M3DB
A distributed time-series database platform with metrics aggregation, query capabilities, and compatibility with Prometheus and Graphite.
- Also known as
- m3db
Available worldwide
What is M3DB?
An open-source distributed time-series database system that provides data aggregation and querying for metrics. It includes a Prometheus-compatible sidecar, Graphite query compatibility, and supports Docker-based containerized deployment.
M3DB pricing
We don't have M3DB's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
What M3DB 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)
- PromQL, Graphite
- SQL compatibility
- Non-SQL
- Ingest model
- Push
- Data model
- Metrics (labels/tags)
- Downsampling / rollups
- Retention policies
- Retention / TTL
- Automatic
- Compression (columnar / delta / Gorilla)
- columnar
- High-cardinality handling
- Strong
- Clustering / horizontal scale
- Distributed / sharded
- Replication / HA
- ✓
- Deployment
- Self-hosted
- Prometheus remote-write compatible
- ✓
- Licence class
- Permissive OSS
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- CLI
- macOS
- Linux
- Cloud / SaaS
- Self-hosted
Integrations (4)
Independently observed- Prometheus
- Graphite
- Kubernetes
- Docker
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 0 (0 in the last 12 months) sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
M3DB FAQ
Common questions about M3DB, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is M3DB?
M3 is a metrics platform consisting of a distributed time-series database, query engine, and ingestion system designed to handle massive metric volumes efficiently. It provides Prometheus and Graphite compatibility while optimizing for performance and cost efficiency through purpose-built storage and querying components. It is indexed under Time-Series Databases.
Source: https://m3db.io
Is M3DB free to use?
M3DB is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.
Source: https://m3db.io
What platforms does M3DB support?
M3DB supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.
Source: https://m3db.io
Can M3DB be self-hosted?
Yes. M3DB can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
Source: https://m3db.io
What does M3DB integrate with?
We have confirmed 4 integrations for M3DB, including Prometheus, Graphite, Kubernetes and Docker. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.
Source: https://m3db.io
Is M3DB open source?
Yes. M3DB 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/m3db/m3
M3DB alternatives
Other time-series databases we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- PrometheusOpen-source metrics and time-series monitoring solution for systems and applicationsmedium · 58%
- ClickHouseA high-performance, column-oriented database optimized for real-time analytics at petabyte scalemedium · 61%
- InfluxDBA time-series database engineered for real-time ingestion and analysis of high-velocity operational datamedium · 70%
- TDengineTime-series database for billions of connected sensorsmedium · 68%
- TimescaleDBPostgreSQL-based time-series database system designed to store and query petabyte-scale sensor and machine data efficientlymedium · 63%
- Amazon Timestreammedium · 61%
Compare M3DB
Side by side against other time-series databases, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI 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 M3DB, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release cadence | 94 | 0.08 | 7.6 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 46 | 0.08 | 3.7 | ✓ |
| Stars | 70 | 0.05 | 3.3 | ✓ |
| Security score | 33 | 0.05 | 1.8 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 17 | 0.05 | 0.9 | ✓ |
| Dependent projects | 17 | 0.05 | 0.9 | ✓ |
| Development activity | 0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | ✓ |
| Security posture | 0 | 0.12 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.04 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.14 | 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
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 6 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 66% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Clustering: distributed · Data model: metrics · Deployment: self_hosted · Compression: columnar · Downsampling: retention_policies · Ingest model: push | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 60% |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 3 | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Go | highsource · 2026-08-26 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | Apache-2.0 | highsource · 2026-08-26 · 95% |
Market
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | PrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: … | highsource · 2026-08-14 · 75% |
Pricing
Release
Security
Is M3DB the right choice for you?
Tell us the job, the constraints and what you weigh most, and we will rank M3DB against the rest of the time-series databases we index, using the same dated evidence weighted your way.
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