Apache IoTDB
Apache IoTDB is an open-source industrial time-series database for collecting, storing, managing, and analyzing IoT data across edge and cloud environments.
What Apache IoTDB is
Apache IoTDB is an open-source industrial time-series database for collecting, storing, managing, and analyzing IoT data across edge and cloud environments. The project says it supports high-speed writes for millions of networked devices and fast reads. Query functions align time across devices and sensors, perform time-series calculations, and aggregate by time dimensions. The homepage states disk storage can cost less than $0.23 per GB. Deployment options include cloud installation, a desktop terminal tool, and synchronization between cloud and on-premise machines. Named analysis integrations include Hadoop, Spark, Flink, and Grafana. Data ingestion options include IoTDB-SQL, JDBC, native APIs for Java, C++, Python, and Go, REST, MQTT, CSV, and TsFile. The REST service is disabled by default and uses Basic Authentication except for the health check. Access can be managed with users, roles, and privileges. The project points users to community channels and a developer mailing list for help. Its documentation notes JDBC inserts may not provide high-performance writing and recommends the Java Native API for Java applications.
Good
- Open-source database with SQL support
- Supports time alignment and time-based aggregation
- Offers multiple ingestion methods, including MQTT and REST
- Documents users, roles, and data permissions
Watch out
- REST is disabled by default
- JDBC inserts may not achieve high-performance writing
- Version 1.0 changed SQL syntax conventions
Who it suits
It suits teams collecting and querying industrial IoT time-series data across edge and cloud deployments. Users planning Java ingestion should account for the documented JDBC write limitation.
Verdict
Apache IoTDB offers broad ingestion and query options for time-series workloads, with edge-cloud deployment choices. Review its JDBC and compatibility notes when selecting an ingestion path or version.
Plans and prices
From Apache IoTDB's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Apache IoTDB | Free | Open source time-series database; downloadable binaries and source |
| Apache IoTDB Community | Free | Software generally available free of charge · community mailing-list support is voluntary · no SLA or guaranteed response |
The facts
Each one read from Apache IoTDB's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Access control
- IoTDB supports users, roles and path-scoped privileges such as READ, WRITE and SECURITY, with authentication by username and password.checked 14 Oct 2026
- APIs
- Documented interfaces include Java, Python, C, C++, C#, Go, Node.js, Rust, JDBC, MQTT and REST APIs.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Availability and scaling
- Official documentation describes a distributed architecture with high availability, automatic load balancing and heterogeneous cluster support.checked 14 Oct 2026
- C API
- A C wrapper around the C++ Session SDK was added in version 2.0.10 and has precompiled Linux, macOS and Windows packages.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Community status
- Apache board minutes dated June 17, 2026 describe IoTDB as ongoing with high activity and note trademark issues under discussion.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Compatibility limit
- The download page notes that version 1.0 changed SQL syntax conventions and that implemented UDFs need code changes to work with the separated UDF API module.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Compression
- IoTDB uses compressed disk storage and is marketed as reducing hardware storage cost.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The project describes cloud installation, a desktop terminal tool, and a data synchronization tool connecting cloud and on-premise machines.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The user guide spans quick start, deployment, basic and advanced functions, AI, tools, APIs, integrations, SQL, technical internals, reference and FAQ sections.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The download page lists All-in-one and Edge binaries, source archives, and a Grafana connector and plugin for listed releases.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Edge deployment
- IoTDB supports terminal or edge deployment, cloud deployment and synchronization between terminal and cloud instances.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Go SDK
- The Go client offers Session and SessionPool APIs and documents Go 1.13+, Make, cURL and Thrift prerequisites.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Hierarchical model
- Its measurement-point organization follows industrial device hierarchies and supports directory browsing and search.checked 14 Oct 2026
- High throughput
- The product is designed for high-speed ingestion from millions of devices, including out-of-order and multi-frequency data.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Independent history
- The project began as a Tsinghua University research project, entered the Apache Incubator in November 2018 and became an Apache top-level project in September 2020.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Independent technical description
- Wikipedia describes IoTDB as a Java-based, column-oriented, open-source time-series database and records its 2020 promotion to an Apache top-level project.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Installation package
- The all-in-one package contains configuration, data, libraries, scripts, tools, plugin directories, licenses, notices and release notes.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Documented integrations include Telegraf, NiFi, Kafka, Flink, Spark, Zeppelin, Grafana, DataEase, DBeaver and ThingsBoard.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Java SDK
- The Java native driver supplies session-pool support and Maven dependency coordinates, with JDK 17 or newer required for current releases.checked 14 Oct 2026
- JDBC limitation
- The JDBC documentation says JDBC insert operations may not achieve high-performance writing and recommends the Java Native API for Java applications.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Licence
- The source repository is distributed under the permissive Apache License 2.0.checked 14 Oct 2026
The company
- Company profile
- LinkedIn lists Apache IoTDB as a nonprofit software-development organization founded in 2017, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, with 51–200 employees.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Foundation headquarters
- The Apache Software Foundation lists its mailing address in Wilmington, Delaware.checked 14 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Intended scenarios
- The homepage describes use in energy and power, aerospace, transportation, steel and metallurgy, and IoT scenarios.checked 4 Oct 2026
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