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DuckDB

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Last updated on

Company health

Employee growth
6% increase in the last year
Web traffic
7% increase in the last quarter

DuckDB description

DuckDB is a free and open-source database system designed for fast data analysis. It's lightweight and easy to integrate with various programming languages like Python and R. DuckDB excels at handling large datasets efficiently, even exceeding memory capacity. It supports standard SQL and can work with common file formats like CSV and Parquet, including those stored on cloud services. It's suitable for analytics tasks where speed and ease of use are prioritized.


Who is using DuckDB?


Who is DuckDB best for

DuckDB is a fast, open-source database perfect for quick data analysis. We find it's ideal for data analysts, scientists, and developers needing fast analytical queries. It works well with different file types like CSV and Parquet, even on cloud services. From our experience, if you want speed and ease without managing a database server, DuckDB is a strong option.

  • Perfect for mid-size to enterprise companies seeking a fast, efficient analytics database without server overhead.

  • Great across industries needing quick data analysis, from finance to healthcare, especially those using cloud-based data.


DuckDB features

Supported

Simple Installation: DuckDB is easy to install and deploy. It has zero external dependencies and runs in-process in its host application or as a single binary.

Supported

Portable across platforms: DuckDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and all popular hardware architectures. It has idiomatic client APIs for major programming languages.

Supported

Feature-rich SQL dialect: DuckDB offers a rich SQL dialect. It can read and write file formats such as CSV, Parquet, and JSON, to and from the local file system and remote endpoints such as S3 buckets.

Supported

Fast analytical queries: DuckDB runs analytical queries at blazing speed thanks to its columnar engine, which supports parallel execution and can process larger-than-memory workloads.

Supported

Extensible: DuckDB is extensible by third-party features such as new data types, functions, file formats and new SQL syntax. User contributions are available as community extensions.

Supported

Free and Open Source: DuckDB and its core extensions are open-source under the permissive MIT License. The intellectual property of the project is held by the DuckDB Foundation.

Supported

Minimalist Codebase: DuckDB has a small code base written in C++ with no external dependencies. The entire codebase is well-structured and extensively documented, which allows engineers to quickly understand and modify the system.


DuckDB pricing

See the DuckDB pricing page.

  • DuckDB has a free plan.

Community
Free

Public issue tracker, No guaranteed response time, SQL and API support only

Custom
Custom

Private issue tracker and datasets, Guaranteed response time, Flexible scope, Deployment advice, Negotiable support volume


DuckDB alternatives

  • Logo of ClickHouse
    ClickHouse
    Blazing-fast analytics database for massive datasets. Open-source.
    Read more
  • Logo of Apache Pinot
    Apache Pinot
    Real-time analytics database for fast insights from massive datasets.
    Read more
  • Logo of SQLite
    SQLite
    Serverless database syncing data across devices and servers.
    Read more
  • Logo of KX
    KX
    Blazing-fast time-series database for real-time insights and AI.
    Read more
  • Logo of Apache Arrow
    Apache Arrow
    Faster big data: a common language for in-memory processing.
    Read more
  • Logo of SingleStore
    SingleStore
    Fast, unified database for real-time analytics and applications.
    Read more

DuckDB FAQ

  • What is DuckDB and what does DuckDB do?

    DuckDB is a free and open-source analytical database system. We find it excels at fast processing of large datasets, even exceeding memory, using its columnar vectorized execution engine. It's easy to integrate with various programming languages and supports standard SQL.

  • How does DuckDB integrate with other tools?

    We find DuckDB integrates seamlessly with Python and R for analysis, and handles various file formats like CSV and Parquet, even on cloud storage. It also supports extensions for custom features.

  • What the main competitors of DuckDB?

    We find that DuckDB's main competitors include ClickHouse, Apache Pinot, SQLite, KX, Apache Arrow, and SingleStore. These alternatives offer various strengths, from real-time analytics to serverless functionality and in-memory processing.

  • Is DuckDB legit?

    Yes, DuckDB is a legitimate and safe open-source database system. We find it's well-regarded for its speed and ease of use, particularly for analytical queries. It's free to use and backed by the DuckDB Foundation.

  • How much does DuckDB cost?

    DuckDB's Community support is free. They also offer custom support with pricing available upon request. We recommend contacting them for a personalized quote if you need dedicated support.

  • Is DuckDB customer service good?

    There are no customer service reviews available at the moment. Therefore, we can't comment on the quality of DuckDB's customer service.


Reviewed by

MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.