QuestDB
QuestDB: A strong fit for teams wanting SQL, flexible ingestion, and self-managed time-series infrastructure. Ranked #9 of 36 in Time-Series Databases by our editors (8.4/10); pricing: Free plan; best for open-source SQL time-series deployments.
At a glance
- Editor score8.4 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forOpen-source SQL time-series deployments
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- DeploymentBoth
- Founded2019 · London and New York
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Apache 2.0 core with self-managed deployment
- SQL extensions, retention policies, and materialized views
- Integrates with Kafka, Grafana, Spark, and Parquet
Where it doesn't
- High availability and replication are Enterprise features
- Enterprise pricing is contact-based
- Self-managed deployment requires infrastructure ownership
Our verdict on QuestDB
QuestDB is an open-source time-series database for financial market data, telemetry, and real-time analytics. It is aimed at teams that want SQL alongside time-series capabilities, with a column-oriented, time-partitioned storage engine and multiple ingestion options. Deployments can be self-managed across Docker, Kubernetes, bare metal, Windows, macOS, and Linux, while the product also provides a web console and REST HTTP API.
The Open Source plan uses an Apache 2.0 licensed core and supports self-managed deployment. Its feature set includes SQL with time-series extensions, InfluxDB Line Protocol over HTTP and TCP, the QuestDB native wire protocol, configurable retention through TTL and partition management, and materialized views for time-series aggregation. The Enterprise plan adds high-availability replication with primary and read replicas, RBAC, SSO, TLS, tiered storage, automated backups, and cloud, on-premises, hybrid, or BYOC deployment. Enterprise pricing is contact-based, so organizations should assess that commercial process alongside their infrastructure requirements.
QuestDB fits ecosystems built around Kafka, Redpanda, Telegraf, Apache Flink, Grafana, Pandas, Polars, Apache Spark, Apache Superset, Apache Parquet, and Apache Iceberg. Parquet and object-storage tiering extend its role across active and historical data, while SQL keeps querying familiar for teams already working with relational tools. Choose QuestDB when open-source deployment, SQL access, protocol flexibility, and time-series aggregation are central requirements. Teams that need replication, security controls, or automated backups must choose Enterprise, and organizations seeking a fully managed operating model should evaluate whether its available deployment options match their preferred division of infrastructure responsibility.
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QuestDB pricing
QuestDB fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Deployment | Both |
| SQL support | Yes |
| Retention policies | Yes |
| Horizontal scaling | Yes |
| Query languages | QuestDB SQL, PostgreSQL wire protocol, REST API, Apache Parquet |
| Ingestion methods | QuestDB Wire Protocol, InfluxDB Line Protocol, REST API, native client libraries, SQL INSERT, Kafka connector, CSV import |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, SSO/SAML |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 11 integrations: Kafka, Redpanda, Telegraf, Apache Flink, Python, Grafana … |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | questdb.com |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
QuestDB integrations
QuestDB lists 11 integrations on its own site.
- Kafka
- Redpanda
- Telegraf
- Apache Flink
- Python
- Grafana
- Pandas
- Polars
- Apache Spark
- Superset
- PostgreSQL
Alternatives to QuestDB
- Apache IoTDBA focused open-source choice for high-volume IoT ingestion, SQL, retention, and scaling.9.3
- Amazon TimestreamA managed AWS option with flexible ingestion, retention, SQL, and InfluxDB support.9.1
- LindormTSDBA broad compatibility layer for teams managing scalable telemetry and metrics workloads.9.0
See all QuestDB alternatives →
Also Ranked In
QuestDB is ranked in 8 of our directories; the 6 strongest besides Time-Series Databases.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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