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Apache Databases for Small Business: Costs and Fit

· 27 min read Wooden shelves stacked with round wooden drums in a warm storeroom, one drum in the center lit from above.

CouchDB, Cassandra and Kvrocks can earn a place inside a small company’s custom software, but every database service here needs an IT provider. Most owners should choose the business application first; the developer tools in this group are components inside that application.

A database is where software keeps records. It is not a ready-made stock screen, customer list or bookkeeping system. The useful question is whether a particular database solves a problem your application actually has: disconnected work, a large flow of events, a relationship query or a lookup that needs to be faster.

Changing databases can cost more than running one for years. The application’s queries, data format and recovery procedure may all change. Before accepting a proposal, ask the provider to show the business operation that is currently failing and the smallest change that would fix it. Buying a more elaborate database before answering that question is an easy way to make a small system harder to repair.

October 30, 2026 update: added setup time and costs when an AI agent does the typing.

Every project in this group

The table retains all nineteen catalog entries and their tiers. Archive dates describe files; registry records can lag current releases, especially for developer components. Accumulo’s listed alpha is a preview that requires separate evaluation. HBase’s entry is the newest dated 2.6 release; newer major versions exist, and its download page labels 2.5.16 stable. Jackrabbit’s stale registry record is replaced with current core and Oak releases, which are separately versioned components. Ignite’s recommended 2.x branch is separate from its available 3.x work. We independently rechecked the three choices discussed at length.

Scroll to compare columns and rows when the table extends beyond the box.

Project What it does Who runs it Latest release and date
Apache Accumulo Stores large datasets with access controls on individual data cells. Your IT department or provider 4.0.0-alpha-1 (preview, registry); 2026-09-24
Apache AGE Adds graph queries to PostgreSQL so applications can explore relationships in business data. Your IT department or provider 1.8.0; 2026-08-06 (archive date)
Apache Asterixdb Stores and queries varied business data, including nested documents. Your IT department or provider 0.9.9; 2024-03-05 (archive date)
Apache Cassandra Stores operational data across servers for applications that need continued availability. Your IT department or provider 5.0.9; 2026-08-07
Apache CouchDB Stores documents and synchronizes copies between servers and devices. Your IT department or provider 3.5.3; 2026-10-12
Apache Geode Shares frequently used application data across servers. Your IT department or provider 2.0.3; 2026-09-19
Apache GraphAr (Incubating) Defines files for storing graph data that different analysis tools can share. Your developer 0.13.0-incubating; 2025-08-29
Apache HBase Stores very large tables for applications built on Hadoop. Your IT department or provider 2.6.7; 2026-10-01
Apache Hugegraph Stores and queries connected data such as customers, products and their relationships. Your IT department or provider 1.7.0; 2025-11-28
Apache Ignite Combines distributed data storage and computation for demanding applications. Your IT department or provider 2.18.0; 2026-04-26
Apache Jackrabbit Provides a content repository for applications that store documents and their metadata. Your developer Core 2.22.5; Oak 2.8.0; 2026-10-07 core; 2026-10-20 Oak
Apache Kudu Stores analytical tables that need both fast scans and ongoing updates. Your IT department or provider 1.18.1; 2026-01-09
Apache Kvrocks Stores large key and value datasets through a Redis compatible interface. Your IT department or provider 2.17.0; 2026-09-19
Apache Pegasus (Incubating) Stores application data across servers as keys and values. Your IT department or provider 2.5.0-incubating; 2023-12-01
Apache Phoenix Lets applications query HBase data using SQL. Your IT department or provider 5.3.2; 2026-07-04
Apache PouchDB (Incubating) Stores application data in a browser and synchronizes it with compatible databases. Your developer 9.0.0; 2024-05-24 (registry record)
Apache Resilientdb Provides a replicated ledger for applications that need agreement on recorded transactions. Your IT department or provider 1.13.0; 2026-09-30 (archive date)
Apache Rya Stores and queries linked facts for applications using semantic data. Your IT department or provider 4.0.1; 2020-12-22
Apache Shardingsphere Coordinates database access across multiple databases and servers. Your IT department or provider 5.5.3; 2026-03-01

GraphAr, Pegasus and PouchDB are incubating. Under the ASF explanation, they have not yet received the foundation’s full endorsement. That status is not a promise of either readiness or failure; evaluate the actual release and the support arrangement.

