whichdb
vs

DuckDB vs InMemory.Net

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. InMemory.Net: Commercial in-memory columnar SQL engine for .NET that speeds up reporting over hundreds of millions of rows.

key differences

  • Licensing: DuckDB is open source (permissive) (MIT License); InMemory.Net is proprietary (Proprietary (per-server, SaaS and OEM licenses)).
  • DuckDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than InMemory.Net (≤ 100 GB).
  • Transactions: DuckDB offers full ACID; InMemory.Net offers none.
  • Only DuckDB has transactions, secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, geospatial.
  • 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 inmemory-net for

  • +Accelerating slow SQL Server or ODBC-backed reports
  • +Embedded analytics inside .NET line-of-business applications
  • +Interactive dashboards over tens of millions of rows on a desktop

best at · OLAP, Real-time analytics

DuckDBIn-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook.
InMemory.NetCommercial in-memory columnar SQL engine for .NET that speeds up reporting over hundreds of millions of rows.
overview
Primary model
Columnar / OLAP
Columnar / OLAP
Also supports
Relational, Document, Spatial, Vector
Relational
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
DuckDB Foundation / DuckDB Labs
InMemory.Net (Cork, Ireland)
First release
2019
2014
Latest version
2.0.0 (Oct 21, 2026)
–
License
Open source (permissive)MIT License
ProprietaryProprietary (per-server, SaaS and OEM licenses)
Free tier
✓
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
63.7
0.2
Rank
#13
#668
GitHub stars
42.6K
–
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
None
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Single node, In memory
In memory, Client server, Single node
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, LINQ
Client languages
Python, R, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C, Swift
C#
Best for
OLAP, Embedded, Lakehouse, Warehouse
OLAP, Real-time analytics
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

DuckDB vs InMemory.Net: FAQ

What is the difference between DuckDB and InMemory.Net?

DuckDB: In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook. InMemory.Net: Commercial in-memory columnar SQL engine for .NET that speeds up reporting over hundreds of millions of rows. Licensing: DuckDB is open source (permissive) (MIT License); InMemory.Net is proprietary (Proprietary (per-server, SaaS and OEM licenses)). DuckDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than InMemory.Net (≤ 100 GB). Transactions: DuckDB offers full ACID; InMemory.Net offers none.

When should I choose DuckDB over InMemory.Net?

Choose DuckDB for local data analysis in notebooks; ETL and data-engineering pipelines on files; and embedded analytics inside applications. Choose InMemory.Net for accelerating slow SQL Server or ODBC-backed reports, embedded analytics inside .NET line-of-business applications and interactive dashboards over tens of millions of rows on a desktop.

Is DuckDB or InMemory.Net more popular?

DuckDB ranks #13 on the WhichDB Score (63.7/100) and InMemory.Net ranks #668 (0.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are DuckDB and InMemory.Net open source?

Yes. DuckDB is open source. License: MIT License. No. InMemory.Net is proprietary, closed-source software.