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SirixDB vs TerminusDB

SirixDB: Embeddable bitemporal database that keeps every revision of JSON and XML resources queryable. TerminusDB: Git-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel.

key differences

  • SirixDB is primarily a document database; TerminusDB is graph.
  • Only SirixDB has secondary indexes.
  • Only TerminusDB has joins, compression, role-based access, branching, online schema changes.
  • SirixDB can run embedded in your application process.

choose sirixdb for

  • +Audit trails that must reconstruct any past state
  • +Versioned JSON or XML document storage
  • +Time-travel analytics over changing data
  • +Research and teaching on versioned storage engines

best at · Event sourcing, Content, Embedded

choose terminusdb for

  • +Collaborative curation of reference or master data
  • +Auditable knowledge graphs with review workflows
  • +Versioned configuration and product data
  • +Data products that need reproducible snapshots

best at · Knowledge graph, Content, Metadata

SirixDBEmbeddable bitemporal database that keeps every revision of JSON and XML resources queryable.
TerminusDBGit-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel.
overview
Primary model
Document
Graph
Also supports
XML
Document, RDF / Triple Store
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
SirixDB open-source project (University of Konstanz origins)
Gettier (DFRNT AB) and TerminusDB community
First release
2012
2019
Latest version
1.0.0-beta7 (Jul 15, 2026)
12.0.8 (Oct 12, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)BSD 3-Clause License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
6.0
21.0
Rank
#370
#146
GitHub stars
1.2K
3.5K
Stack Overflow questions
–
2
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Client server, Single node
Single node, 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
JSONiq, XQuery
WOQL (Datalog), GraphQL
Client languages
Java, Kotlin
Python, JavaScript, Rust, Elixir
Best for
Event sourcing, Content, Embedded
Knowledge graph, Content, Metadata
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

SirixDB vs TerminusDB: FAQ

What is the difference between SirixDB and TerminusDB?

SirixDB: Embeddable bitemporal database that keeps every revision of JSON and XML resources queryable. TerminusDB: Git-for-data document and knowledge-graph database with branches, diffs and time travel. SirixDB is primarily a document database; TerminusDB is graph. Only SirixDB has secondary indexes. Only TerminusDB has joins, compression, role-based access, branching, online schema changes.

When should I choose SirixDB over TerminusDB?

Choose SirixDB for audit trails that must reconstruct any past state, versioned JSON or XML document storage and time-travel analytics over changing data. Choose TerminusDB for collaborative curation of reference or master data; auditable knowledge graphs with review workflows; and versioned configuration and product data.

Is SirixDB or TerminusDB more popular?

TerminusDB ranks #146 on the WhichDB Score (21.0/100) and SirixDB ranks #370 (6.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are SirixDB and TerminusDB open source?

Yes. SirixDB is open source. License: BSD 3-Clause License. Yes. TerminusDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.