Apache Cassandra
Open-source distributed wide-column NoSQL database built for huge write loads and multi-datacenter clusters.
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About Apache Cassandra
Apache Cassandra is a distributed NoSQL database from the Apache Software Foundation. Data is stored in a wide-column model and queried with CQL, a SQL-like language, and every node in a cluster is equal, so there is no primary server to fail. Replication across racks and datacenters is built in, and adding machines raises read and write throughput roughly in a straight line, which is why companies such as Netflix and Bloomberg run it for very large, write-heavy workloads. The trade-off is that data has to be modelled around the queries you plan to run: there are no joins, and ad-hoc querying is limited compared with a relational database. Operating a cluster also takes real skill, with repairs, compaction and tuning to manage. Cassandra itself is free under the Apache 2.0 licence and runs on your own Linux servers; managed versions are sold by cloud providers and vendors such as Aiven and DataStax.
Best for: Teams that need a self-hosted database for very large, write-heavy data spread across several datacenters.
Pros and cons
What works
- Masterless design with no single point of failure
- Multi-datacenter replication built in
- Throughput grows as you add nodes, without downtime
- Free under the Apache 2.0 licence
Why people leave
- No joins; tables must be designed around specific queries
- Running and repairing a cluster needs dedicated operations skill
- Overkill for small apps that fit in one relational database
Top Apache Cassandra alternatives
See all 6- 1
ScyllaDB66.5Speaks the same CQL protocol and drivers, so Cassandra apps can move over with little code change and fewer nodes.
- 2
Amazon DynamoDB64.8Fully managed wide-column style store on AWS, so there are no clusters, repairs or compaction to run yourself.
- 3
Azure Cosmos DB61.8Managed multi-region database on Azure that offers a Cassandra-compatible API alongside other data models.
- 4
MongoDB Atlas59.4Managed document database with flexible queries and secondary indexes, easier when access patterns change often.
- 5
CockroachDB57.5Distributed SQL with multi-region replication, for teams that want Cassandra-like resilience plus joins and transactions.
Why people left Apache Cassandra
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Apache Cassandra: common questions
Is Apache Cassandra free?
Yes. Apache Cassandra is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is Apache Cassandra open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at apache/cassandra. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does Apache Cassandra run on?
Apache Cassandra is available for Linux and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to Apache Cassandra?
The highest-ranked Apache Cassandra alternatives right now are ScyllaDB, Amazon DynamoDB and Azure Cosmos DB. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.