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M3DB vs VictoriaMetrics

M3DB: Uber-born distributed TSDB and aggregator for Prometheus-scale metrics with tunable replication. VictoriaMetrics: Resource-frugal, Prometheus-compatible metrics database, run as a single binary or a sharded cluster.

key differences

  • M3DB is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than VictoriaMetrics (≤ 1 PB).

choose m3db for

  • +Very large Prometheus remote-write backends
  • +Migrating Graphite at scale to PromQL
  • +Multi-resolution metrics retention

best at · Observability, Time-series

choose victoriametrics for

  • +Long-term storage for Prometheus metrics
  • +Kubernetes monitoring with vmagent and the operator
  • +Consolidating Graphite, Influx and Prometheus metrics in one store
  • +High-rate IoT telemetry

best at · Observability, Time-series, IoT

M3DBUber-born distributed TSDB and aggregator for Prometheus-scale metrics with tunable replication.
VictoriaMetricsResource-frugal, Prometheus-compatible metrics database, run as a single binary or a sharded cluster.
overview
Primary model
Time-Series
Time-Series
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
M3 project (Uber, Chronosphere)
VictoriaMetrics Inc.
First release
2018
2018
Latest version
1.6.0 (Sep 25, 2026)
1.155.0 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
4.2
26.8
Rank
#416
#109
GitHub stars
4.9K
17.9K
Stack Overflow questions
–
143
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Massive (Multi-PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
None
None
Consistency
Tunable
Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Distributed, Client server
Single node, Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS
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
PromQL, Graphite, M3QL
MetricsQL, PromQL
Client languages
Go
–
Best for
Observability, Time-series
Observability, Time-series, IoT
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

M3DB vs VictoriaMetrics: FAQ

What is the difference between M3DB and VictoriaMetrics?

M3DB: Uber-born distributed TSDB and aggregator for Prometheus-scale metrics with tunable replication. VictoriaMetrics: Resource-frugal, Prometheus-compatible metrics database, run as a single binary or a sharded cluster. M3DB is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than VictoriaMetrics (≤ 1 PB).

When should I choose M3DB over VictoriaMetrics?

Choose M3DB for very large Prometheus remote-write backends, migrating Graphite at scale to PromQL and multi-resolution metrics retention. Choose VictoriaMetrics for long-term storage for Prometheus metrics; kubernetes monitoring with vmagent and the operator; and consolidating Graphite, Influx and Prometheus metrics in one store.

Is M3DB or VictoriaMetrics more popular?

VictoriaMetrics ranks #109 on the WhichDB Score (26.8/100) and M3DB ranks #416 (4.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are M3DB and VictoriaMetrics open source?

Yes. M3DB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. VictoriaMetrics is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.