Open-Source Databases · dolthub

dolt

Dolt is a SQL database that combines Git-like version control with MySQL compatibility, allowing teams to track data changes, branch, merge, and collaborate on datasets. It exposes version control through both a CLI mimicking Git commands and SQL interfaces, making it suitable for data pipelines, AI agent memory, and collaborative data workflows.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/dolthub/dolt

23.8k

GitHub stars

823

Forks

Primary language

Apache-2.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	dolthub/dolt
Owner	dolthub
Primary language	Go
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	23.8k
Forks	823
Open issues	589
Latest release	v2.1.10 (2026-06-26)
Last updated	2026-07-07
Source	https://github.com/dolthub/dolt

What dolt is

A Go-based MySQL-compatible RDBMS with built-in distributed version control semantics (fork, clone, branch, merge, push, pull). Supports both CLI workflows and standard MySQL protocol connections; version control operations are accessible via system tables, functions, and procedures. Ships as a single ~103 MB binary with Docker images available.

Quickstart

Get the dolt source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/dolthub/dolt.git2cd dolt3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Collaborative Data Workflows

Teams need to version, branch, and merge datasets with full audit trails and conflict resolution—similar to code review processes but for tabular data and schemas.

AI Agent Memory & Multi-Agent Systems

Persistent, queryable, version-controlled memory stores for individual and multi-agent/multi-machine workflows where data lineage and reproducibility matter.

Data Reproducibility in Analytics & ML

Immutable snapshots, commit history, and branch-based experimentation enable reproducible data pipelines and time-travel queries for analysis or debugging.

Implementation considerations

Dolt is a single binary (~103 MB); installation is straightforward via direct download, Homebrew, Chocolatey, or Docker—no complex dependency management.
Requires Go and a C compiler if building from source; cgo dependency adds a build-time compilation step.
CLI and SQL-server modes both supported; applications can connect as standard MySQL clients (tested up to MySQL 8.4), lowering integration friction with existing tools.
Version control features are SQL-accessible (system tables/functions/procedures), enabling programmatic workflows without learning Git-like CLI.
Latest release (v2.1.10, June 2026) indicates active development; 589 open issues suggest an evolving feature set and potential stability concerns for edge cases.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

High-Throughput OLTP Systems — Version control overhead and distributed merge semantics are not optimized for microsecond-latency transactional workloads at scale.
PostgreSQL-Only Requirements — Dolt is MySQL-compatible; PostgreSQL support exists as a separate beta product (Doltgres), not in the main project.
Large-Scale Distributed Consensus Needed — Dolt is described as 'decentralized' but distributed consensus guarantees and cross-region ACID semantics are not clearly documented; requires review for multi-DC deployments.
Unvetted Security-Critical Use Cases — No CVE history, security audit, or third-party security assessment is evident in the provided data; requires security review before use in regulated/compliance contexts.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). This is a permissive, OSI-approved license allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions (attribution required, no liability/warranty).

Apache-2.0 explicitly permits commercial use. The open-source project itself carries no commercial restrictions. However, DoltHub (public data hosting), DoltLab (private hosted DoltHub), and Hosted Dolt (managed Dolt server) are separate commercial offerings with their own terms; review those services' agreements if using them.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Low
DEV.co fit	Good
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

No CVE history, security audit, or documented threat model provided. Dolt accepts SQL queries and network connections (MySQL protocol); standard SQL injection and authentication controls apply. cgo dependency introduces C-layer code. Before production use in regulated environments, verify: authentication & encryption capabilities (TLS), input validation, audit logging, and consider independent security assessment.

Alternatives to consider

Git + CSV/Parquet Files

Simple, decentralized version control via Git; no database server needed. Lacks query power and scales poorly for large tabular datasets.

PostgreSQL + pg_partman / Temporal Tables

PostgreSQL offers versioning, branching (logical), and time-travel via range/list partitions and temporal extensions. Requires more manual schema design; lacks Git-like merge semantics.

Data Version Control Tools (DVC, Pachyderm)

Purpose-built for ML/data workflows with reproducibility. Optimized for large file/model artifacts; SQL query support is limited or indirect.

Software development agency

Build on dolt with DEV.co software developers

Dolt combines Git workflows with SQL databases—ideal for collaborative data teams and AI agent memory. Download the binary, start a server, and begin versioning your datasets in minutes. Review the full documentation and test in non-production first.

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Related open-source tools

Surfaced by semantic similarity across the DEV.co open-source index.

go-mysql-server dolphie rel

Related on DEV.co

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dolt FAQ

Is Dolt a replacement for Git or MySQL?

No. Dolt combines Git workflows (version control, branching, merging) with MySQL compatibility (SQL querying, RDBMS features). Use it when you need both; Git + a database separately may be simpler for traditional applications.

Can I use Dolt with PostgreSQL?

The main Dolt project is MySQL-compatible. A separate beta product, Doltgres, provides PostgreSQL compatibility.

How does Dolt handle merge conflicts?

Dolt has a `conflicts` command for viewing and resolving merge conflicts. Details of conflict resolution semantics (e.g., three-way merge, custom strategies) are not in the provided data; review full documentation.

Is Dolt suitable for production use?

Dolt is actively maintained and used in production (Beads, Gas Town, and others mentioned). However, 589 open issues and a relatively younger project (first commit July 2019) suggest evaluating stability for your specific workload. Security assessment is recommended before deployment in regulated/sensitive environments.

Custom software development services

DEV.co is a software development agency delivering custom software development services to companies building on open source. Our software developers and web developers design, integrate, and ship production systems — spanning web development, APIs, AI, data, and cloud. If dolt is part of your open-source databases roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.

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