Apache Cassandra vs SQLite
Apache Cassandra
cassandra.apache.org
SQLite
sqlite.orgSide by side
| Figure | Apache Cassandra | SQLite |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $12.50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 16 |
| Spec score · Transaction Data Store Software | 8.9 (#4) | 8.7 (#8) |
| Spec score · Database Software | 8.9 (#12) | 9.4 (#2) |
| Deployment | Cassandra can run on premises, with one cloud provider, across multiple cloud providers, or in a combination of these environments. | The project says SQLite is embedded in billions of applications and is the world's most widely deployed database engine. |
| Founded | 2008 | 2000 |
| Intended use | The project describes Cassandra as a platform for mission-critical data and large active datasets. | The project recommends SQLite for device-local storage with low writer concurrency and less than a terabyte of content. |
| Latest release | The download page lists Cassandra 5.0.9 as the latest GA release, dated 2026-08-07. | Version 3.54.1 was released on 2026-10-16. |
| License | The Cassandra repository identifies Apache-2.0 as its license, and ASF lists Apache License 2.0 as its current software license. | SQLite source code is in the public domain and is free for commercial or private use without a license. |
| Maker | The Apache Software Foundation is the nonprofit organization behind Apache Cassandra. | Paid support and products are provided by Hipp, Wyrick & Company, Inc. (Hwaci), headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in business since 1992. |
| Product | Apache Cassandra is an open source NoSQL distributed database. | SQLite is an in-process, self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration transactional SQL database engine. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.1 out of 5 from 35 reviews. | 4.3 out of 5 from 260 reviews |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 9 out of 10 from 95 reviews and ratings. | 8 out of 10 from 47 reviews |
| What it does | Apache Cassandra is an open-source distributed NoSQL database using a partitioned wide-column model with eventual consistency. | SQLite is an in-process C library that provides a self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration SQL database engine. |
Plans
SQLite
- Public ForumFree
- SQLiteFree
- SQLite Consortium Membership$150 a year
- Technical Support$885 a year
- Annual Maintenance Subscription$1,500 a year
- Annual Maintenance Subscription$1,500 a year
- CEROD$2,000, paid once
- CEROD$2,000, paid once
- SQLite Encryption Extension (SEE)$2,000, paid once
- SQLite Encryption Extension (SEE)$2,000, paid once
In their own words
Apache Cassandra
Apache Cassandra is a free, open-source NoSQL distributed database for mission-critical data and large active datasets. Its masterless architecture gives each node the same functionality. The project says read and write throughput can grow linearly as machines are added, without downtime or application interruption. Cassandra can run on premises, with one cloud provider, across multiple providers, or in a combination of those environments. It supports replication across data centers and configurable consistency levels for queries, along with CQL, transactions, and horizontal scaling. The project lists audit logging for DML, DDL, and DCL activity, and fqltool for recording and replaying production workloads. Drivers are available for Java, Go, Python, and Node.js; downloads include tarballs and packages, and installation guidance covers Debian and RPM. The ecosystem includes tools and connectors for Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, Apache Spark, and Kubernetes. The project identifies version 5.0 as the latest GA release and says it is maintained until the 8.0 release. Cassandra is self-managed, and listed third-party ecosystem projects are not supported by its community.
SQLite
SQLite is a transactional SQL database engine that runs within an application, without a separate server process or configuration. Each complete database resides in a single disk file that works across platforms. Its SQL features include partial indexes, indexes on expressions, JSON, common table expressions, and window functions. Transactions are atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable, including after system crashes and power failures. A database file can have unlimited simultaneous readers, but only one writer at a time. The project recommends SQLite for device-local storage with low writer concurrency and less than a terabyte of content. SQLite is free for commercial or private use, with source code in the public domain. Downloads include source and precompiled binaries for Android, Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, along with WebAssembly and JavaScript bundles for web applications. A free public forum is available, alongside paid private email and technical support options. The maker is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was founded in 2000.