CouchDB: useful when an application needs replication

CouchDB stores JSON documents, exposes an HTTP interface and supports replication. It is worth a look when a developer needs copies of data to move between locations or devices. A browser administration screen does not make it a finished owner application, and replication does not decide how two conflicting edits should be resolved.

For example, a nine person HVAC company might need technicians to finish a service checklist where mobile reception is poor. Its developer could build an application that saves locally and synchronizes with CouchDB when connectivity returns. On a normal day, the office sees which checklists have arrived and which still need attention. The database host allowance below is $92 to $229/month plus $272 to $817 setup. The offline app, conflict handling and device management require separate development beyond installing the server.

For example, a two-location independent retailer with fourteen employees might want product-condition notes available during a temporary connection outage. A custom application could replicate the notes and show staff when a record was last synchronized. That could reduce repeated calls between stores, while a conflicting edit would still require a business rule or review. Use the same hosting range only for the modest pilot described here. Stock availability and sales transactions need their own authoritative workflow; replicated notes do not settle those decisions.

The official Docker route, Linux packages and single-node setup provide practical starting points. The current 3.5.3 announcement is dated October 12, 2026 and identifies security fixes. If building from source, use the 3.5 release requirements, including Erlang/OTP 27, rather than assuming every older installation paragraph applies.

Those installation pages do not publish a universal CPU or RAM minimum. We assume one Small server with 2 vCPU, 4 GiB RAM and 80 GiB disk for a modest pilot. That gives no host-failure tolerance. The provider must test database and index growth, replication behavior and compaction, then adjust disk and memory. The performance guide is a useful starting point for that work.

The business also needs an administrator account, a private management route, application-specific permissions and a tested independent recovery copy. Prove that the provider can restore data and resolve a test conflict without silently discarding a valid edit. A successful synchronization indicator means little if users cannot see which version of a record they are editing.

IBM Cloudant’s catalog, read in a browser on October 29, lists Standard and Standard-Gen2 starting at $109.43/month, billed hourly on provisioned throughput and stored data. Its unauthenticated page did not show the per-unit storage and throughput charges, so the worksheet uses a fixed starting-price floor. Obtain a complete quote before deciding. Cloudant plan documentation describes a managed replicated service and says data is not automatically backed up. You still need a backup plan. API and application compatibility must be reviewed before treating it as a substitute.

Our assumptions are one Small server, 10 to 50 GB retained backups, 4 to 12 setup hours and 1 to 3 administration hours/month. Application work is excluded on both sides. The single-node setup and managed replication have different failure behavior.

Scroll to compare columns and rows when the table extends beyond the box.

CouchDB single server Low labor/workload High labor/workload
Setup labor $272 $817
Monthly self hosted $92 $229
Self hosted, 36 months $3,588 $9,045
Cloudant starting floor, monthly $109 $109
Cloudant starting floor, 36 months $3,939 $3,939
Self hosting savings, 36 months $352 Negative $5,105
Break even month 16 Never

The low case saves only $352 over 36 months against the fixed floor and reaches break even in month 16. The high case never breaks even against that floor. An actual Cloudant bill can be higher, and a provider’s hourly bill can be higher than our labor proxy, so replace both with quotes. Skip CouchDB when an existing hosted business app already handles the records or when nobody can explain conflict resolution. Start with the official single-node instructions and disposable sample records, then test an offline edit and a restore.

Cassandra: distributed records with a real operating commitment

Cassandra is a distributed database for applications designed around its data and query model. It is relevant when an application has a justified need to spread data and writes across machines. It is usually an expensive way to solve a small company’s ordinary customer-list problem.

For example, a twenty-driver delivery firm might have custom software collecting vehicle events throughout the working day. Its provider could design tables around the questions dispatch actually asks, then replicate those records across nodes. On a normal day, dispatch can retrieve the relevant vehicle history without the office maintaining a separate spreadsheet. Our three-node budget is $553 to $1,235/month plus $1,634 to $4,085 setup. Whether the event volume warrants Cassandra must be measured; driver count alone proves nothing about database needs.

