Aerospike vs Tarantool: What are the differences?

**Introduction:**
Aerospike and Tarantool are two popular databases known for their speed and performance. While both offer high-performance solutions, there are key differences that set them apart.

**1. Data Model:** Aerospike is a NoSQL database that follows a key-value data model, making it suitable for real-time applications and large-scale distributed systems. In contrast, Tarantool combines a key-value store with an SQL database model, providing more flexibility for different types of data structures and query options.

**2. Distribution:** Aerospike is designed for horizontal scalability, allowing users to easily add nodes to expand storage capacity and improve performance. Tarantool, on the other hand, primarily focuses on single-server performance and does not offer built-in support for automatic sharding and distributed operations.

**3. Consistency Model:** Aerospike offers tunable consistency levels, ranging from eventual consistency to strong consistency, allowing users to choose the level that best suits their application requirements. In comparison, Tarantool primarily provides eventual consistency, with limited support for stronger consistency guarantees.

**4. Storage Engine:** Aerospike uses a proprietary storage engine optimized for high-throughput and low-latency operations, making it well-suited for write-heavy workloads. Tarantool utilizes a storage engine based on the Log-Structured Merge Tree (LSM), offering good performance for both read and write operations.

**5. Query Language:** Aerospike supports a SQL-like query interface called AQL (Aerospike Query Language), making it easier for users familiar with SQL to interact with the database. Tarantool, on the other hand, uses Lua scripting for queries and stored procedures, providing more flexibility but requiring additional learning curve for users.

**6. Community and Ecosystem:** Aerospike has a larger community and well-established ecosystem with support for various programming languages and integrations with popular tools and frameworks. In comparison, Tarantool has a smaller community but offers built-in support for Lua scripting that can be leveraged for custom applications and extensions.

In Summary, Aerospike and Tarantool differ in their data models, distribution capabilities, consistency models, storage engines, query languages, and community ecosystems, making them suitable for different use cases based on specific requirements.