Weaviate vs. VoltDB

Weaviate and VoltDB are two different types of databases, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In this article, we'll take a look at the key differences between these two databases to help you better understand which one might be better suited for your needs.

Overview

Weaviate is a knowledge graph database designed to store and retrieve complex data structures with ease. It is ideal for applications that require sophisticated data modeling and querying capabilities. Weaviate is built on top of a distributed architecture, making it highly scalable and fault-tolerant.

VoltDB, on the other hand, is a massively parallel, high-performance, in-memory database designed to handle real-time streaming data. It is ideal for applications that require rapid query response times and high-speed data ingestion. VoltDB is built on an architecture that utilizes a shared-nothing design, which means that each node in the cluster operates independently.

Data Model

Weaviate is based on a knowledge graph model, which uses a set of nodes and edges to represent complex relationships between entities. This allows for highly flexible data modeling and querying capabilities. Weaviate also supports a number of different data types, including text, numbers, and geospatial data.

VoltDB, on the other hand, is based on a table-based model, which is more traditional in nature. It uses a relational data model, with each table consisting of a set of rows and columns. While this model is less flexible than the knowledge graph model, it is highly optimized for storing and querying large amounts of structured data.

Querying

Weaviate comes with its own query language called Greyhound, which is designed to make it easy to query complex data structures. Greyhound is a declarative language that allows you to specify the desired properties of your query without worrying about the underlying implementation details.

VoltDB, on the other hand, uses SQL as its primary querying language. This makes it easy for developers who are already familiar with SQL to start using VoltDB right away. VoltDB also supports stored procedures, which can be used to create complex queries that can be executed in a single transaction.

Scalability

Weaviate is highly scalable, thanks to its distributed architecture. It uses a peer-to-peer model, where each node in the cluster operates independently. This makes it easy to scale Weaviate horizontally by adding or removing nodes as needed.

VoltDB, on the other hand, is designed to be highly scalable by using a shared-nothing architecture. Each node in the cluster is responsible for its own data, which means that adding new nodes is as simple as adding additional hardware to the cluster. This makes VoltDB highly scalable and fault-tolerant.

Conclusion

Both Weaviate and VoltDB have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice for your application will depend on your specific needs. If you require highly flexible data modeling and querying capabilities for complex data structures, Weaviate is the way to go. If you need a highly performant database for storing and querying large amounts of structured data, VoltDB is the better choice.