector search and a JSON Data API, now owned by IBM. ScyllaDB: C++ rewrite of Cassandra with shard-per-core design; also speaks the DynamoDB API.
key differences
- Licensing: DataStax Astra DB is proprietary (Proprietary (managed service)); ScyllaDB is source-available (ScyllaDB Software License Agreement 1.1).
- ScyllaDB is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than DataStax Astra DB (≤ 1 PB).
- Only DataStax Astra DB has vector search.
- Only ScyllaDB has materialized views, online schema changes, streaming ingest.
- DataStax Astra DB has a serverless option; ScyllaDB does not.
choose datastax-astra-db for
- +RAG and semantic search backends
- +Cassandra workloads moving to a managed service
- +Multi-cloud, multi-region apps needing high availability
- +Session and user-profile stores
best at · OLTP, Vector search, RAG
choose scylladb for
- +Chat and messaging history at very high volume
- +Low-latency feature stores for ML
- +Cassandra or DynamoDB migration targets
- +IoT and telemetry ingestion
best at · OLTP, Time-series, IoT
DataStax Astra DB vs ScyllaDB: FAQ
What is the difference between DataStax Astra DB and ScyllaDB?
DataStax Astra DB: Serverless Cassandra-as-a-service with vector search and a JSON Data API, now owned by IBM. ScyllaDB: C++ rewrite of Cassandra with shard-per-core design; also speaks the DynamoDB API. Licensing: DataStax Astra DB is proprietary (Proprietary (managed service)); ScyllaDB is source-available (ScyllaDB Software License Agreement 1.1). ScyllaDB is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than DataStax Astra DB (≤ 1 PB). Only DataStax Astra DB has vector search.
When should I choose DataStax Astra DB over ScyllaDB?
Choose DataStax Astra DB for RAG and semantic search backends; cassandra workloads moving to a managed service; and multi-cloud, multi-region apps needing high availability. Choose ScyllaDB for chat and messaging history at very high volume; low-latency feature stores for ML; and cassandra or DynamoDB migration targets.
Is DataStax Astra DB or ScyllaDB more popular?
ScyllaDB ranks #36 on the WhichDB Score (45.9/100) and DataStax Astra DB ranks #280 (11.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.
Are DataStax Astra DB and ScyllaDB open source?
No. DataStax Astra DB is proprietary, closed-source software. Not in the OSI sense. ScyllaDB is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: ScyllaDB Software License Agreement 1.1.