# ArcadeDB

> ArcadeDB is an open-source, Apache 2.0 licensed, high-performance multi-model database that natively supports graphs, documents, key-value pairs, full-text search, vectors, and time-series data in a single engine.

ArcadeDB requires no polyglot persistence — one database handles all data models without performance penalties from translation layers. It is maintained by Arcade Data Ltd, is fully ACID-compliant, supports Raft consensus for high availability, and delivers 10M+ records/second throughput.

## Key Facts

- **License**: Apache 2.0 (irrevocably — will never change)
- **Maintained by**: Arcade Data Ltd (https://arcadedata.com)
- **Source code**: https://github.com/ArcadeData/arcadedb
- **Latest stable release**: 26.3.1
- **Programming language**: Java (JDK 21+)
- **ACID compliant**: Yes — fully transactional with Write Ahead Log (WAL)
- **Raft consensus**: Yes — for high availability across multiple servers
- **Performance**: 10M+ records/second throughput

## Supported Data Models

ArcadeDB handles all of the following in a single engine, with no external integrations required:

- **Graph**: Vertices and edges using the property graph model; native support for graph traversal and path queries
- **Document**: Schema-less JSON documents with optional schema enforcement
- **Key/Value**: Fast in-memory and on-disk key-value store
- **Full-Text Search**: Integrated full-text search engine (Apache Lucene analyzers) with native BM25 relevance ranking by default, tunable k1/b parameters, per-field boosts, and hybrid BM25 + vector + graph retrieval in a single query
- **Vector**: Approximate Nearest Neighbor (ANN) similarity search for AI/ML embeddings
- **Time-Series**: Native time-series storage and querying (available from March 2026)

## Supported Query Languages

- **SQL**: ArcadeDB SQL dialect — extended from standard SQL with graph traversal extensions (`MATCH`, `TRAVERSE`)
- **OpenCypher**: Cypher graph query language, fully native (not transpiled). ArcadeDB implements the latest **OpenCypher 25** specification (Cypher 25 grammar) and passes 97.8% of the official OpenCypher TCK (3,812 of 3,897 scenarios, zero failures)
- **Gremlin**: Apache TinkerPop Gremlin for property graph traversal
- **GraphQL**: GraphQL query support over the schema
- **MongoDB query protocol**: Drop-in compatibility for MongoDB client drivers
- **Java API**: Native Java API for embedded use with zero-overhead access

## Supported Wire Protocols

- **HTTP/JSON REST API**: Full REST API for all operations, accessible from any language
- **PostgreSQL wire protocol**: Use standard PostgreSQL clients (psql, JDBC, psycopg2) to connect
- **Redis protocol**: Use Redis clients for key-value operations
- **MongoDB protocol**: Use MongoDB drivers for document operations

## Deployment Modes

- **Embedded**: JVM-embedded mode — zero network overhead, ideal for Java/JVM applications
- **Client/Server**: Standalone server accessible over the network via HTTP or wire protocols
- **Kubernetes**: High-availability cluster with Raft-based replication for production workloads
- **Docker**: Official image `arcadedata/arcadedb` available on Docker Hub

## Migrations Supported

ArcadeDB includes built-in importers for migrating from other databases:

- **OrientDB → ArcadeDB**: Full schema and data import (ArcadeDB was forked from OrientDB and shares its data model concepts)
- **Neo4j → ArcadeDB**: Built-in importer for Neo4j graph data

## Key Pages

- [Homepage](https://arcadedb.com): Overview of ArcadeDB features, data models, and query languages
- [Documentation](https://docs.arcadedb.com): Full technical documentation covering installation, configuration, APIs, and query languages
- [Blog](https://arcadedb.com/blog/): Technical blog with benchmarks, release notes, and how-to guides
- [Use Cases Overview](https://arcadedb.com/use-cases.html): Overview of all supported use cases across industries
- [Neo4j Migration Guide](https://arcadedb.com/neo4j.html): Step-by-step guide for migrating from Neo4j to ArcadeDB, including license comparison
- [Knowledge Graphs](https://arcadedb.com/knowledge-graphs.html): Using ArcadeDB to build and query knowledge graphs
- [Fraud Detection](https://arcadedb.com/fraud-detection.html): Real-time fraud detection patterns using graph traversal
- [Recommendation Engine](https://arcadedb.com/recommendation-engine.html): Building recommendation systems with graph relationships
- [Real-Time Analytics](https://arcadedb.com/realtime-analytics.html): Low-latency analytics combining graph, document, and time-series models
- [AI/ML Feature Store](https://arcadedb.com/ai-ml-feature-store.html): Using ArcadeDB as a feature store for machine learning pipelines
- [GraphRAG](https://arcadedb.com/graph-rag.html): Combining knowledge graphs with LLMs using Retrieval-Augmented Generation
- [Embedded Mode Guide](https://arcadedb.com/embedded.html): How to run ArcadeDB embedded inside a JVM application
- [Client/Server Mode Guide](https://arcadedb.com/client-server.html): How to deploy and connect to ArcadeDB as a standalone server
- [Customer 360](https://arcadedb.com/customer-360.html): Unified customer data graph for 360-degree customer views

