Apache Ignite vs GridGain
Apache Ignite
ignite.apache.orgGridGain
gridgain.comSide by side
| Figure | Apache Ignite | GridGain |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $0.11/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 7 |
| Spec score · In-Memory Databases | 8.9 (#4) | 8.2 (#7) |
| Integrations | The download page lists AWS, Azure, GCE, and Spring extensions, including Spring Cache and Spring Data extensions. | The official extensions page lists a certified Kafka connector, Oracle Golden Gate, and Data Lake Accelerator; it also names Spring, Spark, Hibernate L2 Cache, MyBatis L2 Cache, and Cassandra integrations. |
| Product | Apache Ignite describes itself as a memory-first distributed SQL database for high-velocity workloads. | GridGain Platform is an in-memory computing platform for real-time transactional, streaming, and analytical processing at massive scale. |
| Storage | Data is stored in memory as the primary tier, with persistence available through AIPERSIST. | The platform supports configurable disk-based persistence and can store data in memory and on disk. |
| Support | The project directs usage questions to its user mailing list and technical Q&A to Stack Overflow. | The official edition comparison lists support for Enterprise and Ultimate, while GridGain documentation says production support and professional services are available for all editions and Apache Ignite deployments. |
| Transactions | Ignite supports ACID transactions across partitions using Raft consensus. | The platform supports ANSI SQL, key-value APIs, and ACID transactions. |
Plans
GridGain
- Attached Nebula cluster — Apache Ignite$0.11 a month
- Attached Nebula cluster — Community Edition$0.20 a month
- Attached Nebula cluster — Enterprise Edition$0.30 a month
- Attached Nebula cluster — Ultimate Edition$0.53 a month
- Managed Nebula cluster S$1.98 a month
- Managed Nebula cluster M$3.96 a month
- Managed Nebula cluster L$7.92 a month
In their own words
Apache Ignite
Apache Ignite is a free, open-source, memory-first distributed SQL database for high-velocity workloads. It keeps data primarily in memory, with persistence available through AIPERSIST, and supports ACID transactions across partitions using Raft consensus. MVCC snapshot isolation enables non-blocking reads. SQL access includes JDBC drivers, a Table API and native APIs, while catalog-driven schema management allows column and index changes without stopping the cluster. DataStreamer handles high-throughput writes with backpressure control. Native clients are listed for Java, .NET, C++ and Python, alongside AWS, Azure, GCE and Spring extensions. Built-in operational capabilities include authentication, SSL/TLS security, OpenTelemetry metrics, recovery snapshots and backups. Listed uses include event stream processing, microservices state management, session management and AI/ML feature stores. Ignite is self-hosted and available through binary, source, Docker and Maven/Gradle options. The project identifies Ignite 2 as a long-term-support release recommended for existing deployments.
GridGain
GridGain Platform is an in-memory computing system for transactional, streaming, and analytical workloads. It keeps data in memory, on disk, or both through configurable disk persistence, and supports ANSI SQL, key-value APIs, and ACID transactions. Workloads run across horizontally scalable clusters deployed on premises or in public or private clouds; GridGain says its architecture can scale to petabytes of in-memory data. Listed capabilities include transaction processing, advanced analytics, AI/ML operations, data hub, system of record, stream processing, and vector search. Supported data models include key-value, relational, document, geospatial, and unstructured data. Integrations include Kafka, Oracle Golden Gate, Data Lake Accelerator, Spring, Spark, Hibernate L2 Cache, MyBatis L2 Cache, and Cassandra. GridGain 9 supports SSL/TLS, while Enterprise and Ultimate add role-based authorization and transparent data encryption. Pricing is on request, with a 30-day trial and no free plan.