# QuestDB vs TimescaleDB

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** TimescaleDB

| Attribute | QuestDB | TimescaleDB |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 49.9 (70% (medium)) | 56.8 (62% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 38 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 106 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 17,444 | 23,634 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"QuestDB is an open-source time-series database engineered for low latency, delivering ultra-low latency ingestion, high throughput, and multi-tier storage for demanding time-series workloads. It is indexed under Time-Series Databases.","source":"https://questdb.io","question":"What is QuestDB?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"QuestDB offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://questdb.com/glossary/black-scholes-model-for-option-pricing/","question":"Is QuestDB free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"QuestDB supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://questdb.com/glossary/black-scholes-model-for-option-pricing/","question":"What platforms does QuestDB support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. QuestDB can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://questdb.com/glossary/black-scholes-model-for-option-pricing/","question":"Can QuestDB be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 10 integrations for QuestDB, including PostgreSQL, Parquet, Arrow, Polars, Pandas, Debezium, Iceberg and MySQL, plus 2 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://questdb.com/glossary/black-scholes-model-for-option-pricing/","question":"What does QuestDB integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for QuestDB. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as QuestDB not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://questdb.io","question":"What security certifications does QuestDB have?","confidence":0.48},{"answer":"Yes. QuestDB is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb","question":"Is QuestDB open source?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"QuestDB is available worldwide. Its primary markets are the United Kingdom and the United States. The vendor is headquartered in the United Kingdom.","source":"https://questdb.com/glossary/black-scholes-model-for-option-pricing/","question":"Where is QuestDB available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"answer":"Built on PostgreSQL, this time-series database is optimized for ingesting high-volume sensor and operational data quickly, storing years of historical data cost-effectively, and querying both current and historical data together using standard SQL. It is indexed under Time-Series Databases.","source":"https://www.tigerdata.com/learn/understanding-rds-pricing-and-costs","question":"What is TimescaleDB?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"TimescaleDB does not publish its prices. Pricing is quoted on request, across 2 plans (Cloud Basic Support and Cloud Production Support), so the figure depends on your seat count and requirements. We record this as a pricing-transparency signal rather than guessing a number. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.tigerdata.com/learn/understanding-rds-pricing-and-costs","question":"How much does TimescaleDB cost?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"TimescaleDB supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.tigerdata.com/learn/understanding-rds-pricing-and-costs","question":"What platforms does TimescaleDB support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for TimescaleDB, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.tigerdata.com/learn/understanding-rds-pricing-and-costs","question":"Can TimescaleDB be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 9 integrations for TimescaleDB, including Kafka, S3, Iceberg, AWS, Azure, Observability tools, Postgres ecosystem and Tableau, plus 1 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.tigerdata.com/learn/understanding-rds-pricing-and-costs","question":"What does TimescaleDB integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR for TimescaleDB. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as TimescaleDB not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.tigerdata.com/security","question":"What security certifications does TimescaleDB have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"TimescaleDB is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://www.tigerdata.com/learn/understanding-rds-pricing-and-costs","question":"Where is TimescaleDB available?","confidence":0.5}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A specialized database engineered to ingest high-volume time-series data at speed, execute queries with minimal latency, and maintain queryable history across tiered storage layers—combining standard SQL with open file formats for portability. | A PostgreSQL-based time-series database optimized to efficiently ingest and store massive volumes of continuously-generated sensor and machine data, with automatic data partitioning, columnar storage compression, and tiered storage for cost-effective long-term retention. |
| features.capabilities | `{"clustering":"distributed","data_model":"events","deployment":"self_hosted","compression":"columnar with frame compression","downsampling":"continuous_aggregates","ingest_model":"push","licence_class":"permissive_oss","retention_ttl":"automatic","query_language":"SQL with time-series extensions (SAMPLE BY, ASOF, HORIZON JOIN, N-dimensional ar","replication_ha":true,"high_cardinality":"strong","sql_compatibility":"full_sql"}` | `{"clustering":"distributed","data_model":"metrics","deployment":"embedded","compression":"Row-columnar with compression","downsampling":"continuous_aggregates","ingest_model":"both","licence_class":"permissive_oss","retention_ttl":"automatic","query_language":"SQL","replication_ha":true,"high_cardinality":"strong","sql_compatibility":"full_sql"}` |
| integrations.count | 7 | 3 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"PostgreSQL"},{"name":"Parquet"},{"name":"Arrow"},{"name":"Polars"},{"name":"Pandas"},{"name":"Debezium"},{"name":"Iceberg"},{"name":"MySQL"},{"name":"MongoDB"},{"name":"Cassandra"},{"name":"Kafka","native":true,"direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Apache Parquet","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Apache Arrow","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Claude Code","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"REST API","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Apache Iceberg","native":true},{"name":"Databricks","category":"data_platform"},{"name":"AWS","category":"cloud"},{"name":"Azure","category":"cloud"}]` | `[{"name":"Kafka"},{"name":"S3"},{"name":"Iceberg"},{"name":"AWS"},{"name":"Azure"},{"name":"Observability tools"},{"name":"Postgres ecosystem"},{"name":"Tableau","native":false,"category":"analytics"},{"name":"Power BI","native":false,"category":"analytics"}]` |
