HelixDB
activeby HelixDB · since 2025 · also known as Helix DB
Rust graph-vector database on object storage, queried through typed SDKs for AI apps.
Overview
HelixDB is a young open-source database in Rust that keeps entities and relationships in one property graph with native vector and BM25 full-text search, aimed at RAG and agent memory. Version 3 moved storage onto S3-compatible object storage (with in-memory and on-disk modes) and archived its earlier HelixQL language in favor of typed query builders in Rust, TypeScript, Python and Go, or JSON sent to an HTTP endpoint. Helix Cloud offers a managed tier from a few dollars a month. It is promising for AI-centric apps that want graph plus vector in one place, but the API has changed quickly and it lacks a standard query language.
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
- +Graph, vector and BM25 search in one store with no sync pipeline
- +Object-storage backend keeps storage cheap and elastic
- +Typed SDK query builders catch query errors at compile time
- +MCP endpoint for direct use by AI agents
Trade-offs
- −Very young; HelixQL was archived after about a year, signaling API churn
- −No standard query language (no Cypher, GQL or Gremlin)
- −Enterprise features such as SSO and audit logs are still on the roadmap
Great for
- +RAG with graph context
- +Agent memory stores
- +Semantic search over linked entities
- +AI app prototypes
Think twice for
- −Teams needing Cypher/GQL compatibility
- −Regulated enterprise deployments today
- −Large graph analytics
Capabilities
Native or official first-party support · 6 of 25 tracked
Scale & consistency
- Comfortable data size
- Medium · ≤ 10 TB
- Horizontal scaling
- None
- Multi-region
- No
- Transactions
- Full ACID
- Consistency
- Strong
- Schema
- Strict
- Architecture
- Client server, Shared storage, In memory
- Query languages
- SDK query builders, JSON query API
Object-storage backend decouples data size from node disks; clustering is a managed-cloud feature.
Deployment
available on · AWS
Ecosystem
Alternatives to HelixDB
Low-latency graph database using sparse matrices, the maintained successor to RedisGraph.
helixdb vs falkordb →The default property-graph database, with Cypher, a big ecosystem and a managed cloud.
helixdb vs neo4j →Rust multi-model database (documents, graph, vectors, live queries) that runs embedded, in WASM or clustered.
helixdb vs surrealdb →In-memory, Cypher-compatible graph database in C++ for streaming and real-time graph workloads.
helixdb vs memgraph →Community-maintained continuation of Kùzu: embedded columnar graph database with Cypher.
helixdb vs ladybugdb →Open-source AI-native vector database with hybrid search, modules for embeddings and multi-tenancy.
helixdb vs weaviate →HelixDB FAQ
What is HelixDB?
HelixDB is a graph database by HelixDB, first released in 2025. HelixDB is a young open-source database in Rust that keeps entities and relationships in one property graph with native vector and BM25 full-text search, aimed at RAG and agent memory. Version 3 moved storage onto S3-compatible object storage (with in-memory and on-disk modes) and archived its earlier HelixQL language in favor of typed query builders in Rust, TypeScript, Python and Go, or JSON sent to an HTTP endpoint. Helix Cloud offers a managed tier from a few dollars a month. It is promising for AI-centric apps that want graph plus vector in one place, but the API has changed quickly and it lacks a standard query language.
Is HelixDB open source?
Yes. HelixDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.
Does HelixDB support ACID transactions?
Yes. HelixDB supports full ACID transactions, with strong consistency.
Does HelixDB scale horizontally?
HelixDB does not scale horizontally; it runs on a single node, so you scale it up rather than out. It is comfortable at medium scale (≤ 10 TB).
How can I run HelixDB?
You can self-host it and use the vendor's managed cloud. Managed offerings include Helix Cloud. It is available on AWS.
What is HelixDB best for?
HelixDB is a strong fit for RAG with graph context, agent memory stores and semantic search over linked entities. Think twice for teams needing Cypher/GQL compatibility.
What are the best alternatives to HelixDB?
Common alternatives to HelixDB include FalkorDB, Neo4j, SurrealDB, Memgraph and LadybugDB. The right choice depends on your workload, scale and hosting; WhichDB's smart match ranks them against your requirements.
How popular is HelixDB?
HelixDB ranks #256 of 844 databases on the WhichDB Score (13.2/100), and #21 among graph databases. The score combines public adoption signals such as package downloads, GitHub activity, job posts and developer discussion.