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FalkorDB vs Neo4j

FalkorDB: Low-latency graph database using sparse matrices, the maintained successor to RedisGraph. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.

key differences

  • Licensing: FalkorDB is source-available (Server Side Public License v1); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)).
  • Horizontal scaling is none in FalkorDB and addon in Neo4j.
  • Transactions: FalkorDB offers limited ACID; Neo4j offers full.
  • Only FalkorDB has in-memory.
  • Only Neo4j has transactions, change data capture, stored procedures, encryption at rest, online schema changes.

choose falkordb for

  • +GraphRAG knowledge graphs for LLM apps
  • +Agent and user memory graphs
  • +Migrating off RedisGraph
  • +Real-time recommendation and fraud lookups

best at · Traversal, RAG, Knowledge graph

choose neo4j for

  • +Fraud rings and entity resolution
  • +Real-time recommendations
  • +Knowledge graphs for GraphRAG
  • +Network and IT dependency mapping

best at · Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph

FalkorDBLow-latency graph database using sparse matrices, the maintained successor to RedisGraph.
Neo4jThe default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
Vector
Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
FalkorDB Ltd.
Neo4j, Inc.
First release
2023
2007
Latest version
6.0.3 (Oct 22, 2026)
2026.10.1 (Oct 2026)
License
Source-availableServer Side Public License v1
Open source (copyleft)GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
28.5
61.2
Rank
#97
#15
GitHub stars
10.5K
17.4K
Stack Overflow questions
8
23K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
Addon
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong, Causal
Schema
Schemaless
Flexible
Architecture
In memory, Primary replica, Client server
Single node, Primary replica, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud
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
Cypher
Cypher, GQL
Client languages
Python, JavaScript, Java, Go, Rust, C#
Java, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Rust (community)
Best for
Traversal, RAG, Knowledge graph, Vector search
Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph, RAG
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

FalkorDB vs Neo4j: FAQ

What is the difference between FalkorDB and Neo4j?

FalkorDB: Low-latency graph database using sparse matrices, the maintained successor to RedisGraph. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud. Licensing: FalkorDB is source-available (Server Side Public License v1); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)). Horizontal scaling is none in FalkorDB and addon in Neo4j. Transactions: FalkorDB offers limited ACID; Neo4j offers full.

When should I choose FalkorDB over Neo4j?

Choose FalkorDB for GraphRAG knowledge graphs for LLM apps; agent and user memory graphs; and migrating off RedisGraph. Choose Neo4j for fraud rings and entity resolution; real-time recommendations; and knowledge graphs for GraphRAG.

Is FalkorDB or Neo4j more popular?

Neo4j ranks #15 on the WhichDB Score (61.2/100) and FalkorDB ranks #97 (28.5/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are FalkorDB and Neo4j open source?

Not in the OSI sense. FalkorDB is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: Server Side Public License v1. Yes. Neo4j is open source. License: GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise).