Fluree DB

Fluree DB is a temporal graph database for teams that need verifiable data history and precise access policies alongside graph queries. Its integrated ledger, search and policy model make it a strong fit for provenance-sensitive applications; its Business Source License 1.1 warrants review before commercial deployment.

Overview

Fluree Core combines RDF graph storage, full transaction history, search and access control in a single static binary. Transactions are cryptographically signed and appended to an immutable ledger, and the resulting history remains queryable. That makes Fluree useful when an application must ask not only what the data says now, but how it changed over time. It is a more specialized choice than a graph database focused primarily on storing and querying current state.

Policies can be based on attributes, roles or relationships, and are evaluated at query time down to individual triples. That granularity can support finely differentiated access within a graph, but it makes policy design part of the application architecture rather than an afterthought. Fluree is built on W3C standards including JSON-LD, RDF, SPARQL, OWL and SHACL; it supports SPARQL 1.1, reasoning, RDF-star and federated queries.

Key features

Ledger history: Signed transactions and an immutable ledger preserve a verifiable record, with full temporal history available to queries. This suits provenance and time-based investigation better than a design that treats history as a separate concern.

Graph, text and vector search: Full-text and vector search sit alongside graph data and time travel, giving applications multiple ways to retrieve information within the same database.

Fine-grained policies: Attribute-, role- and relationship-based controls apply at individual-triple granularity when queries run. The precision is useful for applications with varied data access needs; the policy model requires deliberate ownership and maintenance.

Broad interfaces and integrations: SPARQL, FlureeQL and a REST API are joined by MCP server configuration, LangChain integration and a LlamaIndex connector. Connectors cover PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, MongoDB, Salesforce, HubSpot, ServiceNow, Workday, SAP, Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery and REST APIs. Official SDKs and libraries are available for JavaScript/TypeScript, Python and Java.

Portable deployment: Fluree is distributed as a single static binary without a JVM or external dependencies. Docker, Homebrew, shell installation, PowerShell and source builds offer several ways to run it locally or in a self-hosted environment.

Security and audit controls: Managed deployments use TLS 1.2+ in transit and AES-256 at rest, with customer-managed keys through AWS KMS, GCP Cloud KMS and Azure Key Vault. Queries, mutations and policy evaluations are recorded in a tamper-evident log; enterprise plans can integrate Splunk, Datadog and Elastic. Vulnerability reports receive a response within one business day.

Fluree says its architecture supports SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA under a BAA on Enterprise plans, and GDPR/UK GDPR through EU data residency. SOC 2 Type II attestation is in progress for Q3 2026, so organizations that require that attestation should account for its current status.

Pricing

FlureeDB Open Source: free, billed Free. The GitHub open-source option includes native JSON-LD and SPARQL and can run locally or self-hosted. It is the straightforward starting point for teams seeking a free graph database, but it is available under the Business Source License 1.1; commercial licensing requires contacting Fluree.

Fluree AI: free, billed $0 to start. It includes a free fuel allowance, with fuel covering tokens, storage and compute, plus 300+ connectors, MCP and API access. This is the entry point for users who want Fluree AI access without an initial charge; the fuel allowance is a limit to consider as usage grows.

Enterprise: custom pricing. The plan includes Fluree Sense, CAM and ITM, licensed FlureeDB deployments, single-tenant AWS and private deployment, SSO, SLAs and enterprise support. It is aimed at organizations needing commercial licensing and managed enterprise controls; teams should contact Fluree for pricing.

The available plan terms give no seat counts, renewal conditions or trial lengths to compare, and the Fluree AI fuel allowance has no stated quota. The key distinction is therefore between two free entry points and a custom-priced Enterprise plan, with licensing terms especially important for commercial use.

Platforms

Fluree supports API, Linux, macOS, Windows, web and self-hosted use. Its single-binary distribution and installation options make local and self-managed deployments practical without adding a JVM requirement.

Who it's for

Fluree is best suited to teams building data-rich applications where queryable history, provenance and fine-grained authorization are central requirements. Its standards support and connectors also make it a fit for organizations working across RDF data and existing databases or business systems. It is less compelling for teams that only need a conventional graph store, or for commercial buyers unwilling to evaluate the Business Source License and contact the vendor about licensing and Enterprise pricing.

Pros and cons

Pro: The signed ledger and temporal queries keep verifiable history within the database, which is valuable when past states matter.

Pro: Query-time policies at triple granularity offer more precise access control than broad, database-level permissions.

Pro: Graph, full-text and vector search, standards-based interfaces and a wide connector set can reduce the need to assemble separate components.

Pro: The static binary and multiple installation paths support local and self-hosted operation without a JVM or external dependencies.

Con: Business Source License 1.1 means commercial adopters need to resolve licensing rather than assume the free option covers their use.

Con: Enterprise pricing is custom, and the free AI fuel allowance has no stated quota, making cost planning less certain as needs expand.

Con: The precise policy model is a strength only if a team can design and maintain those policies as part of its application architecture.

Alternatives

RDF Databases is the broader category to browse when comparing graph-oriented options.

RDFox is worth considering for teams that prefer a paid commercial license with a 30-day, evaluation-only, non-commercial free license before purchase.

Tentris offers a free Community plan with a single-core license, in-memory storage, community support, SPARQL 1.1 and RDF 1.1 support, and transactions; it may fit projects whose needs align with that scope.

GraphDB has a free plan with a Lucene connector, one parallel query and five repositories, suiting users whose workload fits those limits.

QLever is a free option under the Apache 2.0 license for readers prioritizing that licensing model.

Stardog offers a renewable one-year free license capped at 1 million stored edges and three databases, with community support and no high availability; consider it if those limits fit.

Apache Jena Fuseki is a free, self-hosted server under the Apache License 2.0.

Eclipse RDF4J is a free open-source Java framework; its latest release requires Java 25 or newer and uses the Eclipse Distribution License 1.0.

Virtuoso Universal Server is another option to compare.

Verdict

Choose Fluree DB when verifiable, queryable history and triple-level policy enforcement are requirements, not extras: its standards-based graph core brings those capabilities together with search and broad integration support. Look elsewhere if commercial licensing uncertainty or custom Enterprise pricing is a deal-breaker, or if your application does not need temporal provenance and fine-grained policy control.