Updated June 2, 2023
Introduction to ArangoDB vs Neo4j
ArangoDB vs Neo4j is the comparison of ArangoDB with Neo4j. ArangoDB is a distributed open-source database with having a flexible data model for graphs, documents, key values. Neo4j is the world’s largest database and stores data that is connected by directed nodes and typed relationships. This graph database is a critical enterprise application that includes artificial intelligence and fraud detection with recommendations. ArangoDB has similar functionality as that of Neo4j, additionally with competitive performance. It supports three data models with one core database and unified query language. Here, we shall see the differences between ArangoDB and Neo4j and compare both based on their characteristics and similarities.
Head to Head Comparison Between ArangoDB vs Neo4j (Infographics)
Below are the top 19 differences between ArangoDB vs Neo4j:
Comparison Table (ArangoDB vs Neo4j)
| ArangoDB | Neo4j |
| ArangoDB is an open-source distributed database with graphs, documents, and key-value pairs. | Neo4j is also a database that is connected by nodes and typed relationships. |
| ArangoDB has one engine, one query language, and Multiple data models. | Neo4j delivers graph technology that is tested for performance and scaling. |
| Users can build high-performance applications and scale all three data models horizontally. | High performance in Neo4j will help customers to run challenging OLTP while preserving data integrity. |
| Users can use a full document store, graph database, search engine, or a combination of these. | Users often require 10X lesser hardware than the other graph databases, for those build upon Relational, RDF databases, NoQL by enabling a significant increase in ROI. |
| ArangoDB has strong data consistency. It has a single backend that manages different data models that support ACID transactions. | Neo4j has Flexible schema agility that enables databases to adapt to evolving businesses without any disruption by delivering more in less time. |
| It is a real challenge for ArangoDB users to guarantee across multiple machines and NoSQL databases as ArangoDB requires data consistency in transactions. | Neo4j runs on cloud and hence the freedom to deploy anywhere enables faster time to market, and enable multi-cloud efficiency, develop agility, and greater ROI |
| ArangoDB uses Native multi-model for a range of projects across industries and companies. | Neo4j is used for Real-time recommendations, Identity and Access Management, Fraud detection, Graph-based search, Smart Home, Anti-money laundering, etc. |
| Some of the key customers using ArangoDB are Barclays, Cisco, Mentor, MakeMyTrip, Kabbage, Demonware, etc. | Some of the key customers using Neo4j are Walmart, Cisco, eBay, UBS, HP, Telia, Comcast, Verizon, IBM, Microsoft, etc. |
| ArangoDB is a multi-model database with over 9000-star gazers on Github, 7 million downloads, and more than 500 companies. | Neo4j is also the largest graph database with more than 140 million downloads and over 200k active instances, includes 75% of Fortune 100 companies. |
| ArangoDB is working on the concept of incremental backups | Neo4j has this concept of incremental backups, which is the creation of successive copies of data that contain the only a portion to be changed since the preceding backup. |
| ArangoDB has recently added functionality of Faster cluster restoration which involves a 6 step procedure of creating scripts. | In Neo4j, there is no such complex process involved. |
| AQL is used as a query language for ArangoDB. | Cypher is used as a query language for Neo4j. |
| Naming conventions in AQL differ, such as,
Edge, Collection, Vertex, Document, Edge collection, Document collection, Attribute, Array, Depth, Object. |
Naming conventions in Neo4j, Cypher are,
Relationship, Group of nodes, Node, Node with properties, Relationship type, Node label, Property, List, Hops, Map. |
| The initial release of ArangoDB was in 2012 under Apache 2/Commercial license. | Neo4j was release in 2007 under AGPLv3/Commercial license. |
| ArangoDB is written in C++ and is free of schema validations. | Neo4j is written in Java and is also schema-free. |
| It has JSON or VelocyPack data format and is stored in MMFiles or RocksDB. | |
| It has an extensibility of Microservice framework Foxx which is based on Google V8 and has access to server-side functions. | It has only JSON format and is stored in Neo4j data storage. |
| Considering the security, ArangoDB has TLS/SSL encryption and has role-based control and authentication with auditing. | Considering the security here, Neo4j has no encryption, auditing, and role-based access control but only authentication. |
| ACID transactions are done here, with multi-document and multi-collection transactions for a single instance. | In Neo4j also, ACID transactions are done along with multi-document and multi-collection transactions. |
Key Differences of ArangoDB vs Neo4j
- In industry, looking into ArangoDB, graph databases have emerged as the best breed for storing highly connected data, which reduces the cost of data structure and of handling semi-structured data.
- Each datastore has own strength and weaknesses:
⮚ Graph edges can store data values similar to nodes.
⮚ Flexibility for data models.
⮚ Data model need not be translated as the graph fits naturally with the Object-Oriented data model.
⮚ Multi-model store considering key-value, document, and graph database in a single instance.
- Neo4j is the first graph database implementation and has robust graph visualization tools.
⮚ It has less infrastructure code for implementation compared to ArangoDB.
⮚ It integrated better with Spring in Java.
⮚ Neo4j has a risk of a commercial license for closed source applications.
⮚ It has a single model store and one graph for each Neo4j instance.
With this, we shall conclude the topic “ArangoDB vs Neo4j”. We have seen what ArangoDB is and Neo4j mean and its comparison table with the maximum of comparisons and similarities listed. We have also seen some of the advantages, risks involved in each database model, etc. Hope this has given some insight of why to choose ArangoDB or Neo4j depending upon the requirement. Thanks! Happy Learning!!
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