CrateDB
CrateDB: A flexible distributed SQL database for teams combining analytics, search and scalable ingestion. Ranked #14 of 25 in Distributed SQL Databases by our editors (7.6/10); pricing: Free plan; best for flexible SQL analytics and search.
At a glance
- Editor score7.6 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forFlexible SQL analytics and search
- Free planYes
- Deployment modelBoth
- Founded2013 · Redwood City, California, United States
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Horizontal scaling with sharding, partitioning and replication
- PostgreSQL wire protocol plus full-text, geospatial and vector search
- Managed cloud, self-managed and private enterprise deployment options
Where it doesn't
- Shared Free and Shared plans use single-node environments
- Custom compute options and unlimited storage are limited to Custom
- PostgreSQL wire protocol support does not include MySQL protocol compatibility
Our verdict on CrateDB
CrateDB is an open-source distributed SQL database for development teams and organizations working with high-volume structured and semi-structured data. It targets near-real-time ingestion and querying across real-time analytics, search, time-series data, machine data and AI-oriented workloads. Its shared-nothing architecture supports horizontal scaling across database nodes, while SQL access, PostgreSQL wire protocol support and deployment flexibility make it suitable for teams that want a database available as managed cloud software, self-managed software or an enterprise deployment on private infrastructure.
The published plans provide a clear progression from shared development environments to dedicated deployments. Shared Free and Shared include a shared environment, single node, development support and daily backups. Dedicated adds a dedicated environment, basic support, uptime SLAs and hourly backups. Custom adds custom compute options, unlimited storage and premium support. The pricing page presents usage-based hourly rates rather than monthly prices, so buyers should evaluate expected runtime and capacity alongside the plan features. This structure makes the free tier useful for development, while production requirements such as dedicated resources, service-level commitments or premium support point toward higher tiers.
CrateDB’s strongest fit is its breadth across SQL analytics, search and data platform workflows. Full-text and geospatial search sit alongside vector data types and search capabilities, real-time analytics, replication and horizontal scaling. Integrations include Airflow, AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Databricks, DBeaver, dbt, Debezium, Django, Grafana, Metabase, Power BI, Tableau and Terraform. Teams needing PostgreSQL-oriented access, broad ecosystem connectivity and multiple deployment models should consider CrateDB. Teams requiring single-node simplicity, MySQL protocol compatibility or a narrowly focused database may prefer another option.
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CrateDB pricing
All 4 CrateDB plans and prices →
CrateDB fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Deployment model | Both |
| PostgreSQL compatibility | Yes |
| MySQL compatibility | Not verified |
| Horizontal scaling | Yes |
| Multi-region deployment | Not verified |
| Geo-partitioning | Not verified |
| HTAP workloads | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, 2FA |
| Support | Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 13 integrations: Airflow, AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Databricks, DBeaver, dbt … See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | cratedb.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
CrateDB integrations
CrateDB lists 13 integrations on its own site.
- Airflow
- AWS Lambda
- Azure Functions
- Databricks
- DBeaver
- dbt
- Debezium
- Django
- Grafana
- Metabase
- Power BI
- Tableau
- Terraform
See all CrateDB integrations →
Alternatives to CrateDB
- Google Cloud SpannerA strong fit for mission-critical, multi-region workloads needing consistency and scale.9.4
- TiDB CloudA MySQL-compatible cloud database with free usage, autoscaling, and native HTAP.9.2
- CockroachDB CloudA managed PostgreSQL-compatible database for multi-region and enterprise workloads.9.0
See all CrateDB alternatives →
Also Ranked In
CrateDB is ranked in 6 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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