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RDFox

oxfordsemantic.tech

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Spec score 8.5 #3 of 26 in RDF Databases

What it is

RDFox is a main-memory data store for centralized RDF graphs, queried with SPARQL 1.1. It represents rules and ontological axioms with Datalog, OWL 2 and SWRL, and updates rule consequences as data changes; it can process 2–3 million new-fact inferences per second. Its supported knowledge-graph technologies include RDF, SPARQL 1.1, Datalog, SWRL, OWL 2 RL and SHACL. Java applications can connect through a native API, or RDFox can run as a standalone server through a REST API. Import and export formats include CSV, JSON, N-Triples, Turtle, TriG and OWL 2 Functional-Style Syntax. It can replicate knowledge and data changes across servers to maintain service during an outage, and deployments are described for cloud, on-premises, on-device and edge use. RDFox runs on Linux, macOS and Windows. Security features include encryption at rest, mutual-TLS client-certificate authentication and OpenID Connect single sign-on. Pricing is on request; the free 30-day evaluation license is restricted to evaluation and non-commercial use.

Spec sheet

What it does
RDFox is an in-memory RDF triplestore and semantic reasoning engine that queries graph data with SPARQL.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Product
RDFox is a main-memory, scalable centralized data store for RDF graph data queried with SPARQL 1.1.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Deployment
RDFox can run on a single machine or as a cluster distributing processing across multiple machines.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Integrations
RDFox was made available on AWS Marketplace through a DataLens partnership with pay-as-you-go deployment and connectors for SQL, CSV, XML, JSON, REST and unstructured data.Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Security
RDFox v7.0 added encryption at rest and client-certificate authentication using mutual TLS for endpoint and remote-shell requests.Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Support
Oxford Semantic Technologies says it aims to reply to contact messages within two working days and provides an RDFox Community Slack channel.Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Headquarters
Oxford, United KingdomRead 28 Sep 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Founded
2017Read 28 Sep 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Company
Oxford Semantic Technologies is an Oxford University spin-out acquired by Samsung Electronics in 2024.Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
APIs
RDFox exposes REST and Java APIs, plus a command-line shell and native Java integration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
AWS availability
RDFox is offered as a container image through AWS Marketplace for Amazon ECS, EKS, ECS Anywhere and EKS Anywhere.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Company origin
Oxford Semantic Technologies was founded in 2017 as a University of Oxford spin-out; work on RDFox began in 2011.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company ownership
The company’s About page states that Samsung Electronics acquired Oxford Semantic Technologies in 2024.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Containers
Official RDFox Docker images are designed to run without superuser capabilities.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Data exchange
The product imports and exports formats including CSV, JSON, N-Triples, Turtle, TriG and OWL 2 Functional-Style Syntax.Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Data formats
Official product pages list CSV, JSON, N-Triples, Turtle, TriG and OWL 2 Functional-Style Syntax among import and export formats.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Data integrations
Documentation describes delimited files, ODBC relational databases, Apache Lucene and Apache Solr data sources.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Developer APIs
GetApp lists .NET, Java and Python developer APIs and an ODBC driver for BI tools such as Tableau.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Docker
Official Docker images are published as oxfordsemantic/rdfox and are designed to run without superuser capabilities.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Documentation depth
The documentation includes user guides, REST and Java API references, Javadoc, shell instructions, operations manuals, high availability and Docker deployment chapters.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Headquarters and size
LinkedIn lists headquarters at 2 Littlegate Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 1QT, and company size of 11–50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
High availability
RDFox can replicate knowledge and data changes across multiple servers for service continuity during an outage.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Incremental reasoning
Rule consequences are updated as data changes without restarting or recomputing the entire graph.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Knowledge graph standards
Its RDF triple store supports SPARQL 1.1, Datalog, SWRL, OWL 2 RL and SHACL.Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
License model
Running RDFox or JRDFox requires an in-date license key issued by Oxford Semantic Technologies.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Limit: concurrency
One G2 reviewer reports encountering concurrency issues in a project and stopping database upgrades during evaluation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: documentation
G2 reviewers say the documentation is technical and would benefit from more concrete command examples, background and tutorial videos.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: standards and query gaps
G2 reviewers request JSON-LD, SPARQL SERVICE federated queries, DESCRIBE, graph-analysis functions and stronger consistency checking.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: usability
Reviewers mention that SPARQL and Turtle can take time to learn and that the web console could provide more functionality.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Machine-learning integrations
GetApp states that RDFox integrates with PyTorch and TensorFlow for knowledge-graph embeddings and neural models.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Memory requirement
RDFox recommends 60 to 110 bytes of unpaged RAM per stored triple, including inferred triples.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Notable news
LinkedIn posts announced an RDFox Live event on 29 September 2026 featuring a major new visual collaborative platform addition.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Praise: performance
G2 reviewers repeatedly praise very fast ingestion, query execution and reasoning, including reports of complex queries dropping from minutes to milliseconds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: reasoning
Reviewers highlight immediate Datalog execution, incremental reasoning, named graphs and flexible rule-based inference.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: support
Several G2 reviewers describe Oxford Semantic Technologies support as responsive, technically strong and quick to fix issues.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on Capterra
0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on G2
4.8 out of 5 from 14 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on GetApp
0 out of 5 from 0 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Reasoning
It supports rules and ontological axioms represented with Datalog, OWL 2 and SWRL.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Release process
Release notes warn that experimental APIs may change or disappear and are not supported for production use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Security controls
Documentation covers access control, HTTPS endpoint configuration, logging, encrypted persisted data options and high-availability operations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
Security release note
The AWS Marketplace listing says version 7.6b fixed a high-severity issue that exposed PostgreSQL connection strings in error messages.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Self-hosting
The product documentation covers cloud, on-premises, edge and on-device deployment scenarios.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Semantic reasoning
The engine derives new knowledge from factual data using rules and ontological axioms, with explainable results.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Single sign-on
RDFox v7.1 supports OpenID Connect single sign-on, including external identity systems such as Microsoft Entra, and encrypted data import/export through Java APIs.Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Standards support
The product supports SPARQL 1.1, Datalog and SWRL rules, OWL 2 RL ontologies, and SHACL validation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
Supported operating systems
RDFox runs on Linux, macOS and Windows.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech
System requirements
Documented operating systems include Windows 8+, macOS 10.14+, CentOS 7+, Ubuntu 16.04+ and Fedora 27+; Docker is also supported.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oxfordsemantic.tech

Plans and prices

Free evaluation Free Free trial access requested through a form · valid license key required Read 15 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
RDFox free evaluation license Free 30-day trial · evaluation only · non-commercial use Read 1 Oct 2026 · oxfordsemantic.tech
AWS Marketplace RDFox Priced on request $4.11 per container hour Usage based · ECS/EKS/ECS Anywhere/EKS Anywhere · non-production listing · AWS infrastructure billed separately Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
RDFox commercial license Priced on request Pricing not published; contact Oxford Semantic Technologies License key required · production licensing negotiated Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Every RDFox plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Updates reasoning consequences as data changes.
  • Supports SPARQL 1.1, Datalog, SWRL, OWL 2 RL and SHACL.
  • Offers native Java and REST APIs.
  • Can replicate knowledge and changes across servers.
  • Runs on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Limits

  • Commercial pricing is available on request.
  • The free license is limited to 30 days.
  • Free evaluation use is non-commercial only.
  • Commercial use requires a license key.

Who it suits

RDFox suits teams building or operating RDF knowledge graphs that need SPARQL querying, rule-based reasoning and deployment flexibility. Its evaluation license is for non-commercial evaluation; commercial use requires a license key.

RDFox in depth

Read the full write-up

Overview

RDFox is an in-memory RDF graph store with SPARQL querying and rule-based reasoning. It is best suited to teams building knowledge-graph applications that need inferences to keep pace with changing data. Its real-time reasoning and flexible deployment options are strong, but commercial licensing requires a custom quote.

