# KairosDB vs TimescaleDB

**Leader by Vioscale score:** TimescaleDB

| Attribute | KairosDB | TimescaleDB |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 25.3 (56% (medium)) | 55.2 (51% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 32 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 1,762 | 23,420 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | 9 | - |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Open-source time series database that leverages Cassandra for storage, providing REST and Graphite protocol support for data ingestion and retrieval, with built-in aggregation functions and extensible architecture via plugins. | TimescaleDB is a PostgreSQL extension designed to handle machine data and time-series workloads at scale, enabling operational databases for IoT platforms and physical-world monitoring. |
| features.capabilities | `{"clustering":"distributed","data_model":"metrics","deployment":"self_hosted","downsampling":"continuous_aggregates","ingest_model":"push","licence_class":"source_available","retention_ttl":"manual","query_language":"REST API, Graphite protocol","replication_ha":true,"high_cardinality":"strong","sql_compatibility":"non_sql"}` | `{"clustering":"distributed","data_model":"metrics","deployment":"embedded","ingest_model":"both","licence_class":"permissive_oss","query_language":"SQL","sql_compatibility":"full_sql"}` |
| integrations.count | 3 | 7 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Cassandra"},{"name":"Graphite"},{"name":"Telnet"}]` | `[{"name":"Kafka"},{"name":"S3"},{"name":"Iceberg"},{"name":"AWS"},{"name":"Azure"},{"name":"Observability tools"},{"name":"Postgres ecosystem"}]` |
| language.primary | Java | C |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://kairosdb.github.io/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T23:03:34.808Z"}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Cloud Basic Support","features":["Email support","General questions","Best practices guidance"],"description":"Support included with all Tiger Cloud trials and subscriptions; email support during business hours (Mon-Fri, 9AM-5PM ET) with 1 business day target response time.","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Cloud Production Support","features":["24x7 support for Severity 1-2","1h response for critical issues","Support portal access","On-call assistance"],"description":"24x7 coverage for severe incidents with 1 hour target response for critical database down issues; 4 hour response for high-severity; 1 business day for moderate.","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Open source core; Cloud managed and Enterprise self-hosted options available; contact sales for pricing details","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.tigerdata.com/learn/understanding-rds-pricing-and-costs","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T16:49:36.728Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | - | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | low |
| pricing.transparent | - | no |
| release.cadence_days | 92 | 13 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.3.0","date":"2021-08-09T04:31:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.2.2","date":"2018-11-10T04:04:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.3.0-beta1","date":"2018-04-14T04:43:02Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.3.0-beta1"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.2.1","date":"2018-03-31T19:07:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.2.0","date":"2018-02-01T14:54:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.1.3","date":"2017-01-04T00:24:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.1.2","date":"2016-09-08T04:29:39Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.1.1","date":"2015-12-08T03:09:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.1.0","date":"2015-11-05T23:22:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v1.0.0","date":"2015-06-05T05:08:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v0.9.5beta2","date":"2015-04-03T13:25:15Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.9.5beta2"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v0.9.5beta1","date":"2015-01-26T20:29:20Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.9.5beta1"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v0.9.4","date":"2014-07-07T21:30:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.9.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v0.9.3","date":"2014-06-18T16:10:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.9.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/kairosdb/kairosdb/releases/tag/v0.9.2","date":"2014-06-18T16:51:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.9.2"}]` | `[{"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"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.25.0","date":"2026-01-29T09:02:59Z","type":"stable","version":"2.25.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.24.0","date":"2025-12-03T09:01:11Z","type":"stable","version":"2.24.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/2.23.1","date":"2025-11-13T16:59:40Z","type":"stable","version":"2.23.1"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.hipaa | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 3.4 | 5.8 |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=maven&package_name=org.kairosdb%3Akairosdb&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"MODERATE"}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=debian&package_name=timescaledb&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Time-Series Databases)

| Capability | KairosDB | TimescaleDB |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Query** |  |  |
| Query language (SQL / PromQL / InfluxQL-Flux / Graphite) | REST API, Graphite protocol | SQL |
| SQL compatibility | Non-SQL | Full SQL |
| **Ingest** |  |  |
| Ingest model | Push | Both |
| **Model** |  |  |
| Data model | Metrics (labels/tags) | Metrics (labels/tags) |
| **Lifecycle** |  |  |
| Downsampling / rollups | Continuous aggregates | - |
| Retention / TTL | Manual | - |
| **Storage** |  |  |
| Compression (columnar / delta / Gorilla) | - | - |
| **Performance** |  |  |
| High-cardinality handling | Strong | - |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Clustering / horizontal scale | Distributed / sharded | Distributed / sharded |
| Replication / HA | ✓ | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Embedded |
| **Interop** |  |  |
| Prometheus remote-write compatible | - | - |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Licence class | Source-available | Permissive OSS |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T17:32:50.452Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*