Best Dragonfly Alternatives in 2026
The top Dragonfly alternatives are Couchbase Server, Apache Ignite and Infinispan: 15 In-Memory databases our editors would look at instead of Dragonfly, in our ranking order.
Dragonfly: Dragonfly adds search, persistence, and scaling to a Redis-compatible datastore. Where it falls short: no free plan is available.
Switching from Dragonfly? For most in-memory databases buyers the best Dragonfly alternative is Couchbase Server, built for teams wanting a broad, flexible in-memory platform.
Why People Look for a Dragonfly Alternative
- No free plan is available
- Paid pricing starts at $36 per month
- SQL support is not included
- No free plan — 6 of the alternatives below have it
- No sQL support — 4 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallCouchbase Server9.4
Teams wanting a broad, flexible in-memory platform
Visit Couchbase Server - Best free optionCouchbase Server9.4
Has a free plan (Dragonfly has none)
Visit Couchbase Server - Best for sql supporteXtremeDB8.5
SQL support (Dragonfly: no)
Visit eXtremeDB
All 15 Dragonfly Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forTeams wanting a broad, flexible in-memory platform
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.4 vs 7.4
A broad in-memory platform with free production use and extensive database capabilities.
- Vector search
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Couchbase -
Best forOpen-source distributed SQL and in-memory systems
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 7.4
Open-source distributed SQL with in-memory speed, persistence, transactions, and compute.
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Apache Ignite -
Best forJava-centric clustered caching and search
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.0 vs 7.4
A Java-centric choice for clustered caching, persistence, replication, and search.
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Infinispan -
Best forHigh-scale distributed key-value workloads
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.8 vs 7.4
A distributed database for demanding real-time workloads, with broad storage and replication options.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Aerospike -
Best forOpen-source Redis-compatible deployments
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 7.4
A free, self-hosted datastore for caching, messaging, streaming, and database workloads.
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Valkey -
Best forOpen-source self-hosted key-value and document systems
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 7.4
A self-hosted choice for teams needing clustered, persistent in-memory data services.
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Tarantool -
Best forEmbedded and edge applications needing durability
- Better than Dragonfly:
- SQL support
- Editor score 8.5 vs 7.4
A broad embedded database for durable, real-time, and distributed workloads.
- SQL support
- Vector search
- Data persistence
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit McObject -
Best forOpen-source distributed SQL with Kubernetes deployment
- Better than Dragonfly:
- SQL support
- Editor score 8.4 vs 7.4
A Kubernetes-ready distributed SQL database for scalable, highly available workloads.
- SQL support
- Data persistence
- High availability
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit RonDB -
Best forFree distributed regions and event-driven caching
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.3 vs 7.4
Free, open-source distributed regions for event-driven caching and data-intensive applications.
- Data persistence
- High availability
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Apache Geode -
Best forReal-time transactional SQL workloads
- Better than Dragonfly:
- SQL support
- Editor score 8.2 vs 7.4
A strong fit for low-latency SQL workloads that need transactions, persistence, and replication.
- SQL support
- Data persistence
- High availability
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit VoltDB -
Best forAWS-native durable Redis-compatible workloads
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Editor score 8.0 vs 7.4
A durable, AWS-integrated choice for Redis-compatible applications that need scale and recovery.
8.0/10★★★★☆Try Amazon MemoryDB -
Best forManaged distributed SQL with a free entry tier
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Free plan
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.4
A managed distributed SQL service with a free tier and usage-based production plans.
- High availability
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit SingleStore -
Best forEstablished hybrid SQL database deployments
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 7.4
A SQL database for established deployments that need hybrid storage and high availability.
- High availability
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit ALTIBASE -
Best forLarge enterprises needing managed analytical breadth
- Better than Dragonfly:
- Free plan
- Editor score 7.7 vs 7.4
A managed in-memory database for enterprises combining broad data models and SAP connectivity.
- High availability
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit SAP HANA Cloud -
Best forEnterprise in-memory SQL and data processing
- Better than Dragonfly:
- SQL support
- Editor score 7.6 vs 7.4
A broad enterprise platform combining in-memory speed, persistence, SQL, and distributed processing.
- SQL support
- Vector search
- Data persistence
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit GridGain
Dragonfly Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Dragonfly?
Couchbase Server: #1 in our In-Memory Databases ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A broad in-memory platform with free production use and extensive database capabilities.
Is there a free alternative to Dragonfly?
Yes. Couchbase Server, Apache Ignite, Infinispan, Aerospike Database and Valkey have a free plan or a free tier (9 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Dragonfly alternatives?
No free plan is available; Paid pricing starts at $36 per month; SQL support is not included.
How do I switch from Dragonfly?
Export your data from Dragonfly (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Dragonfly.
How to Switch from Dragonfly
- Export your data from Dragonfly (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Dragonfly.
Dragonfly vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | High availability | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Dragonfly | No | $36/mo | Yes | 7.4 |
| 1 | Couchbase Server | Yes | 9.4 | ||
| 2 | Apache Ignite | Free | 9.2 | ||
| 3 | Infinispan | Yes | Free | 9.0 | |
| 4 | Aerospike Database | Yes | 8.8 | ||
| 5 | Valkey | Free | 8.7 | ||
| 6 | Tarantool DB | 8.6 | |||
| 7 | eXtremeDB | Yes | 8.5 | ||
| 8 | RonDB | Free | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 9 | Apache Geode | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.3 |
| 10 | VoltDB | No | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 11 | Amazon MemoryDB | No | $0.20/GB usage-based | 8.0 | |
| 12 | SingleStore Helios | Yes | $0.99 usage-based | Yes | 7.9 |
| 13 | ALTIBASE | No | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 14 | SAP HANA Cloud | Yes | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 15 | GridGain | No | Yes | 7.6 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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