Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

JanusGraph VS Datomic

Compare JanusGraph VS Datomic and see what are their differences

JanusGraph logo JanusGraph

JanusGraph is a scalable graph database optimized for storing and querying graphs.

Datomic logo Datomic

The fully transactional, cloud-ready, distributed database
  • JanusGraph Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-29
  • Datomic Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14

JanusGraph features and specs

  • Scalability
    JanusGraph is designed to support large-scale graph data processing, allowing it to handle huge graphs distributed across multiple machines effectively.
  • Compatibility
    It is compatible with various storage backends (like HBase, Apache Cassandra, and Google Bigtable) and indexing backends (such as Elasticsearch and Solr), providing flexibility in integration.
  • APIs and Queries
    JanusGraph supports the TinkerPop stack, enabling developers to use powerful graph traversal language Gremlin for query operations.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, JanusGraph benefits from community contributions and offers transparency and extensibility to users.
  • Transaction Support
    It provides ACID transactions, ensuring reliability and consistency in graph operations.

Possible disadvantages of JanusGraph

  • Complexity
    The configuration and optimization of JanusGraph can be complex due to its support for multiple backends and the various configurations required for different setups.
  • Performance Variability
    Performance can vary significantly depending on the chosen backend datastore and its configuration, requiring careful consideration and tuning.
  • Operational Overhead
    Managing the infrastructure, especially when using distributed storage solutions, can introduce significant operational overhead.
  • Community and Support
    While it is open source, the community is not as vast or active as some other database technologies, which may limit available support and resources.
  • Resource Intensity
    Running JanusGraph with large datasets and multiple distributed nodes can require substantial resources, both in terms of hardware and maintenance.

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.

JanusGraph videos

Ted Wilmes on the state of JanusGraph 2018

More videos:

  • Review - Incorporating JanusGraph into your Scylla Ecosystem

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to JanusGraph and Datomic)
NoSQL Databases
63 63%
37% 37
Databases
40 40%
60% 60
Relational Databases
0 0%
100% 100
Graph Databases
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using JanusGraph and Datomic. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, JanusGraph seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 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.

JanusGraph mentions (2)

  • Graph Databases vs Relational Databases: What and why?
    First, you need to choose a specific graph database platform to work with, such as Neo4j, OrientDB, JanusGraph, Arangodb or Amazon Neptune. Once you have selected a platform, you can then start working with graph data using the platform's query language. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • QOMPLX: Using Scylla with JanusGraph for Cybersecurity
    QOMPLX partnered with the graph database experts at Expero to implement their system with JanusGraph, which uses Scylla as an underlying fast and scalable storage layer. We had the privilege to learn from their use case at Scylla Summit this January, which we share with you today. Source: about 4 years ago

Datomic mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

neo4j - Meet Neo4j: The graph database platform powering today's mission-critical enterprise applications, including artificial intelligence, fraud detection and recommendations.

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

Apache TinkerPop - Apache TinkerPop is a graph computing framework for both graph databases (OLTP) and graph analytic systems (OLAP).

Datahike - A durable datalog database adaptable for distribution.

Azure Cosmos DB - NoSQL JSON database for rapid, iterative app development.

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