Open-Source Databases · apache

iotdb

Apache IoTDB is a time-series database designed for IoT and industrial data collection, storage, and analysis. It supports high-throughput writes from millions of devices, offers efficient compression, and integrates with Hadoop and Spark ecosystems.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/apache/iotdb

6.4k

GitHub stars

1.1k

Forks

Java

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	apache/iotdb
Owner	apache
Primary language	Java
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	6.4k
Forks	1.1k
Open issues	711
Latest release	v2.0.10 (2026-07-04)
Last updated	2026-07-08
Source	https://github.com/apache/iotdb

What iotdb is

Java-based columnar time-series database using TsFile format, supporting SQL-like queries, JDBC APIs, and mixed read/write workloads. Provides device-centric data organization, time-alignment across measurements, and distributed deployment options.

Quickstart

Get the iotdb source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/apache/iotdb.git2cd iotdb3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

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

Best use cases

Industrial IoT data collection at scale

Ingest millions of low-power device streams simultaneously with high throughput, store efficiently on resource-constrained hardware, and query across time and device hierarchies.

Edge-to-cloud time-series synchronization

Deploy lightweight IoTDB instances on edge devices or terminals, synchronize data to cloud clusters, and perform distributed analysis across heterogeneous device networks.

Time-series analytics with Hadoop/Spark

Store time-aligned metrics, use seamless Spark/Hadoop connectors for batch analysis, frequency-domain transformations, and aggregations across device cohorts without ETL friction.

Implementation considerations

Java 17+ (up to 25 verified) required; validate against your target JVM versions and upgrade cycle.
System resource tuning mandatory: max open files ≥65535, somaxconn ≥65535; Docker and cloud deployments need explicit limit configuration.
Build-time dependencies span Java (Maven 3.6+), C++ (Boost, Bison, Flex, OpenSSL headers), and platform-specific tools; CI/CD must support multi-language toolchain.
Data model is device-centric with time-series measurements; schema design and measurement naming strategy critical for query performance and maintainability.
Cluster deployment, replication, and failover policies not documented in provided README; requires architecture review and operational runbooks.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Require strong ACID guarantees across distributed nodes — README does not document transaction isolation levels, consistency models, or ACID guarantees; requires vendor/community review for distributed transaction requirements.
Need built-in encryption or advanced access control — No mention of field-level encryption, row-level security, or fine-grained authorization in provided data; security features require review before use in regulated environments.
Operational simplicity is paramount — Requires Java 17+, Maven builds, explicit system tuning (ulimit, somaxconn), and compilation of C++ components (Thrift, Boost); non-trivial operational overhead for teams unfamiliar with Java/C++.
Production support and SLA guarantees needed immediately — Open-source Apache project; commercial support Unknown. Evaluate community responsiveness (711 open issues as of latest data) and internal engineering capability before mission-critical deployments.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI license; permits commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution and liability waiver.

Apache-2.0 permits commercial deployment and derivative works without license fee. However, no commercial support organization, SLA terms, or warranty mentioned in provided data. Evaluate internal support capability or community responsiveness (711 open issues) before production commitments. Consult Apache IoTDB governance and vendor ecosystem for available commercial support options.

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	High
DEV.co fit	Good
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

No security posture data provided. Cryptography (TLS for network, data-at-rest encryption), authentication, authorization, audit logging, and vulnerability disclosure process Unknown. Before regulated or sensitive deployments: audit source code, review CVE history, verify network isolation options, and confirm authentication mechanisms (JDBC/SQL layer authentication likely, but scope unclear). Java runtime security dependencies require regular patching.

Alternatives to consider

InfluxDB

Specialized time-series database with built-in clustering, HTTP API, and easier operational onboarding; stronger ecosystem for cloud-native deployment but different licensing model (open-source + commercial tiers).

Prometheus + TimescaleDB

Prometheus for metrics collection + PostgreSQL-based TimescaleDB for long-term storage; simpler operational model and mature ACID guarantees, though less tailored to industrial IoT heterogeneity.

Apache Cassandra + custom time-series schema

Proven distributed fault-tolerance and high-throughput write performance; requires custom schema design and query optimization but offers fine-grained control and mature operational tooling.

Software development agency

Build on iotdb with DEV.co software developers

Review the operational requirements, security considerations, and integration needs with your current stack. Assess community support capacity and run proof-of-concept benchmarks against your device count and ingestion rate.

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iotdb FAQ

Can I use IoTDB in commercial products?

Yes, Apache-2.0 license permits commercial use. However, no commercial support SLA is mentioned in provided data; internal support capability or community engagement must be planned.

What are the hardware requirements?

Unknown exact minima. README mentions high compression ratio and low hardware cost; requires review of deployment benchmarks, memory/disk footprint for your data volume and ingestion rate.

Is IoTDB suitable for real-time alerting?

Likely yes for write throughput and query speed, but latency SLAs, push-based alerting APIs, and stream processing integration are not documented in provided data; requires architecture validation.

How do I run IoTDB in Kubernetes?

Not addressed in README. Docker container support is mentioned, but Helm charts, StatefulSet patterns, persistent volume configuration, and cluster bootstrap procedures Unknown; requires community documentation or custom work.

Software development & web development with DEV.co

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 iotdb is part of your open-source databases roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.

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