Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Datomic VS EdgeDB

Compare Datomic VS EdgeDB and see what are their differences

Datomic logo Datomic

The fully transactional, cloud-ready, distributed database

EdgeDB logo EdgeDB

EdgeDB is a next-generation graph-relational database that lets you easily build flexible, scalable applications in real-time.
  • Datomic Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14
  • EdgeDB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-10

Datomic features and specs

  • Immutability
    Datomic employs an append-only data model where data is never overwritten but instead appended, ensuring historical data is always available and providing strong consistency.
  • Time Travel Queries
    Datomic allows you to query the database as of any point in time, facilitating auditing and debugging by allowing easy access to historical data states.
  • Rich Data Model
    Supports complex data types like maps and sets directly within its schema, providing a flexible way to represent data.
  • ACID Transactions
    Datomic supports fully ACID-compliant transactions, ensuring reliable and predictable database operations.
  • Scalability
    Separates storage and compute, allowing for horizontal scaling of read operations, making it suitable for handling large datasets.
  • Query Flexibility
    Offers a powerful query language that supports recursive queries, making it suitable for complex data retrieval needs.

Possible disadvantages of Datomic

  • Complexity
    The architecture of Datomic can be complex to understand and implement, particularly for teams unfamiliar with its design principles.
  • Cost
    Can be expensive to operate, especially in a cloud environment, where costs increase with the amount of data stored and the compute resources required.
  • Limited Write Throughput
    Due to its append-only design, Datomic can have limited write throughput, which may not be suitable for applications with heavy write requirements.
  • Closed Source
    Datomic is a proprietary database system, which may not appeal to organizations that prefer open-source solutions.
  • Learning Curve
    Requires a learning curve as its conceptual model and query language are different from traditional databases, potentially requiring additional training.
  • Dependency on AWS
    Relying on AWS ecosystem for the storage backend can limit choices for deployment environments, impacting flexibility.

EdgeDB features and specs

  • Graph-Relational Model
    EdgeDB combines the features of relational and graph databases, allowing for complex queries and relationships while maintaining data integrity typical in relational databases.
  • Advanced Query Language (EdgeQL)
    EdgeQL offers a more intuitive and expressive query syntax compared to traditional SQL, facilitating easier and more efficient data retrieval.
  • Schema Evolution
    EdgeDB provides robust tools for schema migrations and versioning, making it easier to evolve the database schema without downtime or data loss.
  • Type Safety
    With its strong typing system, EdgeDB reduces runtime errors by ensuring data type consistency across the database operations.
  • Integrated Indexing and Constraints
    EdgeDB supports advanced indexing and constraints, improving query performance and maintaining data integrity natively.

Possible disadvantages of EdgeDB

  • Relative Newness
    Being relatively new in the market, EdgeDB might lack extensive community support and third-party integrations compared to more established databases.
  • Learning Curve
    Technicians accustomed to traditional SQL or other database paradigms might face a learning curve when adapting to EdgeDB's unique features and query language.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    EdgeDB's ecosystem, including tooling, documentation, and community resources, is less mature compared to other well-established database systems.
  • Potential for Rapid Changes
    As a developing technology, EdgeDB may undergo rapid changes and updates, which may lead to instability or additional maintenance overhead.
  • Hosting and Compatibility Concerns
    Deploying EdgeDB might have specific hosting requirements, and compatibility with existing infrastructure could be a concern for some users.

Datomic videos

KotlinConf 2018 - Datomic: The Most Innovative DB You've Never Heard Of by August Lilleaas

More videos:

  • Review - "Real-World Datomic: An Experience Report" by Craig Andera (2013)
  • Review - Rich Hickey on Datomic Ions, September 12, 2018

EdgeDB videos

Checking out EdgeDB - The Developer Database (Better than Prisma ORM?!)

More videos:

  • Review - EdgeDB 2.0 Launch
  • Review - The architecture of EdgeDB โ€”ย Fantix King | EdgeDB Day

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Datomic and EdgeDB)
Databases
56 56%
44% 44
NoSQL Databases
56 56%
44% 44
Network & Admin
56 56%
44% 44
Relational Databases
55 55%
45% 45

User comments

Share your experience with using Datomic and EdgeDB. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, EdgeDB seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Datomic mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Datomic yet. Tracking of Datomic recommendations started around Mar 2021.

EdgeDB mentions (4)

  • Beyond SQL: A relational database for modern applications
    A new DB, with a new query language that's like "SQL done right"? This immediately reminded me of EdgeDB: https://edgedb.com/ Is there anyone here who knows enough about these two products to do a compare/contrast? - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Beyond SQL: A relational database for modern applications
    See also https://edgedb.com/ which is another relational database without sql. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • DuckDB 0.8.0
    >relational no-sql Do you mean something like edgeDB?[0] Or do you mean some non-declarative language completely? I don't see the latter making much sense. The issue with SQL for me is the "natural language" which quickly loses all intended readabilty when you have SELECT col1, col2 FROM (SELECT * FROM ... WHERE 1=0 AND ... Which is what edgeDB is trying to solve. [0]https://edgedb.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • GraphQL Is a Trap?
    You have to do your own optimiser to avoid, for instance, the N+1 query problem. (Just Google that, plenty of explanations around.) Many GraphQL frameworks have a โ€œnaiveโ€ subquery implementation that performs N individual subqueries. You either have to override this for each parent/child pairing, or bolt something on the back to delay all the โ€œSELECT * FROM tbl_subquery WHERE id = ?โ€ operations and convert them... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Datomic and EdgeDB, you can also consider the following products

MySQL - The world's most popular open source database

MarkLogic Server - MarkLogic Server is a multi-model database that has both NoSQL and trusted enterprise data management capabilities.

Valentina Server - Valentina Server is 3 in 1: Valentina DB Server / SQLite Server / Report Server

Google Cloud Datastore - Cloud Datastore is a NoSQL database for your web and mobile applications.

Datahike - A durable datalog database adaptable for distribution.

Matisse - Matisse is a post-relational SQL database.