Software Alternatives & Startups

Datomic VS EdgeDB

Compare Datomic VS EdgeDB and see what are their differences

Datomic

The fully transactional, cloud-ready, distributed database

Rating
0 reviews
EdgeDB

EdgeDB is a next-generation graph-relational database that lets you easily build flexible, scalable applications in real-time.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, EdgeDB seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 4 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 4
Databases popularity
57% vs 43%
alternatives listed
67 vs 63

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Datomic
EdgeDB
Website datomic.com edgedb.com
Pricing
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Datomic 6 features
EdgeDB 5 features
  • 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

  • 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.
  • 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

  • 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.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Datomic 3 videos + Add
EdgeDB 3 videos + Add

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

More videos

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

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

More videos

  • - EdgeDB 2.0 Launch
  • - The architecture of EdgeDB — Fantix King | EdgeDB Day

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Datomic
EdgeDB
57% 57%
43% 43%
56% 56%
44% 44%
56% 56%
44% 44%
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?

Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Datomic 0 mentions
EdgeDB 4 mentions

Tracking Datomic since Mar 2021.

  • 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 / about 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 / about 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... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago

View more

Alternatives to Datomic and EdgeDB

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