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H2 Database vs InfinityDB

H2 Database: Fast pure-Java SQL engine for embedded, in-memory and test databases, with compatibility modes. InfinityDB: Boiler Bay's all-Java embedded B-tree database with a ConcurrentNavigableMap API and a server edition.

key differences

  • H2 Database is primarily a relational database; InfinityDB is key-value.
  • Licensing: H2 Database is open source (copyleft) (MPL 2.0 or EPL 1.0 (dual)); InfinityDB is proprietary (Proprietary commercial license).
  • InfinityDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than H2 Database (≤ 100 GB).
  • Only H2 Database has joins, full-text search, geospatial, json, triggers.

choose h2 for

  • +Integration tests for Spring/JPA applications
  • +Embedded storage in Java desktop tools
  • +Prototyping before choosing a production database
  • +In-memory scratch databases in batch jobs

best at · Embedded, OLTP, Coordination

choose infinitydb for

  • +Embedded storage in Java applications and appliances
  • +Text indexing and custom data structures inside one file
  • +Industrial data collection on JVM devices

best at · Embedded, OLTP, IoT

H2 DatabaseFast pure-Java SQL engine for embedded, in-memory and test databases, with compatibility modes.
InfinityDBBoiler Bay's all-Java embedded B-tree database with a ConcurrentNavigableMap API and a server edition.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Key-Value
Also supports
Spatial
Multivalue (Pick), Document
Type
Database engine
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
H2 Group (Thomas Mueller, Evgenij Ryazanov and contributors)
Boiler Bay Software
First release
2005
2002
Latest version
2.5.252 (Sep 24, 2026)
–
License
Open source (copyleft)MPL 2.0 or EPL 1.0 (dual)
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
Free tier
✓
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
23.5
3.3
Rank
#128
#440
GitHub stars
4.6K
–
Stack Overflow questions
5.1K
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Schemaless
Architecture
Embedded, In memory, Client server, Single node
Embedded, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
✓
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS
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
ItemSpace API, ConcurrentNavigableMap API, PatternQuery (Server)
Client languages
Java
Java
Best for
Embedded, OLTP, Coordination
Embedded, OLTP, IoT
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

H2 Database vs InfinityDB: FAQ

What is the difference between H2 Database and InfinityDB?

H2 Database: Fast pure-Java SQL engine for embedded, in-memory and test databases, with compatibility modes. InfinityDB: Boiler Bay's all-Java embedded B-tree database with a ConcurrentNavigableMap API and a server edition. H2 Database is primarily a relational database; InfinityDB is key-value. Licensing: H2 Database is open source (copyleft) (MPL 2.0 or EPL 1.0 (dual)); InfinityDB is proprietary (Proprietary commercial license). InfinityDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than H2 Database (≤ 100 GB).

When should I choose H2 Database over InfinityDB?

Choose H2 Database for integration tests for Spring/JPA applications, embedded storage in Java desktop tools and prototyping before choosing a production database. Choose InfinityDB for embedded storage in Java applications and appliances; text indexing and custom data structures inside one file; and industrial data collection on JVM devices.

Is H2 Database or InfinityDB more popular?

H2 Database ranks #128 on the WhichDB Score (23.5/100) and InfinityDB ranks #440 (3.3/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are H2 Database and InfinityDB open source?

Yes. H2 Database is open source. License: MPL 2.0 or EPL 1.0 (dual). No. InfinityDB is proprietary, closed-source software.