| language.primary | Java | C |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"GB","primaryMarkets":["GB","US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","summary":"Open-source Apache 2.0 free tier; QuestDB Cloud and Enterprise plans available via contact/quote","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://questdb.com/glossary/black-scholes-model-for-option-pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T16:37:07.614Z"}` | `{"type":"usage","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Performance","summary":"$30/month minimum compute; $0.177/GB-month storage","features":["4 database services","Up to 16 TB disk storage per service","Single-node high-availability replicas","Performance Insights","Basic support (business hours)"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":30,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"gb"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.177,"currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Scale","summary":"$36/month minimum compute; $0.212/GB-month storage","features":["Unlimited tiered storage","Multi-node high-availability replicas","Integrations with observability tools","SAML single-sign-on","HIPAA compliance"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":36,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"gb"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.212,"currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false}],"summary":"From $30/month minimum compute. Storage from $0.177–$0.212/GB-month. 30-day free trial.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.tigerdata.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-02T16:22:02.553Z","freeTrialDays":30,"startingPrice":{"amount":30,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | low | mid |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":30,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | no | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 16 | 12 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/10.0.1","date":"2026-08-24T13:55:02Z","type":"stable","version":"10.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/10.0.0","date":"2026-08-06T15:36:51Z","type":"stable","version":"10.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.4.3","date":"2026-06-15T17:01:58Z","type":"stable","version":"9.4.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.4.2","date":"2026-06-09T13:30:03Z","type":"stable","version":"9.4.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.4.1","date":"2026-06-03T08:03:25Z","type":"stable","version":"9.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.4.0","date":"2026-05-18T12:56:56Z","type":"stable","version":"9.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.3.5","date":"2026-04-13T17:21:09Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.3.4","date":"2026-03-26T16:16:42Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.3.3","date":"2026-02-25T14:23:44Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.3.2","date":"2026-01-28T15:23:29Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.3.1","date":"2026-01-14T16:41:31Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.3.0","date":"2026-01-09T13:08:40Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.2.3","date":"2025-12-18T12:13:27Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.2.2","date":"2025-12-01T12:48:30Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.2.1","date":"2025-11-25T14:38:23Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.2.0","date":"2025-11-13T16:13:27Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.1.1","date":"2025-11-03T15:25:09Z","type":"stable","version":"9.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.1.0","date":"2025-10-03T13:54:02Z","type":"stable","version":"9.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.0.3","date":"2025-08-29T18:32:12Z","type":"stable","version":"9.0.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/questdb/questdb/releases/tag/9.0.2","date":"2025-08-15T16:34:55Z","type":"stable","version":"9.0.2"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.30.2","date":"2026-09-29T15:20:31Z","type":"stable","version":"2.30.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.30.1","date":"2026-09-17T09:21:45Z","type":"stable","version":"2.30.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.30.0","date":"2026-09-08T10:54:46Z","type":"stable","version":"2.30.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.29.2","date":"2026-08-18T08:48:11Z","type":"stable","version":"2.29.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.29.1","date":"2026-08-04T08:54:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2.29.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.29.0","date":"2026-07-28T11:49:24Z","type":"stable","version":"2.29.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.28.3","date":"2026-07-16T12:54:32Z","type":"stable","version":"2.28.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.28.2","date":"2026-06-30T11:35:40Z","type":"stable","version":"2.28.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.28.1","date":"2026-06-23T08:29:24Z","type":"stable","version":"2.28.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.28.0","date":"2026-06-16T10:20:10Z","type":"stable","version":"2.28.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.27.2","date":"2026-06-02T10:28:34Z","type":"stable","version":"2.27.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.27.1","date":"2026-05-19T10:37:36Z","type":"stable","version":"2.27.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.27.0","date":"2026-05-12T08:35:57Z","type":"stable","version":"2.27.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.26.4","date":"2026-04-28T20:37:35Z","type":"stable","version":"2.26.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.26.3","date":"2026-04-14T09:24:02Z","type":"stable","version":"2.26.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.26.2","date":"2026-04-08T10:37:56Z","type":"stable","version":"2.26.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.26.1","date":"2026-03-30T08:23:08Z","type":"stable","version":"2.26.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.26.0","date":"2026-03-24T12:44:25Z","type":"stable","version":"2.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.25.2","date":"2026-03-03T09:28:51Z","type":"stable","version":"2.25.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.25.1","date":"2026-02-17T11:43:20Z","type":"stable","version":"2.25.1"}]` |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.9 | - |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","level":"Type II","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.hipaa | - | yes |
| security.pci | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.trust_center | - | https://www.tigerdata.com/security |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=maven&package_name=org.questdb%3Aquestdb&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=alpine&package_name=postgresql-timescaledb&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Time-Series Databases)

| Capability | QuestDB | TimescaleDB |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Query** |  |  |
| Query language (SQL / PromQL / InfluxQL-Flux / Graphite) | SQL with time-series extensions (SAMPLE BY, ASOF, HORIZON JOIN, N-dimensional ar | SQL |
| SQL compatibility | Full SQL | Full SQL |
| **Ingest** |  |  |
| Ingest model | Push | Both |
| **Model** |  |  |
| Data model | Wide events | Metrics (labels/tags) |
| **Lifecycle** |  |  |
| Downsampling / rollups | Continuous aggregates | Continuous aggregates |
| Retention / TTL | Automatic | Automatic |
| **Storage** |  |  |
| Compression (columnar / delta / Gorilla) | columnar with frame compression | Row-columnar with compression |
| **Performance** |  |  |
| High-cardinality handling | Strong | Strong |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Clustering / horizontal scale | Distributed / sharded | Distributed / sharded |
| Replication / HA | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Embedded |
| **Interop** |  |  |
| Prometheus remote-write compatible | - | - |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Licence class | Permissive OSS | Permissive OSS |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:08:16.412Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*