whichdb
vs

Dgraph vs TypeDB

Dgraph: Distributed, horizontally scalable graph database in Go with native GraphQL and DQL. TypeDB: Strongly typed entity-relation database with TypeQL, polymorphic queries and a Rust core.

key differences

  • Licensing: Dgraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); TypeDB is open source (copyleft) (Mozilla Public License 2.0).
  • Dgraph is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than TypeDB (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in Dgraph and none in TypeDB.
  • Only Dgraph has full-text search, vector search, geospatial, json, change data capture.

choose dgraph for

  • +GraphQL application backends
  • +Knowledge graphs and content relationships
  • +Real-time recommendations
  • +Metadata and lineage graphs

best at · OLTP, Traversal, Knowledge graph

choose typedb for

  • +Cybersecurity threat intelligence models
  • +Biomedical and drug-discovery knowledge graphs
  • +Engineering and digital-twin data models
  • +Complex access-control and policy modeling

best at · Knowledge graph, OLTP, Traversal

DgraphDistributed, horizontally scalable graph database in Go with native GraphQL and DQL.
TypeDBStrongly typed entity-relation database with TypeQL, polymorphic queries and a Rust core.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
Vector
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Istari Digital
TypeDB Ltd.
First release
2016
2016
Latest version
25.5.1 (Oct 22, 2026)
3.14.1 (Oct 22, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (copyleft)Mozilla Public License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
22.4
27.0
Rank
#137
#108
GitHub stars
21.8K
4.5K
Stack Overflow questions
108
132
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
None
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Distributed, Client server
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
DQL, GraphQL
TypeQL
Client languages
Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, C#
Python, Java, Rust, JavaScript, C#, C
Best for
OLTP, Traversal, Knowledge graph, Vector search
Knowledge graph, OLTP, Traversal
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Dgraph vs TypeDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Dgraph and TypeDB?

Dgraph: Distributed, horizontally scalable graph database in Go with native GraphQL and DQL. TypeDB: Strongly typed entity-relation database with TypeQL, polymorphic queries and a Rust core. Licensing: Dgraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); TypeDB is open source (copyleft) (Mozilla Public License 2.0). Dgraph is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than TypeDB (≤ 10 TB). Horizontal scaling is native in Dgraph and none in TypeDB.

When should I choose Dgraph over TypeDB?

Choose Dgraph for GraphQL application backends; knowledge graphs and content relationships; and real-time recommendations. Choose TypeDB for cybersecurity threat intelligence models; biomedical and drug-discovery knowledge graphs; and engineering and digital-twin data models.

Is Dgraph or TypeDB more popular?

TypeDB ranks #108 on the WhichDB Score (27.0/100) and Dgraph ranks #137 (22.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Dgraph and TypeDB open source?

Yes. Dgraph is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. TypeDB is open source. License: Mozilla Public License 2.0.