whichdb
vs

Lealone vs TiDB

Lealone: Chinese Java OLTP database derived from H2, now repositioned as an AI agent platform built on its SQL engine. TiDB: MySQL-compatible distributed SQL with a row store for OLTP and a columnar replica for real-time analytics.

key differences

  • Licensing: Lealone is source-available (Server Side Public License v1 (H2-derived files under the H2 license)); TiDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0).
  • TiDB is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Lealone (≤ 10 TB).
  • Only Lealone has full-text search, in-memory.
  • Only TiDB has vector search, json, change data capture, ttl / expiry, columnar storage.
  • TiDB has a serverless option; Lealone does not.
  • Lealone can run embedded in your application process.

choose lealone for

  • +Embedded or standalone OLTP in Java applications
  • +Experimenting with SQL-defined services and LLM-generated apps
  • +Learning a modern rework of the H2 codebase

best at · OLTP, Embedded

choose tidb for

  • +Replacing hand-sharded MySQL
  • +HTAP dashboards on live transactional data
  • +SaaS platforms with very large tenant counts
  • +Payment and order systems at internet scale

best at · OLTP, HTAP, Real-time analytics

LealoneChinese Java OLTP database derived from H2, now repositioned as an AI agent platform built on its SQL engine.
TiDBMySQL-compatible distributed SQL with a row store for OLTP and a columnar replica for real-time analytics.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
Document
Document, Columnar / OLAP, Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Lealone Database Group (zhh)
PingCAP
First release
2013
2017
Latest version
6.0.1 (Aug 18, 2024)
8.5.8 (Aug 27, 2026)
License
Source-availableServer Side Public License v1 (H2-derived files under the H2 license)
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
2.8
35.9
Rank
#458
#56
GitHub stars
2.6K
40.7K
Stack Overflow questions
–
102
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Massive (Multi-PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Client server, Distributed
Distributed, Client server, Serverless
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
✓
Serverless
—
✓
Embedded
✓
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Alibaba 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
SQL
Client languages
Java
Java, Go, Python, JavaScript, C#, Ruby, PHP, Rust
Best for
OLTP, Embedded
OLTP, HTAP, Real-time analytics, Vector search
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Lealone vs TiDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Lealone and TiDB?

Lealone: Chinese Java OLTP database derived from H2, now repositioned as an AI agent platform built on its SQL engine. TiDB: MySQL-compatible distributed SQL with a row store for OLTP and a columnar replica for real-time analytics. Licensing: Lealone is source-available (Server Side Public License v1 (H2-derived files under the H2 license)); TiDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0). TiDB is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Lealone (≤ 10 TB). Only Lealone has full-text search, in-memory.

When should I choose Lealone over TiDB?

Choose Lealone for embedded or standalone OLTP in Java applications; experimenting with SQL-defined services and LLM-generated apps; and learning a modern rework of the H2 codebase. Choose TiDB for replacing hand-sharded MySQL, HTAP dashboards on live transactional data and SaaS platforms with very large tenant counts.

Is Lealone or TiDB more popular?

TiDB ranks #56 on the WhichDB Score (35.9/100) and Lealone ranks #458 (2.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Lealone and TiDB open source?

Not in the OSI sense. Lealone is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: Server Side Public License v1 (H2-derived files under the H2 license). Yes. TiDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.