For example, an eighteen person ecommerce brand might have a custom order-activity service used by several systems. A provider could store events using a query-first schema and keep the authoritative order rules in the application. Staff could review the relevant activity when an order gets stuck. The same cluster budget applies to our bounded workload, with development, migration and on call coverage extra. A conventional managed database may still be the better design if its current limits have not been demonstrated.

The download page identifies 5.0.9, August 7, 2026. The 5.0 install guide supports Docker, archives and operating-system packages, with Java 11 or 17 listed. The hardware guide gives a production minimum of two cores and 8 GB RAM per node and describes larger typical machines. A demonstration container is not evidence that a smaller production machine is sufficient.

Our planning topology is three Medium servers with 4 vCPU and 8 GiB RAM each. The replication explanation describes copies across distinct nodes; we assume replication factor three for this example. Three nodes are our chosen small replicated scenario. Cassandra supports other topologies. Shared CPUs and a documented memory floor do not guarantee acceptable latency. Have the provider test the workload and loss of one node before signing off.

Repairs, compaction, capacity checks and recovery need an operator who understands the chosen consistency settings. Replication protects a different problem from off site backups. Deleting the wrong business records can still require an independent recovery source. Our 100 to 300 GB retained backup allowance and 6 to 16 administration hours/month are assumptions to replace with actual retention and workload measurements.

The current IBM watsonx.data pricing, Cassandra (Astra DB) option, checked October 29 in a browser, starts at $341/month. The published starter example includes 20 GB disk and 80 reads/second at 4 KB plus 80 writes/second at 1 KB, with listed peaks of 100. IBM calls the pricing indicative and dependent on country. We hold that workload and price constant for the comparison; it is not a capacity match for every self hosted cluster. Application, networking, backup and support needs still require a complete quote.

Scroll to compare columns and rows when the table extends beyond the box.

Cassandra three nodes Low labor/workload High labor/workload
Setup labor $1,634 $4,085
Monthly self hosted $553 $1,235
Self hosted, 36 months $21,548 $48,562
Astra DB starter, monthly $341 $341
Astra DB starter, 36 months $12,276 $12,276
Self hosting savings, 36 months Negative $9,272 Negative $36,286
Break even month Never Never

The managed starter costs less in both cases: $9,272 less than the low self hosted estimate and $36,286 less than the high one over 36 months. There is no break even at the modeled price. Skip self hosting unless a concrete requirement outweighs that difference and your provider can demonstrate recovery. Start with the versioned installation guide, a representative query and a clear test of whether a simpler database meets the same business requirement.

Kvrocks: disk-backed key lookups when the application fits

Kvrocks offers Redis-protocol access with RocksDB storage, using disk to change the memory tradeoff. Protocol compatibility does not mean every Redis command or product feature is interchangeable. Ask the developer to test the commands the application actually uses.

For example, a six person print shop might want its custom quoting application to find frequently used material prices quickly. A developer could keep a rebuildable lookup cache in Kvrocks while the authoritative price records remain in the main application. On a normal day, a quote screen reads the lookup without making staff search a price sheet. Our small pilot allowance is $92 to $228/month plus $272 to $817 setup; writing the integration and measuring whether it improves response time are separate jobs.

For example, a car wash operator with three locations and eleven employees might have a loyalty application that repeatedly looks up a small set of account attributes. Its developer could test a cache that is rebuilt from the transaction system if lost. Staff would use the existing loyalty screen, with cache freshness and failure behavior handled behind it. The same range applies only to a tiny compatible dataset; the transaction ledger remains separately hosted. Losing a cache and losing the only record of a customer balance are different business problems.

The getting-started guide offers an official Docker image and password configuration. Current downloads and the 2.17.0 release identify September 19, 2026. The guide does not give a universal RAM or CPU minimum. We assume one Small 4 GiB host for a bounded pilot, with persistent storage and no host redundancy. A provider must check client behavior, disk use and restoration before using it for important data.

The backup guide and replication guide describe separate operating tasks. For a rebuildable cache, test how long rebuilding takes and what the application does meanwhile. For durable records, use a properly scoped backup and restore plan. A low-memory design does not remove disk maintenance or make a snapshot automatically consistent with another database.

