vs

HelixDB vs Memgraph

HelixDB: Rust graph-vector database on object storage, queried through typed SDKs for AI apps. Memgraph: In-memory, Cypher-compatible graph database in C++ for streaming and real-time graph workloads.

key differences

  • Licensing: HelixDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Memgraph is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (Community) / Memgraph Enterprise License).
  • Only Memgraph has geospatial, triggers, stored procedures, ttl / expiry, role-based access.

choose helixdb for

  • +RAG with graph context
  • +Agent memory stores
  • +Semantic search over linked entities
  • +AI app prototypes

best at · RAG, Vector search, Traversal

choose memgraph for

  • +Real-time fraud detection on streaming transactions
  • +Network and IT topology monitoring
  • +GraphRAG and agent memory
  • +Supply chain optimization

best at · Traversal, Graph analytics, Real-time analytics

overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
Vector
Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
HelixDB
Memgraph Ltd.
First release
2025
2017
Latest version
3.5.1 (Oct 8, 2026)
3.14.0 (Oct 21, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Source-availableBusiness Source License 1.1 (Community) / Memgraph Enterprise License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
13.2
24.4
Rank
#256
#124
GitHub stars
6.2K
4.6K
Stack Overflow questions
–
506
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Flexible
Architecture
Client server, Shared storage, In memory
In memory, Primary replica, 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
SDK query builders, JSON query API
Cypher
Client languages
Rust, TypeScript, Python, Go
Python, JavaScript, Java, Go, C#, Rust, C/C++
Best for
RAG, Vector search, Traversal, OLTP
Traversal, Graph analytics, Real-time analytics, Streaming

HelixDB vs Memgraph: FAQ

What is the difference between HelixDB and Memgraph?

HelixDB: Rust graph-vector database on object storage, queried through typed SDKs for AI apps. Memgraph: In-memory, Cypher-compatible graph database in C++ for streaming and real-time graph workloads. Licensing: HelixDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Memgraph is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (Community) / Memgraph Enterprise License). Only Memgraph has geospatial, triggers, stored procedures, ttl / expiry, role-based access.

When should I choose HelixDB over Memgraph?

Choose HelixDB for RAG with graph context, agent memory stores and semantic search over linked entities. Choose Memgraph for real-time fraud detection on streaming transactions; network and IT topology monitoring; and GraphRAG and agent memory.

Is HelixDB or Memgraph more popular?

Memgraph ranks #124 on the WhichDB Score (24.4/100) and HelixDB ranks #256 (13.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are HelixDB and Memgraph open source?

Yes. HelixDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Not in the OSI sense. Memgraph 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 (Community) / Memgraph Enterprise License.