TiKV
TiKV is an open-source distributed transactional key-value database intended to provide a unified storage layer across nodes.
What TiKV is
TiKV is an open-source distributed transactional key-value database intended to provide a unified storage layer across nodes. It offers a raw key-value API and a transactional API with ACID semantics, but the two cannot both be used on the same keyspace. The project describes deployments reaching petabyte scale across trillions of rows. Raft groups replicate data among nodes for fault tolerance, while horizontal scaling and rebalancing support changes in deployment size. RawKV includes time-to-live expiration and compare-and-swap operations. Documentation lists Java, Go, Rust, Python, and C++ clients; Java and Go are marked stable, with the others marked unstable. TiKV is Apache 2.0 licensed and self-hosted, with listed support for Linux, macOS, Windows, and API use. Supported protocols include gRPC, RawKV API, and TxnKV API. Documentation describes TLS for network connections and configurable encryption at rest, including AES methods. TiKV is a Cloud Native Computing Foundation graduate project and was originally created by PingCAP. It is free open-source software.
Good
- Offers raw and ACID transactional key-value APIs.
- Raft replication supports fault tolerance across nodes.
- Supports horizontal scaling and rebalancing.
- Free under the Apache 2.0 license.
Watch out
- The two APIs cannot share the same keyspace.
- Rust, Python, and C++ clients are marked unstable.
- Deployment is self-hosted.
Who it suits
TiKV is suited to developers and infrastructure teams building distributed storage for transactional or raw key-value workloads. Its self-hosted model and API choices are relevant to teams that manage their own deployment.
Verdict
TiKV provides distributed key-value storage with replication, scaling, and two distinct access APIs. Plan for separate keyspaces when combining its raw and transactional interfaces.
Plans and prices
From TiKV's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| TiKV open-source software | Free | Apache 2.0 licensed; self-hosted distributed key-value store |
The facts
Each one read from TiKV's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API limitation
- The raw and transactional APIs cannot both be used on the same keyspace.checked 4 Oct 2026
- APIs
- TiKV offers a raw key-value API and a transactional key-value API with ACID semantics.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Clients
- The documentation lists Java, Go, Rust, Python, and C++ clients; it marks Java and Go stable and Rust, Python, and C++ unstable.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The maker lists TiDB, Zetta, Tidis, Titan, and JuiceFS among systems built with or using TiKV.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License and governance
- TiKV is Apache 2.0 licensed and is a Cloud Native Computing Foundation graduate project.checked 4 Oct 2026
- RawKV features
- RawKV supports time-to-live expiration and compare-and-swap operations.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Replication
- TiKV uses Raft groups to replicate data across nodes for fault tolerance and supports horizontal scaling and rebalancing.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Scale
- The maker says TiKV supports petabyte-scale deployments spanning trillions of rows.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security
- TiKV documentation describes TLS for network connections and configurable encryption at rest, including AES methods.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support channel
- The community page recommends Slack for general communication and provides a dedicated mailing list for reporting security vulnerabilities.checked 4 Oct 2026
- What it does
- TiKV is a distributed transactional key-value database designed to serve as a unified distributed storage layer.checked 4 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2016checked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker
- The project page says TiKV was originally created by PingCAP; it does not state a headquarters or founding year for the maker.checked 4 Oct 2026
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