Redis Cloud Essentials, checked October 29 in a browser, starts at $5/month, with the page also showing an hourly rate of $0.007. Its plan range extends beyond the entry size, but $5 does not buy the largest advertised database. Our comparison explicitly limits the dataset to 100 to 250 MB within the entry capacity, with matching required commands. We use the vendor’s displayed monthly total within that entry capacity. A larger persistent dataset needs fresh sizing on both sides.

Our low and high cases assume 1 to 5 GB of retained backup copies, within B2’s free storage allowance, one Small server and the shared single-host labor range. The comparison excludes application changes and assumes the managed entry is sufficient after testing.

Scroll to compare columns and rows when the table extends beyond the box.

Kvrocks small cache Low labor/workload High labor/workload
Setup labor $272 $817
Monthly self hosted $92 $228
Self hosted, 36 months $3,588 $9,035
Redis Cloud entry, monthly $5 $5
Redis Cloud entry, 36 months $180 $180
Self hosting savings, 36 months Negative $3,408 Negative $8,855
Break even month Never Never

Self hosting never breaks even in this small example. Kvrocks is more interesting when disk-backed storage solves a demonstrated application problem, but a tiny cache is a poor reason to take on a database server. Start with the official container instructions and a representative client test. Skip the change if the application is already fast enough or if a managed entry plan can meet the need with less operational work.

How we counted the cost

The shared method uses $68.09 per administration hour, an employee compensation estimate from BLS wages divided by the 70.0% wages share. An outside IT provider bills more than this proxy, so get a quote. DigitalOcean supplies our Small server at $24/month (2 vCPU, 4 GiB RAM, 80 GiB disk), Medium at $48 (4 vCPU, 8 GiB, 160 GiB), and Large at $252 (8 dedicated vCPU, 32 GiB, 100 GiB). These are monthly caps without an annual commitment. Backblaze B2 costs $6.95 per decimal TB/month after the first 10 GB free. All were checked October 29, 2026.

Setup = hours × $68.09. Monthly self hosted = server charges + max(0, retained backup GB minus 10) × $0.00695 + administration hours × $68.09. The 36 month total adds setup to 36 monthly bills; savings subtract that total from the alternative. Break even is setup divided by positive monthly savings, rounded up; otherwise it is never. Calculations retain cents internally and display whole dollars.

Our assumptions are 4 to 12 setup hours and 1 to 3 administration hours/month for a bounded single server, or 24 to 60 and 6 to 16 for a small cluster. These exclude application development, migration, training, incidents and on call coverage on both sides. Alternative setup is assumed zero incremental infrastructure labor in these examples. Implementation still takes work. Backup volumes include retained copies. We assume no chargeable backup requests or excess transfer; add them if your usage exceeds the provider allowances. Low and high cases are planning ranges to replace with measured requirements.

Setup time when Claude or ChatGPT does the typing

We keep the CouchDB example: one $24 Small server and 10 to 50 GB of backups. Its single-node failure limits remain. Our assumed hours include prompting, review, testing and corrections, not unattended agent runtime. Coding studies do not validate these Apache setup savings. [96]

Scroll to compare columns and rows when the table extends beyond the box.

CouchDB: paired planning cases Low High
Manual setup hours 4 12
AI setup share; hours 50%; 2 80%; 9.6
Manual administration hours/month 1 3
AI administration share; hours/month 75%; 0.75 100%; 3
Manual total, 36 months $3,588 $9,045
Claude Pro subscription total, 36 months $3,039 $9,081
ChatGPT Plus subscription total, 36 months $3,039 $9,081
API pay per token: Claude Opus 5.5 total, 36 months $2,853 $8,995
API pay per token: GPT-6 Astra total, 36 months $2,876 $9,166
Opus setup/monthly token charges $0.764 / $0.382 $6 / $3
Astra setup/monthly token charges $1.970 / $0.985 $15 / $7.50

Let S/A be manual setup/monthly hours, q/r the AI shares, H monthly hosting plus backups, and T0/Tm setup/monthly tool charges. We use $68.09/hour and round totals only after calculation.

Manual total = S × $68.09 + 36 × (H + A × $68.09)
AI total = S × q × $68.09 + T0 + 36 × (H + A × r × $68.09 + Tm)
Savings = Manual total minus AI total

We budget Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus at $20 for a separate setup month, then $5/month for 36 operating months: a 25% allocation only when other work uses the rest. Without sharing, add $540. Equal prices do not mean equal allowances; check limits and price extra usage. [84, 85, 86]

Our assumed API budgets are 200,000 to 1,000,000 input and 20,000 to 100,000 output tokens for setup; monthly, 100,000 to 500,000 input and 10,000 to 50,000 output. Low input splits 30% ordinary, 10% short cache writes and 60% reads; high input is uncached. Charges include retries and billed reasoning. The kit shows rates and token arithmetic. [93, 94, 95]

Claude Code or Codex can draft CouchDB configuration and replication tests. Desktop Commander, connected to the server, can install packages, edit settings and read compaction logs. Claude in Chrome can inspect the provider panel and CouchDB’s Fauxton administration screen while we supervise. [87, 89, 90, 91] ChatGPT’s supported cloud browser is separate from your Chrome session, not a promised equivalent extension. [92]

Our base uses free local Desktop Commander or Codex CLI. Optional Remote Pro adds $20 in setup and $5/month with the same allocation, or $200 overall. [88]

Use a new or staging server, keep secrets out of chat and approve commands or use a restricted sandbox. Watch browser actions; use subscriptions for supervised supported tools and API keys for custom automation. Review every change and test a database restore and conflicting offline edits; we still own backups, updates and the decision.

The conclusion stays: the low case beats Cloudant’s $3,939 starting floor over 36 months; the high case loses. Managed replication and single-node CouchDB still differ. The high case saves no monthly labor; recurring fees can erase setup savings.

Needs your IT department or a provider

These are the other operational entries. Our monthly staffing assumptions are 1 to 3 hours for a bounded single-host pilot or 6 to 16 for a small cluster, excluding development and incidents. Documented learning topologies are identified as such; they are not production sizing promises. Managed alternatives below solve related business jobs and usually require application changes.

Accumulo. Its installation documentation adds a database to HDFS and ZooKeeper. The single-machine development route is not a production cluster; the documented combined-stack sizing commonly uses 4 to 8 cores and 8 to 32 GB RAM. A parts distributor with restricted supplier datasets might justify its specialist access controls. Allow 6 to 16 hours/month for a small stack. If simpler permissions suffice, DigitalOcean managed PostgreSQL starts at $15.15/month for one 1 GiB node with 10 GiB base storage. It does not reproduce Accumulo’s model or imply high availability.

AGE. This adds graph queries to PostgreSQL. The setup guide offers a container with the extension; start with one compatible PostgreSQL host, then size data and queries. Its documented version combinations must match the selected release, since older instructions do not cover every newer PostgreSQL artifact. A twelve person property manager tracing vendors and properties could evaluate it with 1 to 3 administration hours/month for a bounded pilot. Neo4j AuraDB Professional starts at $0.09/GB-hour with a 1 GB minimum: our assumed 730-hour month is $66 rounded. Query and application migration remain separate.

AsterixDB. Its 0.9.9 service guide demonstrates a controller and two node services on one machine before multi-machine deployment. That is a learning setup; production needs an operator to size storage and recovery, with our 6 to 16 hours/month cluster allowance. An eight person parts seller combining nested supplier records might investigate it. DigitalOcean managed MongoDB starts at $15.23/month for one 1 GiB node with 15 GiB base storage. Its APIs differ, so an application migration requires separate work.

Geode. This provides distributed data services. Its official quick start starts a locator and server, then adds a server for replication. Memory and persistent-data needs follow the working set. Older published prerequisite pages describe a different release line, so the provider must match current runtime requirements. A two-location retailer with a custom lookup system might evaluate it; allow 6 to 16 hours/month for a replicated deployment. Redis Cloud’s $5 entry is a simpler small-cache alternative only if the application can dispense with Geode-specific features.

HBase. The reference guide distinguishes a single-JVM learning setup from distributed operation with Hadoop storage and coordination. Follow the selected release’s guide; the public reference also contains legacy material. A regional courier with a large operational history might justify this stack and 6 to 16 administration hours/month. Cloudera publishes Operational Database at $0.08 per CCU-hour, excluding infrastructure and networking. A CCU is its compute-capacity unit; that unit price is not a complete small-business monthly bill.

