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InterSystems IRIS vs Rocket D3

InterSystems IRIS: Multi-model data platform (SQL, objects, globals, vectors) with built-in interoperability, big in healthcare. Rocket D3: The direct descendant of the original Pick system: a MultiValue database and environment on Linux and Windows.

key differences

  • InterSystems IRIS is primarily a relational database; Rocket D3 is multivalue (Pick).
  • InterSystems IRIS is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Rocket D3 (≤ 100 GB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in InterSystems IRIS and none in Rocket D3.
  • Transactions: InterSystems IRIS offers full ACID; Rocket D3 offers limited.
  • Only InterSystems IRIS has joins, full-text search, vector search, json, stored procedures.

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 rocket-d3 for

  • +Running legacy Pick business applications
  • +Distribution and accounting packages built on D3
  • +Staging migrations from D3 to jBASE or SQL databases

best at · OLTP

InterSystems IRISMulti-model data platform (SQL, objects, globals, vectors) with built-in interoperability, big in healthcare.
Rocket D3The direct descendant of the original Pick system: a MultiValue database and environment on Linux and Windows.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Multivalue (Pick)
Also supports
Object, Document, Key-Value, Multivalue (Pick), Vector
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
InterSystems Corporation
Rocket Software (originally Pick Systems)
First release
2018
1993
Latest version
2026.2 (CD) (Jul 22, 2026)
10.4.0.3 (Windows) (Sep 2026)
License
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
Free tier
✓
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
13.3
0.0
Rank
#253
#803
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
42
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
None
Multi-region
Read replicas
None
ACID
Full
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Client server, Primary replica, Distributed
Client server, Single node
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)
Pick BASIC (FlashBASIC), ACCESS query language
Client languages
Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, C++
C, Python, C#, Visual Basic
Best for
OLTP, HTAP, Real-time analytics, Vector search
OLTP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

InterSystems IRIS vs Rocket D3: FAQ

What is the difference between InterSystems IRIS and Rocket D3?

InterSystems IRIS: Multi-model data platform (SQL, objects, globals, vectors) with built-in interoperability, big in healthcare. Rocket D3: The direct descendant of the original Pick system: a MultiValue database and environment on Linux and Windows. InterSystems IRIS is primarily a relational database; Rocket D3 is multivalue (Pick). InterSystems IRIS is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Rocket D3 (≤ 100 GB). Horizontal scaling is native in InterSystems IRIS and none in Rocket D3.

When should I choose InterSystems IRIS over Rocket D3?

Choose InterSystems IRIS for electronic health records and hospital information systems; health information exchanges and FHIR servers; and high-throughput financial transaction processing. Choose Rocket D3 for running legacy Pick business applications; distribution and accounting packages built on D3; and staging migrations from D3 to jBASE or SQL databases.

Is InterSystems IRIS or Rocket D3 more popular?

InterSystems IRIS ranks #253 on the WhichDB Score (13.3/100) and Rocket D3 ranks #803 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are InterSystems IRIS and Rocket D3 open source?

No. InterSystems IRIS is proprietary, closed-source software. No. Rocket D3 is proprietary, closed-source software.