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Neo4j vs TigerGraph

Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud. TigerGraph: Distributed MPP graph database built for deep-link analytics on very large graphs.

key differences

  • Licensing: Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)); TigerGraph is proprietary (Proprietary (free Community Edition)).
  • TigerGraph is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Neo4j (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is addon in Neo4j and native in TigerGraph.
  • Only Neo4j has full-text search, geospatial, change data capture, online schema changes.
  • Only TigerGraph has compression.

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

choose tigergraph for

  • +Real-time fraud and AML detection
  • +Supply chain and network analysis
  • +Customer 360 and entity resolution
  • +Recommendation engines over large catalogs

best at · Graph analytics, Traversal, Real-time analytics

Neo4jThe default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.
TigerGraphDistributed MPP graph database built for deep-link analytics on very large graphs.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Graph
Also supports
Vector
Vector
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Neo4j, Inc.
TigerGraph, Inc.
First release
2007
2017
Latest version
2026.10.1 (Oct 2026)
4.2.5 (Sep 2, 2026)
License
Open source (copyleft)GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)
ProprietaryProprietary (free Community Edition)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
61.2
16.6
Rank
#15
#198
GitHub stars
17.4K
–
Stack Overflow questions
23K
38
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Addon
Native
Multi-region
Read replicas
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong, Causal
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Single node, Primary replica, Client server
Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
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
Cypher, GQL
GSQL, openCypher, GQL
Client languages
Java, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Rust (community)
Python (pyTigerGraph), Java, JavaScript, Go
Best for
Traversal, Graph analytics, Knowledge graph, RAG
Graph analytics, Traversal, Real-time analytics, Knowledge graph
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Neo4j vs TigerGraph: FAQ

What is the difference between Neo4j and TigerGraph?

Neo4j: The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud. TigerGraph: Distributed MPP graph database built for deep-link analytics on very large graphs. Licensing: Neo4j is open source (copyleft) (GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise)); TigerGraph is proprietary (Proprietary (free Community Edition)). TigerGraph is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Neo4j (≤ 10 TB). Horizontal scaling is addon in Neo4j and native in TigerGraph.

When should I choose Neo4j over TigerGraph?

Choose Neo4j for fraud rings and entity resolution; real-time recommendations; and knowledge graphs for GraphRAG. Choose TigerGraph for real-time fraud and AML detection; supply chain and network analysis; and customer 360 and entity resolution.

Is Neo4j or TigerGraph more popular?

Neo4j ranks #15 on the WhichDB Score (61.2/100) and TigerGraph ranks #198 (16.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Neo4j and TigerGraph open source?

Yes. Neo4j is open source. License: GPL-3.0 (Community) / commercial (Enterprise). No. TigerGraph is proprietary, closed-source software.