Key features

RDFox combines RDF storage and SPARQL 1.1 with reasoning based on Datalog rules and ontological axioms, including OWL 2 and SWRL. It also supports OWL 2 RL and SHACL. This is a useful combination for applications that need to derive knowledge or validate graph data, rather than only store and retrieve triples. Ontology modeling and graph visualization are supported as well.

Incremental reasoning is the standout: when data changes, RDFox updates rule consequences in real time and can process 2–3 million new-fact inferences per second. That suits systems where new data must quickly affect derived knowledge. The stated rate is substantial, but workload-specific performance still matters.

Java applications can use a native API, while a RESTful API lets RDFox run as a standalone server. Import and export support covers formats including CSV, JSON, N-Triples, Turtle, TriG and OWL 2 Functional-Style Syntax; the supported import formats also include N-Quads and Datalog. Replication across multiple servers helps keep knowledge and data changes available during an outage, a meaningful advantage for services that cannot depend on a single server.

Security capabilities include encryption at rest and mutual-TLS client-certificate authentication for endpoint and remote-shell requests. OpenID Connect single sign-on supports external identity systems such as Microsoft Entra; Java APIs also support encrypted data import and export. Official Docker images are designed to run without superuser capabilities.

Pricing

The RDFox free evaluation license costs nothing for a 30-day trial. It is limited to evaluation and non-commercial use, so it is not a route to ongoing production use. Commercial licensing requires a license key and contact with Oxford Semantic Technologies; pricing is custom. That arrangement may suit organizations needing a tailored commercial license, but buyers cannot readily compare the cost before engaging the vendor.

Platforms

RDFox runs on Linux, macOS and Windows, and is available through API, web and self-hosted environments. Oxford Semantic Technologies describes deployments in cloud, on-premises, on-device and edge settings. This range accommodates varied infrastructure plans, though teams should choose a deployment model that fits their operating and availability requirements.

Who it's for

RDFox is a strong fit for teams building RDF-based applications that need SPARQL, ontology-driven reasoning and rapid updates to inferred knowledge in one system. Java and REST integration make it practical for application and server architectures, while replication and deployment choices suit services with availability needs. It is less suited to buyers who need predictable public pricing or a free commercial tier.

Pros and cons

Pros: Real-time incremental reasoning with stated throughput of 2–3 million new-fact inferences per second supports changing knowledge graphs.

Pros: SPARQL 1.1, Datalog, OWL 2, SWRL and SHACL cover querying, reasoning and graph validation needs.

Pros: Replication, multiple deployment environments, and Java and REST APIs give teams options for integration and availability.

Cons: Commercial pricing is custom, making cost comparison difficult before contacting the vendor.

Cons: The free license lasts 30 days and is for non-commercial evaluation only.

Alternatives

For a free RDF store, QLever is an open-source option under the Apache 2.0 license. Choose Tentris if its free Community plan's single-core license, in-memory storage, transactions and community support better fit your needs. Fluree DB offers an open-source option with native JSON-LD and SPARQL that can run locally or self-hosted.

GraphDB may suit readers who want a free plan with five repositories and one query in parallel. Stardog offers a renewable one-year free license capped at 1 million stored edges and three databases, with no high availability. Apache Jena Fuseki is a free, Apache-licensed self-hosted server, while Eclipse RDF4J is a free open-source Java framework that requires Java 25 or newer in its latest release. Virtuoso Universal Server is another alternative, with paid workstation licenses available.

Browse RDF Databases or Knowledge Graph Software for more options.

Verdict

Choose RDFox if your application needs RDF storage, standards-based reasoning and quickly updated inferences, especially when replication or deployment flexibility matters. Its combination is compelling for dynamic knowledge graphs; look elsewhere if a published commercial price or a free production license is essential.

Verdict

RDFox combines graph storage, reasoning, APIs and replication, with support for several deployment environments. A free evaluation is available, but commercial licensing requires contacting Oxford Semantic Technologies.

Where Specifiction places it

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