Best Columnar Databases for Linux of 2025

Sadas Engine is the fastest columnar database management system in cloud and on-premise. Sadas Engine is the solution that you are looking for. * Store * Manage * Analyze It takes a lot of data to find the right solution. * BI * DWH * Data Analytics The fastest columnar Database Management System can turn data into information. It is 100 times faster than transactional DBMSs, and can perform searches on large amounts of data for a period that lasts longer than 10 years.

Greenplum Database® stands out as a sophisticated, comprehensive, and open-source data warehouse solution. It excels in providing swift and robust analytics on data volumes that reach petabyte scales. Designed specifically for big data analytics, Greenplum Database is driven by a highly advanced cost-based query optimizer that ensures exceptional performance for analytical queries on extensive data sets. This project operates under the Apache 2 license, and we extend our gratitude to all current contributors while inviting new ones to join our efforts. In the Greenplum Database community, every contribution is valued, regardless of its size, and we actively encourage diverse forms of involvement. This platform serves as an open-source, massively parallel data environment tailored for analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence applications. Users can swiftly develop and implement models aimed at tackling complex challenges in fields such as cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, risk management, and fraud detection, among others. Dive into the experience of a fully integrated, feature-rich open-source analytics platform that empowers innovation.

The enterprise database for time series, documents, and vectors. Store any type data and combine the simplicity and scalability NoSQL with SQL. CrateDB is a distributed database that runs queries in milliseconds regardless of the complexity, volume, and velocity.

Hypertable provides a high-performance, scalable database solution that enhances the efficiency of your big data applications while minimizing hardware usage. This platform offers exceptional efficiency and outperforms its competitors, leading to significant cost reductions for users. Its robust and proven architecture supports numerous services at Google. Users can enjoy the advantages of open-source technology backed by a vibrant and active community. With a C++ implementation, Hypertable ensures optimal performance. Additionally, it offers around-the-clock support for critical big data operations. Clients benefit from direct access to the expertise of the core developers behind Hypertable. Specifically engineered to address scalability challenges that traditional relational database management systems struggle with, Hypertable leverages a design model pioneered by Google to effectively tackle scaling issues, making it superior to other NoSQL alternatives available today. Its innovative approach not only resolves current scalability needs but also anticipates future demands in data management.

InfiniDB is a column-oriented database management system specifically designed for online analytical processing (OLAP) workloads, featuring a distributed architecture that facilitates Massive Parallel Processing (MPP). Its integration with MySQL allows users who are accustomed to MySQL to transition smoothly to InfiniDB, as they can connect using any MySQL-compatible connector. To manage concurrency, InfiniDB employs Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC) and utilizes a System Change Number (SCN) to represent the system's versioning. In the Block Resolution Manager (BRM), it effectively organizes three key structures: the version buffer, the version substitution structure, and the version buffer block manager, which all work together to handle multiple data versions. Additionally, InfiniDB implements deadlock detection mechanisms to address conflicts that arise during data transactions. Notably, it supports all MySQL syntax, including features like foreign keys, making it versatile for users. Moreover, it employs range partitioning for each column, maintaining the minimum and maximum values of each partition in a compact structure known as the extent map, ensuring efficient data retrieval and organization. This unique approach to data management enhances both performance and scalability for complex analytical queries.

QikkDB is a high-performance, GPU-accelerated columnar database designed to excel in complex polygon computations and large-scale data analytics. If you're managing billions of data points and require immediate insights, qikkDB is the solution you need. It is compatible with both Windows and Linux operating systems, ensuring flexibility for developers. The project employs Google Tests for its testing framework, featuring hundreds of unit tests alongside numerous integration tests to maintain robust quality. For those developing on Windows, it is advisable to use Microsoft Visual Studio 2019, with essential dependencies that include at least CUDA version 10.2, CMake 3.15 or a more recent version, vcpkg, and Boost libraries. Meanwhile, Linux developers will also require a minimum of CUDA version 10.2, CMake 3.15 or newer, and Boost for optimal operation. This software is distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, allowing for a wide range of usage. To simplify the installation process, users can opt for either an installation script or a Dockerfile to get qikkDB up and running seamlessly. Additionally, this versatility makes it an appealing choice for various development environments.

A Kudu cluster organizes its data into tables, which resemble the tables found in traditional relational (SQL) databases. These tables can range from straightforward binary key-value pairs to intricate structures featuring hundreds of distinct, strongly-typed attributes. Similar to SQL databases, each table has a primary key composed of one or more columns, which could be a singular column, such as a unique user ID, or a composite key like a tuple of (host, metric, timestamp) typically used in machine time-series databases. Rows can be quickly accessed, modified, or removed using their primary key, ensuring efficient data management. The straightforward data model of Kudu facilitates the migration of legacy systems or the creation of new applications without the hassle of encoding data into binary formats or deciphering complex databases filled with difficult-to-read JSON. Additionally, the tables are self-describing, allowing users to leverage common tools such as SQL engines or Spark for data analysis tasks. The user-friendly APIs provided by Kudu further enhance its accessibility for developers. Overall, Kudu streamlines data handling while maintaining a robust structure.

Parquet was developed to provide the benefits of efficient, compressed columnar data formats to all projects within the Hadoop ecosystem. Designed with intricate nested data structures in consideration, Parquet employs the record shredding and assembly technique outlined in the Dremel paper, which we view as a more effective method than merely flattening nested namespaces. This format is engineered for optimal compression and encoding, with various projects showcasing the significant performance enhancements achieved through the appropriate application of these techniques. Parquet enables users to define compression schemes at the individual column level and is designed to adapt to new encodings as they emerge and become available. Furthermore, Parquet is intended for universal usage, embracing the diverse array of data processing frameworks in the Hadoop ecosystem without playing favorites among them. By promoting interoperability and flexibility, Parquet aims to empower all users to leverage its capabilities effectively.