whichdb
vs

DuckDB vs Hyrise

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. Hyrise: HPI's open-source in-memory columnar research database, rewritten in 2017 for teaching and experiments.

key differences

  • DuckDB is primarily a columnar / OLAP database; Hyrise is relational.
  • DuckDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Hyrise (≤ 100 GB).
  • Transactions: DuckDB offers full ACID; Hyrise offers limited.
  • Only DuckDB has full-text search, vector search, geospatial, json, durable persistence.
  • 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 hyrise for

  • +Teaching database internals
  • +Prototyping optimizer, encoding or index research
  • +Reproducing in-memory database papers

best at · OLAP, HTAP

DuckDBIn-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook.
HyriseHPI's open-source in-memory columnar research database, rewritten in 2017 for teaching and experiments.
overview
Primary model
Columnar / OLAP
Relational
Also supports
Relational, Document, Spatial, Vector
Columnar / OLAP
Type
Database engine
Research prototype
Status
Active
Active
Developer
DuckDB Foundation / DuckDB Labs
Hasso Plattner Institute
First release
2019
2010
Latest version
2.0.0 (Oct 21, 2026)
–
License
Open source (permissive)MIT License
Open source (permissive)MIT License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
63.7
2.6
Rank
#13
#469
GitHub stars
42.6K
871
Stack Overflow questions
501
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Single node, In memory
Single node, In memory, 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
SQL (PostgreSQL-like dialect)
SQL
Client languages
Python, R, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C, Swift
C++
Best for
OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse, Warehouse
OLAP, HTAP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

DuckDB vs Hyrise: FAQ

What is the difference between DuckDB and Hyrise?

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. Hyrise: HPI's open-source in-memory columnar research database, rewritten in 2017 for teaching and experiments. DuckDB is primarily a columnar / OLAP database; Hyrise is relational. DuckDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Hyrise (≤ 100 GB). Transactions: DuckDB offers full ACID; Hyrise offers limited.

When should I choose DuckDB over Hyrise?

Choose DuckDB for local data analysis in notebooks; ETL and data-engineering pipelines on files; and embedded analytics inside applications. Choose Hyrise for teaching database internals; prototyping optimizer, encoding or index research; and reproducing in-memory database papers.

Is DuckDB or Hyrise more popular?

DuckDB ranks #13 on the WhichDB Score (63.7/100) and Hyrise ranks #469 (2.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are DuckDB and Hyrise open source?

Yes. DuckDB is open source. License: MIT License. Yes. Hyrise is open source. License: MIT License.