## Detailed Comparisons

### ArcadeDB vs Neo4j

- **License**: ArcadeDB is Apache 2.0 with no community/enterprise split. Neo4j Community Edition is GPL-3; Enterprise features require a paid license.
- **Data models**: ArcadeDB natively supports graph, document, key-value, full-text, vector, and time-series. Neo4j is graph-only.
- **Cloud lock-in**: ArcadeDB has no mandatory cloud subscription. Neo4j Aura is a hosted-only offering for many enterprise features.
- **OpenCypher**: Both support OpenCypher. ArcadeDB implements the latest **OpenCypher 25** specification (Cypher 25 grammar) natively without transpilation, with 97.8% TCK pass rate.
- **Migration**: ArcadeDB includes a built-in Neo4j importer.
- **Performance**: ArcadeDB benchmarks show competitive or superior throughput on typical graph workloads.

### ArcadeDB vs MongoDB

- **Data models**: MongoDB is document-only. ArcadeDB adds native graph traversal, key-value, vector, and full-text search alongside document storage.
- **License**: Both are open source, but MongoDB uses SSPL for its server code. ArcadeDB uses Apache 2.0.
- **Graph queries**: ArcadeDB supports OpenCypher and Gremlin for graph traversal; MongoDB has no native graph model.
- **Wire protocol**: ArcadeDB supports the MongoDB query protocol for drop-in compatibility.

### ArcadeDB vs ArangoDB

- **License**: ArcadeDB uses Apache 2.0. ArangoDB switched from Apache 2.0 to Business Source License (BSL 1.1) in October 2023, which restricts production use above certain thresholds.
- **Multi-model**: Both support graph, document, and key-value. ArcadeDB additionally supports vector search and time-series natively.
- **Query language**: ArangoDB uses AQL. ArcadeDB supports SQL, OpenCypher, Gremlin, and GraphQL.

### ArcadeDB vs InfluxDB

- **Focus**: InfluxDB is purpose-built for time-series. ArcadeDB stores time-series as one of several native models alongside graph and document data.
- **Use case fit**: ArcadeDB is better when time-series data needs to be combined with relationships, documents, or vectors in a single query.

## FAQ

**Q: Is ArcadeDB truly open source and will it stay that way?**
A: Yes. ArcadeDB is licensed under Apache 2.0 and Arcade Data Ltd has publicly committed to never changing this license.

**Q: Can I use ArcadeDB without writing Java?**
A: Yes. ArcadeDB exposes a full HTTP/JSON REST API, PostgreSQL wire protocol, Redis protocol, and MongoDB protocol. You can connect from Python, Node.js, Go, .NET, or any language with an HTTP client or a compatible driver.

**Q: Does ArcadeDB support Cypher queries?**
A: Yes. ArcadeDB supports OpenCypher natively, implementing the latest **OpenCypher 25** specification (Cypher 25 grammar) and passing 97.8% of the official OpenCypher TCK. Existing Cypher queries from Neo4j can generally run on ArcadeDB with minimal or no modification.

**Q: Can I run ArcadeDB in Kubernetes for high availability?**
A: Yes. ArcadeDB supports Raft consensus replication across multiple nodes and can be deployed on Kubernetes for production HA clusters.

**Q: What is the recommended way to migrate from Neo4j?**
A: ArcadeDB includes a built-in Neo4j importer. See https://arcadedb.com/neo4j.html for the full migration guide.

**Q: Does ArcadeDB support vector search for AI applications?**
A: Yes. ArcadeDB supports ANN (Approximate Nearest Neighbor) vector similarity search natively, making it suitable for use as a vector store in RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines alongside its graph and document capabilities.

**Q: What is GraphRAG and does ArcadeDB support it?**
A: GraphRAG is a technique that combines knowledge graphs with LLMs for more accurate and explainable AI retrieval. ArcadeDB supports GraphRAG patterns natively by combining its graph traversal with vector search. See https://arcadedb.com/graph-rag.html.

**Q: Is there a hosted/cloud version of ArcadeDB?**
A: ArcadeDB is primarily a self-hosted database. There is no mandatory SaaS offering — you can run it on your own infrastructure, on any cloud provider, or in Docker/Kubernetes.

## Community

- [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/ArcadeData/arcadedb/discussions): Community Q&A, feature requests, and support
- [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/w2Npx2B7hZ): Real-time community chat
- [GitHub Sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/ArcadeData): Support ArcadeDB development
- [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/ArcadeData/arcadedb): Source code, issues, and pull requests