What is KairosDB?
KairosDB is an open source time series database built on Cassandra. It supports multiple ingest protocols including REST, Telnet, and Graphite, with query capabilities via REST API and a Web UI.
What KairosDB does
The capabilities that matter for time-series databases, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Query language (SQL / PromQL / InfluxQL-Flux / Graphite)
- REST API, Telnet, Graphite
- SQL compatibility
- Non-SQL
- Ingest model
- Push
- Data model
- Metrics (labels/tags)
- Downsampling / rollups
- Continuous aggregates
- Retention / TTL
- Manual
- Compression (columnar / delta / Gorilla)
- -
- High-cardinality handling
- -
- Clustering / horizontal scale
- Distributed / sharded
- Replication / HA
- ✓
- Deployment
- Self-hosted
- Prometheus remote-write compatible
- -
- Licence class
- Permissive OSS
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- CLI
- Web
- Self-hosted
KairosDB alternatives
Other time-series databases we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- PrometheusMonitor your applications, systems, and services with the leading open source monitoring solution.low · 32%
- TDengineFree forever for up to 5,000 tags, with annual and perpetual licenses for larger deploymentslow · 41%
- GreptimeDBThe Single Database for Observabilitylow · 30%
- PrometheusMonitor your applications, systems, and services with the leading open source monitoring solution.low · 36%
- TimescaleDBTime-Series PostgreSQL at Petabyte Scalelow · 46%
- ClickHouseThe leading database for AIlow · 24%
The Vioscale score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for KairosDB, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | 29 | 17.00 | 491.4 | ✓ |
| Github Stars | 61 | 7.00 | 428.7 | ✓ |
| Package Downloads | 6 | 6.00 | 37.2 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 0 | 8.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Github Activity | 0 | 20.00 | 0.0 | ✓ |
| Release Cadence | 0 | 12.00 | 0.0 | ✓ |
| Security Posture | 0 | 18.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Stackoverflow Activity | 0 | 20.00 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 0 | mediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 65% |
Adoption
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | {"clustering":"distributed","data_model":"metrics","deployment":"self_hosted","downsampling":"continuous_aggregates","ingest_model":"push","licence_class":"permissive_oss","retention_ttl":"manual","query_language":"REST API, Telnet, Graphite","replication_ha":true,"sql_compatibility":"non_sql"} | mediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Java | highsource · 2026-08-03 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | Apache-2.0 | mediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 67% |
Release
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cadence days | 209 | mediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 70% |
Reliability
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Status page | Yes | mediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 60% |