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HyperSQL (HSQLDB)

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by The hsql Development Group · since 2001 · also known as HSQLDB, HyperSQL

Long-running pure-Java SQL database with strong SQL:2023 coverage, used embedded and in LibreOffice.

relationaldatabase engineopen source (permissive)mature
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Overview

HyperSQL (HSQLDB) is a Java relational database that has been in continuous development since 2001, maintained largely by Fred Toussi and the hsql Development Group. It can run in-memory, file-based embedded or as a server, and it is notable for unusually thorough SQL standard support, including SQL:2023 features, MVCC, and Java routines. It ships as the embedded engine for LibreOffice/OpenOffice Base and is widely used for tests in Java projects. Releases are infrequent (2.7.4 in October 2024) but source activity continues, so treat it as stable and maintained rather than fast-moving.

Embedded / in-processTransactional apps (OLTP)

Strengths & trade-offs

Strengths

  • +Very broad SQL standard coverage, including system-versioned tables
  • +Choice of 2PL, MVCC or mixed concurrency control
  • +Tiny dependency footprint for embedding
  • +Compatibility settings for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle and others
  • +BSD-style license

Trade-offs

  • −Small maintainer team and slow release cadence
  • −Java-only access
  • −Not tuned for large datasets or high write concurrency
  • −Hosted on SourceForge with a minimal community

Great for

  • +Embedded storage in Java applications
  • +Unit tests needing strict SQL semantics
  • +LibreOffice Base documents
  • +Teaching SQL standard features

Think twice for

  • −High-traffic production services
  • −Non-JVM stacks
  • −Analytics on large data

Capabilities

Native or official first-party support · 10 of 25 tracked

✓Transactions
✓Joins
✓Secondary indexes
✓Triggers
✓Stored procedures
✓In-memory
✓Durable persistence
✓Encryption at rest
✓Role-based access
✓Time travel
–Full-text search
–Vector search
–Geospatial
–JSON
–Change data capture
–Materialized views
–TTL / expiry
–Pub/Sub
–Columnar storage
–Compression
–Branching
–Online schema changes
–Streaming ingest
–Offline sync
–Runs in WebAssembly

Scale & consistency

Comfortable data size
Small · ≤ 100 GB
Horizontal scaling
None
Multi-region
No
Transactions
Full ACID
Consistency
Strong
Schema
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, In memory, Client server, Single node
Query languages
SQL

Single JVM or single server; cached tables allow multi-GB data on disk.

Deployment

Self-hosted Vendor-managed cloud Serverless Embedded Edge Kubernetes operator

Ecosystem

apis & protocolsJDBC, HSQL/HTTP protocols
client languagesJava

Alternatives to HyperSQL (HSQLDB)

Compare all→
H2 DatabaseRelational23.5

Fast pure-Java SQL engine for embedded, in-memory and test databases, with compatibility modes.

hsqldb vs h2 →
Apache DerbyRelational9.6

Pure-Java embedded SQL database from the Cloudscape lineage, retired by Apache in 2025.

hsqldb vs apache-derby →
SQLiteRelational75.5

The in-process SQL engine that ships in every phone, browser and OS: one file, zero servers.

hsqldb vs sqlite →
DuckDBColumnar / OLAP63.7

In-process columnar SQL database: the SQLite of analytics, running inside your app or notebook.

hsqldb vs duckdb →
PostgreSQLRelational93.2

The extensible, standards-first open-source relational database.

hsqldb vs postgresql →
Microsoft AccessRelational45.8

Desktop database and forms builder bundled with Microsoft 365; still everywhere in back offices.

hsqldb vs microsoft-access →

HyperSQL (HSQLDB) FAQ

What is HyperSQL (HSQLDB)?

HyperSQL (HSQLDB) is a relational database by The hsql Development Group, first released in 2001. HyperSQL (HSQLDB) is a Java relational database that has been in continuous development since 2001, maintained largely by Fred Toussi and the hsql Development Group. It can run in-memory, file-based embedded or as a server, and it is notable for unusually thorough SQL standard support, including SQL:2023 features, MVCC, and Java routines. It ships as the embedded engine for LibreOffice/OpenOffice Base and is widely used for tests in Java projects. Releases are infrequent (2.7.4 in October 2024) but source activity continues, so treat it as stable and maintained rather than fast-moving.

Is HyperSQL (HSQLDB) open source?

Yes. HyperSQL (HSQLDB) is open source. License: HSQLDB License (BSD-style).

Does HyperSQL (HSQLDB) support ACID transactions?

Yes. HyperSQL (HSQLDB) supports full ACID transactions, with strong consistency.

Does HyperSQL (HSQLDB) scale horizontally?

HyperSQL (HSQLDB) does not scale horizontally; it runs on a single node, so you scale it up rather than out. It is comfortable at small scale (≤ 100 GB).

How can I run HyperSQL (HSQLDB)?

You can self-host it and embed it in your application.

What is HyperSQL (HSQLDB) best for?

HyperSQL (HSQLDB) is a strong fit for embedded storage in Java applications, unit tests needing strict SQL semantics and LibreOffice Base documents. Think twice for high-traffic production services.

What are the best alternatives to HyperSQL (HSQLDB)?

Common alternatives to HyperSQL (HSQLDB) include H2 Database, Apache Derby, SQLite, DuckDB and PostgreSQL. The right choice depends on your workload, scale and hosting; WhichDB's smart match ranks them against your requirements.

How popular is HyperSQL (HSQLDB)?

HyperSQL (HSQLDB) ranks #312 of 844 databases on the WhichDB Score (9.4/100), and #102 among relational databases. The score combines public adoption signals such as package downloads, GitHub activity, job posts and developer discussion.