Dgraph vs Neo4j: What are the differences?
Key Differences between Dgraph and Neo4j
Dgraph and Neo4j are two popular graph databases with some key differences.
1. Data Sharding: Dgraph automatically shards data across multiple servers, allowing for efficient horizontal scaling. On the other hand, Neo4j does not have built-in support for data sharding, requiring manual distribution of data across different instances.
2. Query Language: Dgraph uses GraphQL+- as its query language, which enables developers to write expressive and efficient queries with complex filtering and aggregations. Neo4j, on the other hand, uses the Cypher query language, which is specifically designed for querying graph databases.
3. Architecture: Dgraph follows a distributed architecture, where data is distributed across multiple servers, providing high availability and fault tolerance. In contrast, Neo4j follows a single-server architecture, where all data is stored on a single instance.
4. ACID Compliance: Dgraph is designed to be eventually consistent, focusing more on horizontal scalability and performance, while sacrificing full ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) compliance. Neo4j, on the other hand, offers strong consistency and full ACID compliance out of the box.
5. JSON-based Data Model: Dgraph natively supports a JSON-based data model, allowing for flexible and dynamic schema-less data storage. Neo4j uses a property graph model, where data is represented as nodes connected by relationships, providing more rigid schema enforcement.
6. Community and Ecosystem: While both Dgraph and Neo4j have active communities, Neo4j has a larger and more established ecosystem. Neo4j has been around for a longer time and has a wider range of community-contributed extensions and integrations.
In summary, Dgraph and Neo4j differ in terms of data sharding, query language, architecture, ACID compliance, data model, and ecosystem. Dgraph focuses on scalability and performance with automatic data sharding and a flexible JSON-based data model, while Neo4j offers strong consistency, ACID compliance, and a more established ecosystem.
