InfluxDB vs TimescaleDB
InfluxDB
Purpose-built time-series database
TimescaleDB
Time-series extension for PostgreSQL
| Feature | InfluxDB | TimescaleDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Databases | Databases |
| Sub-category | Time-Series | Time-Series |
| Maturity | mature | stable |
| Complexity | intermediate | intermediate |
| Performance tier | medium | medium |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | permissive | permissive |
| Pricing | fully free | fully free |
| GitHub stars | 30.0K | 18.0K |
| Contributors | 500 | 200 |
| Commit frequency | weekly | weekly |
| Plugin ecosystem | none | none |
| Docs quality | good | good |
| Backing org | InfluxData | Timescale Inc |
| Funding model | open_core | open_core |
| Min RAM | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Min CPU cores | 2 | 2 |
| Scaling pattern | horizontal | vertical |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| K8s native | No | No |
| Offline capable | Yes | Yes |
| Vendor lock-in | none | none |
| Languages | Go, Rust | C |
| API type | REST | REST |
| Protocols | HTTP | HTTP |
| Deployment | docker, apt, binary | docker, apt, binary |
| SDK languages | — | — |
| Team size fit | solo, small, medium, enterprise | solo, small, medium, enterprise |
| First release | 2020 | 2020 |
| Latest version | — | — |
When to use InfluxDB
- ✓ Primary: monitoring-metrics
- ✓ Primary: iot-data-storage
- ✓ Primary: real-time-analytics
When to use TimescaleDB
- ✓ Primary use: iot-data
- ✓ Primary use: monitoring-metrics
- ✓ Primary use: financial-tick-data
InfluxDB anti-patterns
- ✕ Flux language learning curve
- ✕ v3 is a rewrite — migration needed
- ✕ Cardinality limits can be frustrating