Open-Source Databases · stoneatom

stonedb

StoneDB is an open-source MySQL-compatible HTAP database built in C++ that adds real-time analytical capabilities to traditional MySQL workloads. It claims 10× query and load performance improvements over InnoDB with 10:1 to 40:1 compression ratios.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/stoneatom/stonedb

883

GitHub stars

142

Forks

C++

Primary language

GPL-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	stoneatom/stonedb
Owner	stoneatom
Primary language	C++
License	GPL-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	883
Forks	142
Open issues	303
Latest release	5.7-v1.0.4-alpha (2023-06-30)
Last updated	2026-06-23
Source	https://github.com/stoneatom/stonedb

What stonedb is

StoneDB is a column-store storage engine for MySQL (5.6 and 5.7+) that supports hybrid transaction/analytical processing (HTAP). It uses RocksDB for persistence, implements column-format storage with compression, and provides MySQL protocol compatibility for seamless migration without code changes.

Quickstart

Get the stonedb source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/stoneatom/stonedb.git2cd stonedb3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

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

Best use cases

Real-time Analytics on Transactional Data

Organizations running OLTP workloads that need to add ad-hoc analytical queries without maintaining separate data warehouses. The column-store format optimizes analytical queries while maintaining transactional support.

High-Compression Data Storage

Scenarios with large datasets where storage cost is a constraint. The 10:1 to 40:1 compression ratio reduces disk footprint significantly compared to row-store engines.

MySQL Migration with Analytical Enhancements

Teams seeking to migrate from MySQL/InnoDB to a system with built-in analytical capabilities without application code changes due to MySQL protocol compatibility.

Implementation considerations

Requires explicit schema migration: no built-in online migration tool. Data must be exported from MySQL (SELECT INTO OUTFILE) and imported into StoneDB (LOAD DATA INFILE).
Must compile from source on supported platforms (Ubuntu 20.04, CentOS 7.x, RHEL 7.x) or use Docker; pre-built binaries for all platforms are not mentioned.
Configuration requires modifying my.cnf to set default-storage-engine=tianmu (5.7+) or stonedb (5.6), and binlog-format=STATEMENT.
Downtime required during migration: the documented procedure involves creating new instance, copying schema, exporting/importing data sequentially.
Dependency on external libraries: GCC 7.3+, CMake 3.7.2+, RocksDB 6.12.6, Boost 1.66, marisa 0.77 must be available in build environment.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Strict ACID Compliance Requirements — If your workload requires strict ACID guarantees with specific isolation levels, review StoneDB's transaction isolation implementation in detail. The documentation does not clearly specify isolation level support.
Production Deployments on Unsupported Platforms — StoneDB officially supports only CentOS 7.x+, Ubuntu 20.04+, and RHEL 7.x. Deployment on other Linux distributions or operating systems is not officially verified.
Early-Stage Stability Expectations — Latest release is v1.0.4-alpha (June 2023); project maturity is early. Use in mission-critical production environments requires careful evaluation and testing.
Complex Multi-Engine Join Queries — While cross-engine joins are possible (stonedb_ini_allowmysqlquerypath=1), documentation does not detail performance characteristics or limitations of mixed InnoDB/StoneDB queries.

License & commercial use

Licensed under GPL-2.0 (GNU General Public License v2.0). This is a copyleft license requiring any modifications or derivative distributions to be released under the same GPL-2.0 terms.

GPL-2.0 permits commercial use of the software itself. However, if you modify StoneDB or distribute it as part of a product, GPL-2.0 requires source code disclosure and licensing of derived works under GPL-2.0. For proprietary deployments or commercial support arrangements, requires explicit review and likely vendor licensing discussions. Consult legal counsel before bundling in closed-source products.

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	Possible
Assessment confidence	Medium

Security considerations

Not clearly stated in provided data. Standard considerations: GPL-2.0 source is auditable; built on RocksDB (review its security posture independently). No mention of authentication mechanisms, encryption at rest/in transit, vulnerability disclosure process, or security audit history. Evaluate threat model, data sensitivity, and whether StoneDB's early-stage maturity (v1.0.4-alpha) meets your security compliance requirements (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001).

Alternatives to consider

MySQL with ColumnStore Plugin

Native MySQL compatibility with columnar analytics; however, ColumnStore is less actively maintained and does not offer the same integrated HTAP approach as StoneDB.

Oracle MySQL HeatWave

Oracle's proprietary HTAP solution for MySQL (explicitly mentioned as StoneDB's counterpart in description); includes professional support and production guarantees but requires commercial licensing.

Clickhouse or Apache Druid

Dedicated columnar analytics engines with mature ecosystems; trade-off is they are not MySQL-native, requiring separate infrastructure and ETL pipelines rather than seamless migration.

Software development agency

Build on stonedb with DEV.co software developers

StoneDB offers compelling column-store performance and MySQL compatibility, but requires careful migration planning and production validation. Our engineering team can help you assess feasibility, design the migration, and benchmark your workload. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

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stonedb FAQ

Can I use StoneDB without modifying my existing MySQL application code?

Yes, in theory. StoneDB is MySQL-protocol compatible. However, you must explicitly migrate schema and data using the documented procedure (export/import via OUTFILE/INFILE), and you should test all queries to ensure they execute correctly on the StoneDB engine.

What compression ratio should I expect?

Documentation claims 10:1 to 40:1 compression depending on data characteristics. Actual compression depends on column types, cardinality, and data distribution. Benchmark your specific dataset before deploying to production.

Is StoneDB production-ready?

The latest release is v1.0.4-alpha (June 2023). Alpha designation indicates pre-release maturity. Use in production only after thorough testing and with acceptance of potential instability. Commercial support or SLAs are not mentioned in provided data.

Can I use both InnoDB and StoneDB tables in the same instance?

Yes. Set stonedb_ini_allowmysqlquerypath=1 in my.cnf and configure default-storage-engine=tianmu. Tables can use different engines. Cross-engine queries are possible but performance characteristics are not detailed; test thoroughly.

Custom software development services

DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like stonedb into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source databases stack.

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