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JanusGraph vs Neo4j

JanusGraph: Open-source distributed graph database layered on Cassandra, HBase, ScyllaDB or Bigtable. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.

key differences

  • Licensing: JanusGraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0 (code), CC-BY-4.0 (docs)); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)).
  • JanusGraph is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Neo4j (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in JanusGraph and addon in Neo4j.
  • Transactions: JanusGraph offers limited ACID; Neo4j offers full.
  • Only JanusGraph has ttl / expiry.
  • Only Neo4j has vector search, change data capture, stored procedures, encryption at rest, role-based access.

choose janusgraph for

  • +Large-scale graphs on existing Cassandra or ScyllaDB clusters
  • +Telecom and network inventory graphs
  • +Security and identity graphs
  • +Open-source alternative to managed Gremlin services

best at · Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph

choose neo4j for

  • +Fraud rings and entity resolution
  • +Real-time recommendations
  • +Knowledge graphs for GraphRAG
  • +Network and IT dependency mapping

best at · Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph

JanusGraphOpen-source distributed graph database layered on Cassandra, HBase, ScyllaDB or Bigtable.
Neo4jThe default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
–
Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
JanusGraph community (LF AI & Data Foundation)
Neo4j, Inc.
First release
2017
2007
Latest version
1.1.0 (Nov 9, 2024)
2026.10.1 (Oct 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0 (code), CC-BY-4.0 (docs)
Open source (copyleft)GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
25.2
61.2
Rank
#120
#15
GitHub stars
5.9K
17.4K
Stack Overflow questions
895
23K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Addon
Multi-region
Active active
Read replicas
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Tunable, Eventual
Strong, Causal
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Distributed, Client server, Embedded
Single node, Primary replica, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
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
Gremlin
Cypher, GQL
Client languages
Java, Python, JavaScript, .NET, Go
Java, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Rust (community)
Best for
Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph
Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph, RAG
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

JanusGraph vs Neo4j: FAQ

What is the difference between JanusGraph and Neo4j?

JanusGraph: Open-source distributed graph database layered on Cassandra, HBase, ScyllaDB or Bigtable. Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud. Licensing: JanusGraph is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0 (code), CC-BY-4.0 (docs)); Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)). JanusGraph is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Neo4j (≤ 10 TB). Horizontal scaling is native in JanusGraph and addon in Neo4j.

When should I choose JanusGraph over Neo4j?

Choose JanusGraph for large-scale graphs on existing Cassandra or ScyllaDB clusters; telecom and network inventory graphs; and security and identity graphs. Choose Neo4j for fraud rings and entity resolution; real-time recommendations; and knowledge graphs for GraphRAG.

Is JanusGraph or Neo4j more popular?

Neo4j ranks #15 on the WhichDB Score (61.2/100) and JanusGraph ranks #120 (25.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are JanusGraph and Neo4j open source?

Yes. JanusGraph is open source. License: Apache License 2.0 (code), CC-BY-4.0 (docs). Yes. Neo4j is open source. License: GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise).