Choosing the right database is a critical choice when building any software application. All databases have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to performance, so deciding which database has the most benefits and the most minor downsides for your specific use case and data model is an important decision. Below you will find an overview of the key concepts, architecture, features, use cases, and pricing models of DataBend and TDengine so you can quickly see how they compare against each other.

The primary purpose of this article is to compare how DataBend and TDengine perform for workloads involving time series data, not for all possible use cases. Time series data typically presents a unique challenge in terms of database performance. This is due to the high volume of data being written and the query patterns to access that data. This article doesn’t intend to make the case for which database is better; it simply provides an overview of each database so you can make an informed decision.

DataBend vs TDengine Breakdown


 
Database Model

Data warehouse

Time series database

Architecture

DataBend can be run on your own infrastructure or using a managed service. It is designed as a cloud native system and is built to take advantage of many of the services available in cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.

TDengine can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid solution, allowing flexibility in deployment and management.

License

Apache 2.0

AGPL 3.0

Use Cases

Data analytics, Data warehousing, Real-time analytics, Big data processing

IoT data storage, industrial monitoring, smart energy, smart home, monitoring and observability

Scalability

Horizontally scalable with support for distributed computing

Horizontally scalable with clustering and built-in load balancing. TDengine also provides decoupled compute and storage as well as object storage support for data tiering in some versions

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DataBend Overview

DataBend is an open-source, cloud-native data processing and analytics platform designed to provide high-performance, cost-effective, and scalable solutions for big data workloads. The project is driven by a community of developers, researchers, and industry professionals aiming to create a unified data processing platform that combines batch and streaming processing capabilities with advanced analytical features. DataBend’s flexible architecture allows users to build a wide range of applications, from real-time analytics to large-scale data warehousing.

TDengine Overview

TDengine is a high-performance, open source time series database designed to handle massive amounts of time series data efficiently. It was created by TAOS Data in 2017 and is specifically designed for Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial IoT, and IT infrastructure monitoring use cases. TDengine has a unique hybrid architecture that combines the advantages of both relational and NoSQL databases, providing high performance, easy-to-use SQL for querying, and flexible data modeling capabilities.


DataBend for Time Series Data

DataBend’s architecture and processing capabilities make it a suitable choice for working with time series data. Its support for both batch and streaming data processing allows users to ingest, store, and analyze time series data at scale. Additionally, DataBend’s integration with Apache Arrow and its powerful query execution framework enable efficient querying and analytics on time series data, making it a versatile choice for applications that require real-time insights and analytics.

TDengine for Time Series Data

TDengine is designed from the ground up as a time series database, so it will be a good fit for most use cases that heavily involve storing and analyzing time series data.


DataBend Key Concepts

  • DataFusion: DataFusion is a core component of DataBend, providing an extensible query execution framework that supports both SQL and DataFrame-based query APIs.
  • Ballista: Ballista is a distributed compute platform within DataBend, built on top of DataFusion, that allows for efficient and scalable execution of large-scale data processing tasks.
  • Arrow: DataBend leverages Apache Arrow, an in-memory columnar data format, to enable efficient data exchange between components and optimize query performance.

TDengine Key Concepts

  • Super Table: A template for creating multiple tables with the same schema. It’s similar to the concept of table inheritance in some other databases.
  • Sub Table: A table created based on a Super Table, inheriting its schema. Sub Tables can have additional tags for categorization and querying purposes.
  • Tag: A metadata attribute used to categorize and filter Sub Tables in a Super Table. Tags are indexed and optimized for efficient querying.


DataBend Architecture

DataBend is built on a cloud-native, distributed architecture that supports both NoSQL and SQL-like querying capabilities. Its modular design allows users to choose and combine components based on their specific use case and requirements. The core components of DataBend’s architecture include DataFusion, Ballista, and the storage layer. DataFusion is responsible for query execution and optimization, while Ballista enables distributed computing for large-scale data processing tasks. The storage layer in DataBend can be configured to work with various storage backends, such as object storage or distributed file systems.

TDengine Architecture

TDengine uses a cloud native architecture that combines the advantages of relational databases (support for SQL querying) and NoSQL databases (scalability and flexibility).

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DataBend Features

Unified Batch and Stream Processing

DataBend supports both batch and streaming data processing, enabling users to build a wide range of applications that require real-time or historical data analysis.

Extensible Query Execution

DataBend’s DataFusion component provides a powerful and extensible query execution framework that supports both SQL and DataFrame-based query APIs.

Scalable Distributed Computing

With its Ballista compute platform, DataBend enables efficient and scalable execution of large-scale data processing tasks across a distributed cluster of nodes.

Flexible Storage

DataBend’s architecture allows users to configure the storage layer to work with various storage backends, providing flexibility and adaptability to different use cases.

TDengine Features

Data ingestion

TDengine supports high-speed data ingestion, with the ability to handle millions of data points per second. It supports batch and individual data insertion.

Data querying

TDengine provides ANSI SQL support with additional that allows users to easily query time series data using familiar SQL syntax. It supports various aggregation functions, filtering, and joins.

Data retention and compression

TDengine automatically compresses data to save storage space and provides data retention policies to automatically delete old data.


DataBend Use Cases

Real-Time Analytics

DataBend’s support for streaming data processing and its powerful query execution framework make it a suitable choice for building real-time analytics applications, such as log analysis, monitoring, and anomaly detection.

Data Warehousing

With its scalable distributed computing capabilities and flexible storage options, DataBend can be used to build large-scale data warehouses that can efficiently store and analyze vast amounts of structured and semi-structured data.

Machine Learning

DataBend’s ability to handle arge-scale data processing and its support for both batch and streaming data make it an excellent choice for machine learning applications. Users can leverage DataBend to preprocess, transform, and analyze data for feature engineering, model training, and evaluation, enabling them to derive valuable insights and build data-driven machine learning models.

TDengine Use Cases

IoT data storage and analysis

TDengine is designed to handle massive amounts of time series data generated by IoT devices. Its high-performance ingestion, querying, and storage capabilities make it a suitable choice for IoT data storage and analysis.

Industrial IoT monitoring

TDengine can be used to store and analyze data from industrial IoT sensors and devices, helping organizations monitor equipment performance, detect anomalies, and optimize operations.

Infrastructure Monitoring

TDengine can be used to collect and analyze time series data from IT infrastructure components, such as servers, networks, and applications, facilitating real-time monitoring, alerting, and performance optimization.


DataBend Pricing Model

As an open-source project, DataBend is freely available for use without any licensing fees or subscription costs. Users can deploy and manage DataBend on their own infrastructure or opt for cloud-based deployment using popular cloud providers. DataBend itself also provides a managed cloud service with free trial credits available.

TDengine Pricing Model

TDengine is open source and free to use under the AGPLv3 license. TDengine also offers commercial licenses and enterprise support options for organizations that require additional features, support, or compliance with specific licensing requirements.