vs

LadybugDB vs Memgraph

LadybugDB: Community-maintained continuation of Kùzu: embedded columnar graph database with Cypher. Memgraph: In-memory, Cypher-compatible graph database in C++ for streaming and real-time graph workloads.

key differences

  • Licensing: LadybugDB is open source (permissive) (MIT License); Memgraph is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (Community) / Memgraph Enterprise License).
  • Only LadybugDB has columnar storage, compression, runs in webassembly.
  • Only Memgraph has secondary indexes, geospatial, triggers, stored procedures, ttl / expiry.
  • LadybugDB can run embedded in your application process.

choose ladybugdb for

  • +Embedded graph analytics in Python notebooks
  • +Local GraphRAG and agent memory
  • +Migrating from archived Kùzu
  • +In-browser graph exploration via WebAssembly

best at · Graph analytics, Embedded, Knowledge graph

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
LadybugDB developers (sponsored by Ladybug Memory)
Memgraph Ltd.
First release
2025
2017
Latest version
0.22.0 (Oct 25, 2026)
3.14.0 (Oct 21, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)MIT License
Source-availableBusiness Source License 1.1 (Community) / Memgraph Enterprise License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
20.7
24.4
Rank
#153
#124
GitHub stars
1.9K
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
Embedded
In memory, Primary replica, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
–
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
Cypher
Cypher
Client languages
Python, JavaScript, Rust, Java
Python, JavaScript, Java, Go, C#, Rust, C/C++
Best for
Graph analytics, Embedded, Knowledge graph, RAG
Traversal, Graph analytics, Real-time analytics, Streaming

LadybugDB vs Memgraph: FAQ

What is the difference between LadybugDB and Memgraph?

LadybugDB: Community-maintained continuation of Kùzu: embedded columnar graph database with Cypher. Memgraph: In-memory, Cypher-compatible graph database in C++ for streaming and real-time graph workloads. Licensing: LadybugDB is open source (permissive) (MIT License); Memgraph is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (Community) / Memgraph Enterprise License). Only LadybugDB has columnar storage, compression, runs in webassembly. Only Memgraph has secondary indexes, geospatial, triggers, stored procedures, ttl / expiry.

When should I choose LadybugDB over Memgraph?

Choose LadybugDB for embedded graph analytics in Python notebooks; local GraphRAG and agent memory; and migrating from archived Kùzu. Choose Memgraph for real-time fraud detection on streaming transactions; network and IT topology monitoring; and GraphRAG and agent memory.

Is LadybugDB or Memgraph more popular?

Memgraph ranks #124 on the WhichDB Score (24.4/100) and LadybugDB ranks #153 (20.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are LadybugDB and Memgraph open source?

Yes. LadybugDB is open source. License: MIT License. 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.