vs

FlureeDB vs XTDB

FlureeDB: Immutable RDF graph database with time travel, git-style branching, SPARQL, JSON-LD and Cypher. XTDB: Bitemporal SQL database on object storage that keeps every version of every row.

key differences

  • FlureeDB is primarily a RDF / triple store database; XTDB is relational.
  • Licensing: FlureeDB is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years)); XTDB is open source (copyleft) (Mozilla Public License 2.0).
  • Horizontal scaling is none in FlureeDB and manual in XTDB.
  • Only FlureeDB has secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, geospatial, role-based access.
  • Only XTDB has columnar storage.
  • FlureeDB has a serverless option; XTDB does not.
  • FlureeDB can run embedded in your application process.

choose flureedb for

  • +Auditable knowledge graphs with full history
  • +Data provenance and compliance records
  • +Long-term memory for AI coding agents and assistants
  • +Semantic data integration with RDF and JSON-LD

best at · Knowledge graph, Traversal, RAG

choose xtdb for

  • +Financial and insurance systems needing as-of reporting
  • +Audit trails with retroactive corrections
  • +Event-sourced systems wanting SQL over history

best at · OLTP, Event sourcing, Ledger

overview
Primary model
RDF / Triple Store
Relational
Also supports
Graph, Ledger
Document, Columnar / OLAP
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Fluree, PBC
JUXT Ltd
First release
2017
2019
Latest version
4.2.4 (Oct 14, 2026)
2.2.0 (Oct 21, 2026)
License
Source-availableBusiness Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years)
Open source (copyleft)Mozilla Public License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
5.3
8.3
Rank
#388
#328
GitHub stars
474
3.1K
Stack Overflow questions
–
7
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
Manual
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Client server, Embedded, Serverless
Distributed, Shared storage
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
SPARQL, JSON-LD Query, openCypher
SQL, XTQL
Client languages
Rust, JavaScript
Java, Kotlin, Clojure, Python, JavaScript, Go
Best for
Knowledge graph, Traversal, RAG, Vector search
OLTP, Event sourcing, Ledger, HTAP

FlureeDB vs XTDB: FAQ

What is the difference between FlureeDB and XTDB?

FlureeDB: Immutable RDF graph database with time travel, git-style branching, SPARQL, JSON-LD and Cypher. XTDB: Bitemporal SQL database on object storage that keeps every version of every row. FlureeDB is primarily a RDF / triple store database; XTDB is relational. Licensing: FlureeDB is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years)); XTDB is open source (copyleft) (Mozilla Public License 2.0). Horizontal scaling is none in FlureeDB and manual in XTDB.

When should I choose FlureeDB over XTDB?

Choose FlureeDB for auditable knowledge graphs with full history; data provenance and compliance records; and long-term memory for AI coding agents and assistants. Choose XTDB for financial and insurance systems needing as-of reporting; audit trails with retroactive corrections; and event-sourced systems wanting SQL over history.

Is FlureeDB or XTDB more popular?

XTDB ranks #328 on the WhichDB Score (8.3/100) and FlureeDB ranks #388 (5.3/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are FlureeDB and XTDB open source?

Not in the OSI sense. FlureeDB is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: Business Source License 1.1 (converts to Apache 2.0 after 4 years). Yes. XTDB is open source. License: Mozilla Public License 2.0.