ActorDB
ActorDB is an open-source distributed relational SQL database that organizes data into independent actors.
What ActorDB is
ActorDB is an open-source distributed relational SQL database that organizes data into independent actors. It uses SQLite for SQL queries and LMDB for storage, and applications can connect through the MySQL protocol or Thrift; its FAQ recommends Thrift. ActorDB also offers a sharded key-value store with structured values, multiple columns, and foreign tables. Raft handles distributed consensus and write replication, and the maker describes the database as strongly consistent. Transactions can span multiple actors and are described as ACID compliant. The maker says horizontal scaling can reach hundreds of nodes and petabytes when data is distributed across actors. If a server goes offline, a follower can take over as leader for an actor, with writes continuing while a cluster majority remains online. The FAQ recommends cluster sizes of 1, 3, or 5 nodes, noting that one node has no redundancy. Documentation suggests file synchronization as a suitable use case. ActorDB is self-hosted and licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. The latest stable release shown is version 0.10.29, dated 1 October 2019.
Good
- Supports SQL and sharded key-value storage.
- Transactions can span actors and are ACID compliant.
- Uses Raft for consensus and write replication.
- Clients can connect using MySQL protocol or Thrift.
- Horizontal scaling is supported.
Watch out
- A single-node cluster has no redundancy.
- Map/reduce is not available.
- Latest stable release shown is dated 1 October 2019.
Who it suits
ActorDB may suit teams building distributed database-backed applications, including file synchronization services, that want SQL and sharded key-value options. It is intended for self-hosted use and supports Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Verdict
ActorDB combines relational queries, actor-based distribution, and failover behavior for self-hosted deployments. Consider the single-node redundancy limitation and the age of the latest stable release shown when evaluating it.
The facts
Each one read from ActorDB's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Architecture
- ActorDB uses the Raft distributed consensus algorithm and splits data into small independent chunks inspired by the actor model.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Availability
- The maker says ActorDB has no single point of failure and that a follower can become an actor's leader when a server goes offline.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Cluster sizing
- The FAQ recommends odd cluster sizes of 1, 3, or 5 nodes; a single-node cluster has no redundancy.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Connections
- ActorDB accepts connections over the MySQL protocol and Thrift, and works with default MySQL drivers.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Consistency
- The maker describes ActorDB as strongly consistent, rather than eventually consistent.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Database engine
- The documentation says ActorDB uses SQLite for SQL queries and LMDB for storage.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Failover
- If a server goes offline, a follower can become leader for an actor; writes succeed while a cluster majority remains online.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Interfaces
- Clients can connect through the MySQL protocol or Thrift, and the FAQ recommends Thrift.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Key-value
- ActorDB can also provide a sharded key-value store with structured values, multiple columns, and foreign tables.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Key/value
- ActorDB can also provide a sharded key/value store with structured values that may contain multiple columns and foreign tables.checked 7 Oct 2026
- License
- ActorDB is an open source project licensed under Mozilla Public License 2.0.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Notable limit
- The documentation cautions against putting many gigabytes of data inside a single actor and recommends spreading data across actors.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Product
- ActorDB is a distributed relational SQL database.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Release
- The downloads page identifies version 0.10.29, dated 1 October 2019, as the latest stable release.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Scaling
- The maker says ActorDB can scale horizontally to hundreds of nodes and petabytes of data.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Suggested use case
- The documentation presents file synchronization applications as a suitable use case.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Supported releases
- The downloads page lists Windows, Mac OS X, CentOS, and Ubuntu distributions, with version 0.10.29 dated 1 October 2019 as the latest stable release shown.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Transactions
- Transactions affect only the actors that participate in them, and the product supports ACID transactions across multiple actors.checked 7 Oct 2026
The company
- Maker
- The product site identifies Biokoda as ActorDB's maker.checked 7 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platforms
- The downloads page lists distributions for Windows, Mac OS X, CentOS, and Ubuntu.checked 7 Oct 2026
Alternatives to ActorDB
- 1
CrateDB
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxmacOS8.4Free plan - 2
OceanBase Database
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxmacOS8.2$2.38 usage-based - 3
SingleStore Helios
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS8.1Free plan - 4
TiDB Cloud
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted8.1Free plan - 5
MySQL
Free planAPILinuxmacOSSelf-hosted7.9Free plan - 6
PrestoDB
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxmacOS7.7Free plan