whichdb
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DuckDB vs HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB)

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB): GPU-native columnar SQL database with visual analytics, fully open-sourced by NVIDIA in 2026.

key differences

  • Horizontal scaling is none in DuckDB and native in HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB).
  • Transactions: DuckDB offers full ACID; HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) offers limited.
  • Only DuckDB has transactions, secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, json.
  • Only HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) has role-based access.
  • DuckDB can run embedded in your application process.

choose duckdb for

  • +Local data analysis in notebooks
  • +ETL and data-engineering pipelines on files
  • +Embedded analytics inside applications
  • +Querying data lakes on S3 without a cluster

best at · OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse

choose heavydb for

  • +Geospatial visual analytics
  • +Telecom and RF network planning
  • +Interactive exploration of large telemetry datasets

best at · OLAP, Geo, Real-time analytics

DuckDBIn-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook.
HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB)GPU-native columnar SQL database with visual analytics, fully open-sourced by NVIDIA in 2026.
overview
Primary model
Columnar / OLAP
Columnar / OLAP
Also supports
Relational, Document, Spatial, Vector
Relational, Spatial
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
DuckDB Foundation / DuckDB Labs
NVIDIA (HEAVY.AI)
First release
2019
2017
Latest version
2.0.0 (Oct 21, 2026)
10.0.0 (Oct 8, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)MIT License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
63.7
14.3
Rank
#13
#234
GitHub stars
42.6K
3.1K
Stack Overflow questions
501
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Single node, In memory
Single node, Distributed, In memory
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
SQL (PostgreSQL-like dialect)
SQL
Client languages
Python, R, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C, Swift
Python, Java, JavaScript, C++
Best for
OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse, Warehouse
OLAP, Geo, Real-time analytics
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

DuckDB vs HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB): FAQ

What is the difference between DuckDB and HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB)?

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB): GPU-native columnar SQL database with visual analytics, fully open-sourced by NVIDIA in 2026. Horizontal scaling is none in DuckDB and native in HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB). Transactions: DuckDB offers full ACID; HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) offers limited. Only DuckDB has transactions, secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, json.

When should I choose DuckDB over HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB)?

Choose DuckDB for local data analysis in notebooks; ETL and data-engineering pipelines on files; and embedded analytics inside applications. Choose HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) for geospatial visual analytics; telecom and RF network planning; and interactive exploration of large telemetry datasets.

Is DuckDB or HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) more popular?

DuckDB ranks #13 on the WhichDB Score (63.7/100) and HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) ranks #234 (14.3/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are DuckDB and HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) open source?

Yes. DuckDB is open source. License: MIT License. Yes. HEAVY.AI (HeavyDB) is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.