HugeGraph. Its server guide describes local RocksDB storage and a distributed path with separate services. The provider must match runtime requirements to the release, size graph data and protect query access. A ten person wholesaler identifying substitute parts could begin with the local evaluation and 1 to 3 administration hours/month; distributed operation needs the cluster range. Neo4j AuraDB Professional’s $0.09/GB-hour, minimum 1 GB, is a published graph-service comparison, with different APIs and migration work.

Ignite. The quick start begins with one node and then another; application integration and partition recovery remain engineering work. Its download page recommends the 2.x line while separately describing 3.x. A seven person print distributor with custom availability queries might investigate it, allowing 6 to 16 hours/month for a replicated deployment. Redis Cloud’s $5 small-cache entry is an alternative only when distributed SQL and computation are unnecessary. No fixed hosted-Ignite support price was verified.

Kudu. Its installation guide describes one master without fault tolerance or three masters for tolerating one failure, and at least three tablet servers for replicated data. Roles need not each mean a separate physical machine; the provider must design that placement. A thirty person manufacturer combining changing job records and analytical scans might justify 6 to 16 administration hours/month. Cloudera Data Hub lists $0.04/CCU-hour before infrastructure. Request a complete cluster quote rather than multiplying that rate by an invented node size.

Pegasus (Incubating). The deployment guide calls for two or three MetaServers and at least three ReplicaServers, with coordination and suitable storage. An experienced provider must operate this distributed database. A niche ecommerce company with a custom high-volume backend might evaluate it with 6 to 16 administration hours/month. The Astra DB $341 starter above is an alternative distributed-record budget. It uses a different database with its own compatibility requirements. Ask why the particular Pegasus architecture is necessary before commissioning it.

Phoenix. The quick start adds server components to HBase region servers and a matching SQL client. It inherits HBase’s operational stack; it does not turn that stack into a standalone small SQL database. A wholesaler already running HBase could use SQL access and allow 6 to 16 hours/month for the combined system. Cloudera’s published Data Hub $0.04/CCU-hour or Operational Database $0.08/CCU-hour are relevant service rates, with cloud infrastructure and a real configuration quote still required.

ResilientDB. The official project instructions describe replicated consensus with 3f + 1 replicas, so tolerating one faulty participant requires four replicas. A group of independent farms sharing a transaction record might need that trust model; most single businesses do not. Allow 6 to 16 administration hours/month plus specialist application work. Managed PostgreSQL from $15.15/month uses a simpler central authority model and cannot reproduce Byzantine-fault-tolerant consensus. No hosted ResilientDB price was verified, so no equivalent-service savings claim is made.

Rya. Its documentation and official quick start combine RDF/SPARQL handling with Accumulo or MongoDB and a web application. A nonprofit linking program and funding relationships might investigate it, but the database and web stack need specialists and our 6 to 16 hours/month allowance. Amazon Neptune gives a US East (N. Virginia) example at $0.348/hour for db.r5.large. Storage, I/O and backup costs are additional; the semantic-graph service has different interfaces and operating behavior from Rya.

ShardingSphere. The proxy quick start adds a proxy in front of backend databases. One proxy is a pilot, while resilience covers this routing layer and the actual databases. A multi-store retailer whose measured SQL workload has outgrown its current design might justify 6 to 16 administration hours/month for the combined deployment. First compare a suitably sized managed PostgreSQL service, whose DigitalOcean entry is $15.15/month. Use that entry to start a sizing discussion; a sharded workload will usually need more capacity.

Your developer’s toolbox

  • GraphAr (Incubating) defines ways to store and exchange graph data. A developer incorporates it into a data pipeline.
  • Jackrabbit supplies a content repository for applications. The current download page recommends core 2.22.5, released October 7, 2026. Oak is a separate implementation with its own 2.8.0 release dated October 20; match the component your application actually uses.
  • PouchDB (Incubating) is browser database code that a developer can use in an offline application. A developer supplies the completed application and defines its synchronization rules.

The homepage links in the table identify each component. Ask the application vendor to list versions and who updates them; a component can matter to security even when it has no owner-facing screen.

Risks and support

Review CouchDB advisories, Cassandra’s security contact guidance, Kvrocks security and ASF security. Keep database administration private, use separate application credentials and limit their permissions. After security updates, test representative business operations through the application.

