Open-Source Databases · ydb-platform

ydb

YDB is an open-source distributed SQL database designed for high-availability, scalable workloads. It combines ACID transactions with strict consistency across multiple nodes, supporting both row and column storage, and offers PostgreSQL and Kafka-compatible modes for easier integration.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/ydb-platform/ydb

4.7k

GitHub stars

793

Forks

C++

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	ydb-platform/ydb
Owner	ydb-platform
Primary language	C++
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	4.7k
Forks	793
Open issues	5.1k
Latest release	26.1.1.20 (2026-07-02)
Last updated	2026-07-08
Source	https://github.com/ydb-platform/ydb

What ydb is

YDB is a C++ distributed DBMS with disaggregated storage and compute layers, fault-tolerant configuration across availability zones, and automatic disaster recovery. It supports ACID multi-node transactions, horizontal scaling to 10,000+ nodes, and row/column table formats with a rich SQL dialect (YQL).

Quickstart

Get the ydb source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/ydb-platform/ydb.git2cd ydb3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

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

Best use cases

Large-scale OLTP with Multi-region Availability

Production deployments requiring fault tolerance across datacenters, millions of distributed transactions per second, and automatic recovery from node/rack/datacenter failures.

Horizontally Scalable Interactive Web Services

Applications needing independent scaling of storage and compute, where strict consistency and cross-row transactions are critical; designed explicitly for this workload pattern.

Mixed OLTP and Analytical Workloads

Systems using both row-oriented tables for transactional operations and column-oriented tables for analytics, plus persistent queues (topics) for event-driven architecture.

Implementation considerations

Requires C++ build toolchain and Ya Make build system; consult BUILD.md for compilation steps. Minimal 8 GB RAM per node.
Deployment on Ubuntu Linux is standard production path; MacOS and Windows support is for development only.
Three deployment methods: Ansible (bare metal/VMs), Kubernetes (containers), or manual. Kubernetes path is production-ready; manual deployment increases operational burden.
Multi-zone setup (3+ datacenters recommended) for fault tolerance; single-node clusters suitable only for development and functional testing.
PostgreSQL-compatible mode and Kafka-compatible mode available but require explicit enablement and testing against your application driver/producer expectations.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Simple Single-Node or Single-Region Database — YDB's complexity (multi-zone failover, distributed transactions) adds overhead for small deployments. Traditional RDBMS or simpler stores are more appropriate.
Team Lacks Distributed Systems Expertise — Deployment, configuration, and operational tuning of a distributed DBMS requires deep knowledge of cluster management, consistency guarantees, and failure scenarios.
Need for Immediate Hands-On Vendor Support — Community-driven project with no clear SLA or commercial support offering documented in public repo. Support channels are Discord/Telegram; enterprise support model is unknown.
NoSQL Document Store or Graph Database Requirement — YDB is SQL-focused (row/column tables and queues). If your workload requires document storage, key-value pairs, or graph traversal, other systems are better suited.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved open-source license allowing use, modification, and distribution for commercial purposes, subject to attribution and indemnification clauses.

Apache-2.0 is a permissive license generally compatible with commercial use without royalty or attribution requirements at runtime. However, no formal commercial support package, SLA, or vendor-backed indemnification is evident in public repo. Enterprise deployments should conduct legal review and evaluate community support sufficiency before production commitment.

DEV.co evaluation signals

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

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

Security considerations

Not explicitly detailed in provided README excerpt. Operational security in distributed systems requires careful network segmentation, authentication (TLS for inter-node and client-server), and access control policies. Multi-tenant and serverless isolation is claimed but requires independent security audit. Hardware failure recovery and data redundancy are integral; cryptographic at-rest encryption coverage is unknown and requires review. Community-driven project means no formal security audit vendor or SLA.

Alternatives to consider

CockroachDB

Similar distributed SQL architecture with ACID transactions and fault tolerance; stronger commercial backing and support model. Go-based, often simpler operational model than C++.

Vitess (MySQL-flavored) or Citus (PostgreSQL extension)

If PostgreSQL ecosystem lock-in is strong, these provide distributed scaling with sharding/partitioning; less deep consistency model than YDB but proven in production at scale.

ClickHouse (for analytics) or Cassandra (for high-write OLTP)

If workload is purely analytical (ClickHouse) or eventual-consistency OLTP (Cassandra), these avoid YDB's architectural complexity and operational overhead.

Software development agency

Build on ydb with DEV.co software developers

YDB is a strong fit for large-scale OLTP requiring multi-region fault tolerance and strict consistency. Begin with a single-node quick-start cluster for functional testing. Assess community support, operational readiness, and PostgreSQL compatibility before production commitment. Contact the YDB community on Discord or Telegram for deployment guidance and use-case validation.

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ydb FAQ

Can YDB survive a complete datacenter outage?

Yes, if deployed in 3+ availability zones. A cluster remains available for reads and writes during a complete outage of a single zone. Automatic disaster recovery restores data redundancy.

Is YDB compatible with existing PostgreSQL applications?

Partially. YDB offers a PostgreSQL-compatible mode for table operations, but this mode requires validation with your driver and SQL dialect. Not all PostgreSQL features are supported.

What is the minimum viable deployment?

Single-node cluster suitable for development and functional testing (requires 8+ GB RAM). Production deployments require multi-node, multi-zone setup and operational expertise in distributed systems.

Where do I get commercial support?

Not documented in public repo. Community support available via Discord, Telegram, and GitHub issues. Enterprise support model is unknown; requires direct inquiry or review of commercial partnerships.

Custom software development services

From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like ydb. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source databases and beyond.

Evaluate YDB for Your Distributed Database Needs

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