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InterSystems IRIS vs JADE

InterSystems IRIS: Multi-model data platform (SQL, objects, globals, vectors) with built-in interoperability, big in healthcare. JADE: New Zealand's integrated object database, language and app server for building line-of-business systems.

key differences

  • InterSystems IRIS is primarily a relational database; JADE is object.
  • InterSystems IRIS is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than JADE (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in InterSystems IRIS and none in JADE.
  • Only InterSystems IRIS has joins, full-text search, vector search, json, triggers.
  • Only JADE has online schema changes.

choose intersystems-iris for

  • +Electronic health records and hospital information systems
  • +Health information exchanges and FHIR servers
  • +High-throughput financial transaction processing
  • +Supply-chain and logistics platforms needing integration plus analytics

best at · OLTP, HTAP, Real-time analytics

choose jade for

  • +Maintaining and extending existing JADE line-of-business systems
  • +Domain-rich business applications modeled as persistent objects
  • +Organisations in NZ/Australia with in-house JADE expertise

best at · OLTP

InterSystems IRISMulti-model data platform (SQL, objects, globals, vectors) with built-in interoperability, big in healthcare.
JADENew Zealand's integrated object database, language and app server for building line-of-business systems.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Object
Also supports
Object, Document, Key-Value, Multivalue (Pick), Vector
–
Type
Database engine
Backend platform
Status
Active
Active
Developer
InterSystems Corporation
Jade Software Corporation
First release
2018
1996
Latest version
2026.2 (CD) (Jul 22, 2026)
2025 R2 (2025)
License
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
ProprietaryProprietary (free development licence; paid deployment licences)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
13.3
5.4
Rank
#253
#387
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
42
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
None
Multi-region
Read replicas
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Client server, Primary replica, Distributed
Client server, Primary replica
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Azure, 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, ObjectScript, Python (Embedded)
JADE language
Client languages
Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, C++
C#, Java, C++
Best for
OLTP, HTAP, Real-time analytics, Vector search
OLTP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

InterSystems IRIS vs JADE: FAQ

What is the difference between InterSystems IRIS and JADE?

InterSystems IRIS: Multi-model data platform (SQL, objects, globals, vectors) with built-in interoperability, big in healthcare. JADE: New Zealand's integrated object database, language and app server for building line-of-business systems. InterSystems IRIS is primarily a relational database; JADE is object. InterSystems IRIS is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than JADE (≤ 10 TB). Horizontal scaling is native in InterSystems IRIS and none in JADE.

When should I choose InterSystems IRIS over JADE?

Choose InterSystems IRIS for electronic health records and hospital information systems; health information exchanges and FHIR servers; and high-throughput financial transaction processing. Choose JADE for maintaining and extending existing JADE line-of-business systems; domain-rich business applications modeled as persistent objects; and organisations in NZ/Australia with in-house JADE expertise.

Is InterSystems IRIS or JADE more popular?

InterSystems IRIS ranks #253 on the WhichDB Score (13.3/100) and JADE ranks #387 (5.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are InterSystems IRIS and JADE open source?

No. InterSystems IRIS is proprietary, closed-source software. No. JADE is proprietary, closed-source software.