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ActorDB

Free#20 of 25 in Distributed SQL Databases

ActorDB: A self-hosted SQL cluster for teams needing sharding, failover, and multi-actor ACID transactions. Ranked #20 of 25 in Distributed SQL Databases by our editors (7.0/10); pricing: Open source; best for self-hosted open-source SQL clusters.

7.0/10Editor score
ActorDB7.0 Visit ActorDB

At a glance

  • Editor score
    7.0 / 10
  • Pricing
    Open source
  • Best for
    Self-hosted open-source SQL clusters
  • Paid from
    Free
  • Deployment model
    Self_hosted
  • Facts checked
    20 Sep 2026
ActorDB screenshot
  • Where it wins

    • Horizontal scaling through actor-based sharding across nodes
    • Raft replication and failover for distributed writes
    • ACID transactions across multiple actor databases
  • Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires teams to manage the database environment
    • Connectivity centers on MySQL protocol and Thrift
    • Latest stable release listed is dated 1 October 2019

Our verdict on ActorDB

ActorDB is an open-source distributed relational SQL database for applications that need strong consistency and horizontal scaling. It organizes data into independent actor databases, distributes those actors across shards and clusters, and replicates writes with Raft. Teams can run it on Linux, macOS, or Windows, making it a fit for organizations that want to operate their own distributed SQL infrastructure rather than adopt a hosted database service.

Its architecture combines several capabilities relevant to distributed workloads. Actor-based sharding spreads databases across servers and nodes, while Raft-based replication provides failover for writes. ACID transactions can span multiple actors, and the SQLite-based SQL engine supports relational queries. Applications can connect through the MySQL protocol or Thrift, while key/value store mode provides a second data-access model. Backup tooling for LMDB data is also included. These features make ActorDB especially relevant where horizontal distribution and transactional consistency matter more than a broad integration catalog.

ActorDB is distributed as self-hosted open-source software, so the main operational consideration is deployment and maintenance responsibility. The listed stable release is version 0.10.29, dated 1 October 2019, which may matter to teams prioritizing a more recent release cadence. It is a focused choice for engineers comfortable managing clusters, shards, replication, and backups directly. Teams seeking managed deployment or connectivity beyond the MySQL protocol and Thrift should consider an alternative distributed SQL database.

Your product? Our editors can test ActorDB in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

ActorDB pricing

Plans Open sourceFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.
See plans on actordb.com

ActorDB fact sheet

Free planNot verified
Paid fromFree
Deployment modelSelf_hosted
PostgreSQL compatibilityNot verified
MySQL compatibilityYes
Horizontal scalingYes
Multi-region deploymentNot verified
Geo-partitioningNot verified
HTAP workloadsNot verified
DeploymentSelf-hosted
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
SupportDocs
Built forSmall business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
Integrations2 integrations: MySQL protocol, Thrift
PricingOpen source
Websiteactordb.com
Facts checked20 Sep 2026

ActorDB integrations

ActorDB lists 2 integrations on its own site.

  • MySQL protocol
  • Thrift

Alternatives to ActorDB

See all ActorDB alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

Featured on iTechGuides — ActorDB 7.0/10

ActorDB is listed in our Distributed SQL Databases directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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