Set retention and recovery expectations before loading real records. A replica can copy a deletion. A cache can contain information that should not be in a log. A backup can restore successfully yet omit the application configuration needed to read it. Ask the provider to demonstrate recovery of a representative record and the application that uses it, with the business owner observing the result.

For a quiet project, inspect releases, mailing lists, supported runtimes and the Attic. A stale registry value alone is not proof of abandonment, and a new preview is not proof of production readiness. IBM, Redis, DigitalOcean, Cloudera and Neo4j publish the services cited here; their contracts specify support for those services. Do not assume a managed subscription includes support for a separately hosted installation or custom application.

The Apache License 2.0 permits commercial use and modification under its conditions, including notices when redistributing. It provides no warranty and no general right to use Apache trademarks. The practical support decision belongs in a separate agreement.

Download the kit

The database kit includes provider cards for every operational project, the full catalog table, recovery questions and these filled cost worksheets.

Related reading

Fact-check notes and sources

Official pages and the series catalog evidence were read October 29, 2026. Prices are US dollars before tax; billing terms appear with each comparison. We have not installed these projects for this series.

  1. Apache Accumulo. Read October 29, 2026, 21:12:49 UTC (catalog observation).

  2. 4.0.0-alpha-1 (preview, registry); 2026-09-24. Read October 29, 2026, 21:00:00 UTC (catalog snapshot).

  3. Apache AGE. Read October 29, 2026, 21:12:49 UTC (catalog observation).

  4. 1.8.0; 2026-08-06 (archive date). Read October 29, 2026, 21:26:01 UTC (catalog observation).

  5. Apache Asterixdb. Read October 29, 2026, 21:12:52 UTC (catalog observation).

  6. 0.9.9; 2024-03-05 (archive date). Read October 29, 2026, 21:19:42 UTC (catalog observation).

  7. Apache Cassandra. Read October 29, 2026, 21:12:53 UTC (catalog observation).

  8. 5.0.9; 2026-08-07. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:32 UTC.

  9. Apache CouchDB. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:34 UTC.

  10. 3.5.3; 2026-10-12. Read October 29, 2026, 21:41:22 UTC.

  11. Apache Geode. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:35 UTC.

  12. geode release rel/v2.0.3 on GitHub. Read October 29, 2026, 21:14:09 UTC (catalog observation).

  13. Apache GraphAr (Incubating). Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:52 UTC (catalog observation).

  14. incubator-graphar release v0.13.0 on GitHub. Read October 29, 2026, 21:17:33 UTC (catalog observation).

  15. Apache HBase. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:38 UTC (catalog observation).

  16. 2.6.7; 2026-10-01. Read October 29, 2026, 21:54:31 UTC.

  17. Apache Hugegraph. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:38 UTC (catalog observation).

  18. 1.7.0; 2025-11-28. Read October 29, 2026, 21:14:10 UTC (catalog observation).

  19. Apache Ignite. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:38 UTC (catalog observation).

  20. 2.18.0; 2026-04-26. Read October 29, 2026, 21:54:31 UTC.

  21. Apache Jackrabbit. Read October 29, 2026, 21:54:43 UTC.

  22. Core 2.22.5; Oak 2.8.0; 2026-10-07 core; 2026-10-20 Oak. Read October 29, 2026, 21:54:44 UTC.

  23. Apache Kudu. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:39 UTC (catalog observation).

  24. 1.18.1; 2026-01-09. Read October 29, 2026, 21:14:33 UTC (catalog observation).

  25. Apache Kvrocks. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:39 UTC (catalog observation).

  26. kvrocks release v2.17.0 on GitHub. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:28 UTC.

  27. Apache Pegasus (Incubating). Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:53 UTC (catalog observation).

  28. 2.5.0-incubating; 2023-12-01. Read October 29, 2026, 21:17:54 UTC (catalog observation).

  29. Apache Phoenix. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:44 UTC (catalog observation).

  30. 5.3.2; 2026-07-04. Read October 29, 2026, 21:22:21 UTC (catalog observation).

  31. Apache PouchDB (Incubating). Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:39 UTC (catalog observation).

  32. Apache Resilientdb. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:44 UTC.

  33. 1.13.0; 2026-09-30 (archive date). Read October 29, 2026, 21:16:01 UTC (catalog observation).

