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GridGain vs Hazelcast

GridGain: The commercial, enterprise-hardened distribution of Apache Ignite for low-latency SQL and compute. Hazelcast: A Java in-memory data grid and stream processor that embeds in your app or runs as a cluster.

key differences

  • GridGain is primarily a relational database; Hazelcast is key-value.
  • Licensing: GridGain is proprietary (GridGain commercial license); Hazelcast is open source (permissive) (Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules).
  • GridGain is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Hazelcast (≤ 10 TB).
  • Transactions: GridGain offers full ACID; Hazelcast offers limited.
  • Only GridGain has columnar storage, encryption at rest, role-based access, online schema changes.
  • Only Hazelcast has vector search, json, pub/sub.
  • Hazelcast can run embedded in your application process.

choose gridgain for

  • +Low-latency trading and risk systems
  • +Digital integration hubs in front of mainframes and legacy RDBMS
  • +Real-time feature computation for ML

best at · Cache, OLTP, HTAP

choose hazelcast for

  • +Shared low-latency state for microservices
  • +Fraud detection and payment stream processing
  • +Web session clustering for Java app servers
  • +Distributed caching in front of RDBMS

best at · Cache, Sessions, Streaming

GridGainThe commercial, enterprise-hardened distribution of Apache Ignite for low-latency SQL and compute.
HazelcastA Java in-memory data grid and stream processor that embeds in your app or runs as a cluster.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Key-Value
Also supports
Key-Value
Document, Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
GridGain Systems
Hazelcast, Inc.
First release
2007
2008
Latest version
9.1.28 (Oct 20, 2026)
5.7.0 (May 12, 2026)
License
ProprietaryGridGain commercial license
Open source (permissive)Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules
Free tier
—
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
7.8
33.5
Rank
#335
#63
GitHub stars
–
6.6K
Stack Overflow questions
589
2.9K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Active active
ACID
Full
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Eventual, Strong
Schema
Strict
Flexible
Architecture
In memory, Distributed, Client server
In memory, Distributed, Embedded, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
✓
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
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
SQL, Key-value API
SQL, Predicate API, Jet Pipeline API
Client languages
Java, C#, C++, Python
Java, C#, C++, Python, JavaScript, Go
Best for
Cache, OLTP, HTAP, Real-time analytics
Cache, Sessions, Streaming, Real-time analytics
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

GridGain vs Hazelcast: FAQ

What is the difference between GridGain and Hazelcast?

GridGain: The commercial, enterprise-hardened distribution of Apache Ignite for low-latency SQL and compute. Hazelcast: A Java in-memory data grid and stream processor that embeds in your app or runs as a cluster. GridGain is primarily a relational database; Hazelcast is key-value. Licensing: GridGain is proprietary (GridGain commercial license); Hazelcast is open source (permissive) (Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules). GridGain is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Hazelcast (≤ 10 TB).

When should I choose GridGain over Hazelcast?

Choose GridGain for low-latency trading and risk systems; digital integration hubs in front of mainframes and legacy RDBMS; and real-time feature computation for ML. Choose Hazelcast for shared low-latency state for microservices; fraud detection and payment stream processing; and web session clustering for Java app servers.

Is GridGain or Hazelcast more popular?

Hazelcast ranks #63 on the WhichDB Score (33.5/100) and GridGain ranks #335 (7.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are GridGain and Hazelcast open source?

No. GridGain is proprietary, closed-source software. License: GridGain commercial license. Yes. Hazelcast is open source. License: Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules.