InfluxDB vs kdb+
InfluxDB
influxdata.com
kdb+
kx.comSide by side
| Figure | InfluxDB | kdb+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.01/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 2 |
| Spec score · Time-Series Databases | 8.5 (#7) | 7.9 (#19) |
| Spec score · Database Software | 8.5 (#27) | 7.9 (#53) |
| Spec score · OLAP Software | 8.2 (#12) | 7.7 (#23) |
| Performance | InfluxDB 3 supports millions of writes per second, billions of series with no cardinality limits, and sub-10ms query response times. | KX says kdb+ ingests and analyzes real-time data in memory and delivers sub-millisecond performance for time-critical workloads. |
| Security | InfluxData states that it is ISO 27001, ISO 27018, and SOC 2 certified, and that end-to-end encryption and granular access controls are available across managed and self-managed InfluxDB 3 products. | kdb+ can use SSL/TLS to encrypt connections with OpenSSL, configured with certificates and keys. |
| SQL support | Yes | Yes |
| Use cases | InfluxData describes InfluxDB as supporting industrial operations, observability platforms, and AI applications that need real-time data. | KX describes kdb+ use in trading, fraud detection, and IoT monitoring, and identifies Capital Markets, Defense, and High-Tech Manufacturing as served sectors. |
Plans
InfluxDB
- Cloud Serverless - Data InFree
- Cloud Serverless - Query Count$0.01 a month
- Cloud Serverless - StorageFree
- Cloud Serverless - Data Out$0.09 a month
- Cloud ServerlessFree
- InfluxDB 3 CoreFree
- Amazon Timestream for InfluxDBPrice not published
- Cloud DedicatedPriced on request
- Cloud Serverless usage-basedPrice not published
- InfluxDB 3 EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
InfluxDB
InfluxDB 3 is a time series database and platform for high-frequency data recorded with timestamps. It supports native SQL and InfluxQL queries, plus a built-in Python processing engine. Data can enter through line protocol, an HTTP API, client libraries, Telegraf or the influxdb3 CLI. More than 400 pre-built Telegraf plugins and official libraries for Python, JavaScript, Go, Java and C# connect it to data sources. InfluxDB stores data as compressed Parquet files in object storage with S3 API compatibility. Deployment choices include open-source single-node Core, self-managed Enterprise, managed Cloud Serverless and Cloud Dedicated, and Amazon Timestream for InfluxDB. InfluxData describes uses in industrial operations, observability and AI applications needing real-time data. Core is intended for development, prototyping and edge deployments, but lacks high availability and enterprise security. Cloud Serverless has a free option with service quotas and no high availability, plus $250 free credit. Core has community support; Enterprise and Cloud Dedicated include a technical support SLA.
kdb+
kdb+ is a time-series database and analytics engine from KX, built around the q vector language. It captures and analyzes real-time and historical data for time-sensitive workloads. KX describes in-memory ingestion and analysis with sub-millisecond performance. Its storage layout separates newest in-memory records in an RDB, recent disk data in an IDB, and long-term columnar archives in an HDB. Query options include q and q-SQL, with support for Python, Java, C#, C++, Rust, R, and open-source libraries. Data can arrive through tickerplants, feed handlers, batch mode, TCP/IP, Apache Kafka, or supported programming languages. KX describes applications in trading, fraud detection, and IoT monitoring across Capital Markets, Defense, and High-Tech Manufacturing. Deployments cover Linux, macOS, Windows, APIs, and self-hosted environments, with cloud documentation for AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure. SSL/TLS connections use OpenSSL certificates and keys.