vs

Hazelcast vs Volt Active Data (VoltDB)

Hazelcast: A Java in-memory data grid and stream processor that embeds in your app or runs as a cluster. Volt Active Data (VoltDB): In-memory, partitioned SQL engine running Java stored procedures serially for millisecond decisioning.

key differences

  • Hazelcast is primarily a key-value database; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is relational.
  • Licensing: Hazelcast is open source (permissive) (Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules); Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is proprietary (Proprietary (commercial)).
  • Transactions: Hazelcast offers limited ACID; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) offers full.
  • Only Hazelcast has vector search, compression.
  • Only Volt Active Data (VoltDB) has geospatial, materialized views, role-based access, online schema changes.
  • Hazelcast can run embedded in your application process.

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

choose volt-active-data for

  • +Telecom online charging and policy control
  • +Real-time fraud and risk decisions
  • +Ad bidding and personalization at high TPS
  • +Gaming leaderboards and in-game economies

best at · OLTP, Real-time analytics, Streaming

overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Relational
Also supports
Document, Vector
Document, Spatial
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Hazelcast, Inc.
Volt Active Data, Inc.
First release
2008
2010
Latest version
5.7.0 (May 12, 2026)
16.0.0 (Sep 30, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules
ProprietaryProprietary (commercial)
Free tier
✓
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
33.5
20.7
Rank
#63
#154
GitHub stars
6.6K
–
Stack Overflow questions
2.9K
153
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Active active
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Eventual, Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
In memory, Distributed, Embedded, Client server
Distributed, In memory, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
AWS, Google Cloud
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, Predicate API, Jet Pipeline API
SQL, Java (stored procedures)
Client languages
Java, C#, C++, Python, JavaScript, Go
Java, Python, C++, Go, C#, JavaScript
Best for
Cache, Sessions, Streaming, Real-time analytics
OLTP, Real-time analytics, Streaming, Tick data

Hazelcast vs Volt Active Data (VoltDB): FAQ

What is the difference between Hazelcast and Volt Active Data (VoltDB)?

Hazelcast: A Java in-memory data grid and stream processor that embeds in your app or runs as a cluster. Volt Active Data (VoltDB): In-memory, partitioned SQL engine running Java stored procedures serially for millisecond decisioning. Hazelcast is primarily a key-value database; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is relational. Licensing: Hazelcast is open source (permissive) (Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules); Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is proprietary (Proprietary (commercial)). Transactions: Hazelcast offers limited ACID; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) offers full.

When should I choose Hazelcast over Volt Active Data (VoltDB)?

Choose Hazelcast for shared low-latency state for microservices; fraud detection and payment stream processing; and web session clustering for Java app servers. Choose Volt Active Data (VoltDB) for telecom online charging and policy control; real-time fraud and risk decisions; and ad bidding and personalization at high TPS.

Is Hazelcast or Volt Active Data (VoltDB) more popular?

Hazelcast ranks #63 on the WhichDB Score (33.5/100) and Volt Active Data (VoltDB) ranks #154 (20.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Hazelcast and Volt Active Data (VoltDB) open source?

Yes. Hazelcast is open source. License: Apache 2.0 (Community); Hazelcast Community License for some modules. No. Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is proprietary, closed-source software.