vs

RocksDB vs SlateDB

RocksDB: Meta's embeddable LSM-tree key-value engine, the storage layer under dozens of databases. SlateDB: Embedded LSM storage engine that writes straight to object storage like S3.

key differences

  • SlateDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than RocksDB (≤ 10 TB).
  • Only SlateDB has time travel.

choose rocksdb for

  • +Storage engine for a custom database or service
  • +Stream-processing state stores (Kafka Streams, Flink)
  • +MySQL storage engine via MyRocks
  • +Write-heavy local indexes and caches on SSD

best at · Embedded, OLTP, Streaming

choose slatedb for

  • +State backends for stream processors and serverless compute
  • +Metadata stores for object-storage-native systems
  • +Durable logs and queues on S3
  • +Embedding a KV engine in diskless containers

best at · Embedded, Streaming, Metadata

overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
–
–
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Meta
SlateDB contributors (Commonhaus Foundation)
First release
2013
2024
Latest version
11.12 (Oct 26, 2026)
0.17.0 (Sep 29, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0 or GPL-2.0 (dual)
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
48.2
19.7
Rank
#30
#163
GitHub stars
32.2K
3.6K
Stack Overflow questions
504
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Embedded
Embedded, Shared storage
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
C++ API
Rust API
Client languages
C++, C, Java
Rust, Go, Java, JavaScript, Python
Best for
Embedded, OLTP, Streaming, Metadata
Embedded, Streaming, Metadata

RocksDB vs SlateDB: FAQ

What is the difference between RocksDB and SlateDB?

RocksDB: Meta's embeddable LSM-tree key-value engine, the storage layer under dozens of databases. SlateDB: Embedded LSM storage engine that writes straight to object storage like S3. SlateDB is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than RocksDB (≤ 10 TB). Only SlateDB has time travel.

When should I choose RocksDB over SlateDB?

Choose RocksDB for storage engine for a custom database or service; stream-processing state stores (Kafka Streams, Flink); and MySQL storage engine via MyRocks. Choose SlateDB for state backends for stream processors and serverless compute; metadata stores for object-storage-native systems; and durable logs and queues on S3.

Is RocksDB or SlateDB more popular?

RocksDB ranks #30 on the WhichDB Score (48.2/100) and SlateDB ranks #163 (19.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are RocksDB and SlateDB open source?

Yes. RocksDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0 or GPL-2.0 (dual). Yes. SlateDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.