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Graph database comparisons
Honest, engineer-first comparisons of LadybugDB — DuckDB for graphs, MIT-licensed — against the databases teams evaluate most. Ordered by importance.
#1 MOST COMPARED
LadybugDB vs Neo4j
The market leader vs the embedded challenger. Server cluster + GPL/commercial vs zero-ops columnar + MIT. Do you still need a graph server?
Embedded vs Server
MIT vs GPL
Cypher ✓
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#2
LadybugDB vs FalkorDB
Disk-analytical vs in-memory speed. Columnar persistence on SSD vs Redis-protocol sub-ms on RAM (SSPL). The cost-at-scale decision.
Columnar vs In-Memory
MIT vs SSPL
Cypher ✓
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#3
LadybugDB vs ArcadeDB
Specialist vs multi-model generalist. CSR-native columnar graph vs OrientDB-lineage document/graph/KV store. The architecture debate.
Specialist vs Multi-Model
MIT vs Apache 2.0
CSR test
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#4
LadybugDB vs HelixDB
Cypher portability vs fused vector+graph. Columnar MIT engine vs Rust-native HelixQL. Which embedded DB for agentic RAG?
Cypher vs HelixQL
Columnar vs Rust-native
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New to graph databases?
Start with the fundamentals, then read the KuzuDB story.