  34. Apache Rya. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:45 UTC (catalog observation).

  35. 4.0.1; 2020-12-22. Read October 29, 2026, 21:15:42 UTC (catalog observation).

  36. Apache Shardingsphere. Read October 29, 2026, 21:13:45 UTC (catalog observation).

  37. 5.5.3; 2026-03-01. Read October 29, 2026, 21:15:57 UTC (catalog observation).

  38. ASF explanation. Read October 29, 2026, 21:41:51 UTC.

  39. CouchDB. Read October 29, 2026, 21:41:22 UTC.

  40. official Docker route. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:24 UTC.

  41. Linux packages. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:32 UTC.

  42. single-node setup. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:33 UTC.

  43. 3.5 release requirements. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:30 UTC.

  44. performance guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:58 UTC.

  45. IBM Cloudant’s catalog. Read October 29, 2026, approximately 21:55 UTC, supplied browser review.

  46. Cloudant plan documentation. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:33 UTC.

  47. 5.0 install guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:59 UTC.

  48. hardware guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:58 UTC.

  49. replication explanation. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:35 UTC.

  50. IBM watsonx.data pricing, Cassandra (Astra DB) option. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:23 UTC.

  51. getting-started guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:33 UTC.

  52. Current downloads. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:34 UTC.

  53. backup guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:28 UTC.

  54. replication guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:24 UTC.

  55. Redis Cloud Essentials. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:35 UTC.

  56. BLS wages. Read October 29, 2026, 21:12:08 UTC.

  57. 70.0% wages share. Read October 29, 2026, 21:17:59 UTC.

  58. DigitalOcean. Read October 29, 2026, 21:10:42 UTC.

  59. Backblaze B2. Read October 29, 2026, 21:10:42 UTC.

  60. installation documentation. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:30 UTC.

  61. DigitalOcean managed PostgreSQL. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:25 UTC.

  62. setup guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:43 UTC.

  63. Neo4j AuraDB Professional. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:26 UTC.

  64. 0.9.9 service guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:24 UTC.

  65. official quick start. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:58 UTC.

  66. reference guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:43 UTC.

  67. Cloudera. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:28 UTC.

  68. server guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:38:25 UTC.

  69. quick start. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:44 UTC.

  70. installation guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:44 UTC.

  71. deployment guide. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:32 UTC.

  72. quick start. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:44 UTC.

  73. official project instructions. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:58 UTC.

  74. documentation. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:45 UTC.

  75. official quick start. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:59 UTC.

  76. Amazon Neptune. Read October 29, 2026, 21:41:22 UTC.

  77. proxy quick start. Read October 29, 2026, 21:37:45 UTC.

  78. CouchDB advisories. Read October 29, 2026, 21:40:28 UTC.

  79. Cassandra’s security contact guidance. Read October 29, 2026, 21:41:51 UTC.

  80. Kvrocks security. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:59 UTC.

  81. ASF security. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:57 UTC.

  82. Attic. Read October 29, 2026, 22:09:30 UTC.

  83. Apache License 2.0. Read October 29, 2026, 21:39:56 UTC.

  84. Claude plans. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:08 UTC; reused for this update.

  85. ChatGPT plans. Read October 29, 2026, about 23:27 UTC in a regular browser.

  86. Codex plan access. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:16 UTC; reused for this update.

  87. Codex CLI. Read October 29, 2026, 23:32:01 UTC; reused for this update.

  88. Desktop Commander pricing. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:08 UTC; reused for this update.

  89. Desktop Commander setup and permissions. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:41 UTC; reused for this update.

  90. Claude in Chrome. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:11 UTC; reused for this update.

  91. Chrome permissions. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:09 UTC; reused for this update.

  92. ChatGPT cloud browser. Read October 29, 2026, 23:32:01 UTC; reused for this update.

  93. Claude API pricing. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:14 UTC; reused for this update.

  94. OpenAI API pricing. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:13 UTC; reused for this update.

  95. OpenAI prompt caching. Read October 29, 2026, 23:32:00 UTC; reused for this update.

  96. METR coding study limitations. Read October 29, 2026, 23:31:09 UTC; reused for this update.

Apache, the Apache feather logo and the Apache project names are trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the ASF. Other product names are used for identification only.

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