TerminusDB

What TerminusDB is

TerminusDB is an open-source document graph database for storing JSON documents in a graph with an enforced schema. Its Git-like data version control supports branching, comparing changes, merging, cloning, synchronization, and time travel. Commits are ACID transactions, and each write is checked against the schema. Developers can work through an HTTP document API, GraphQL, or WOQL, a Datalog-based query language. GraphQL clients including Apollo, urql, and Relay can connect to it; official client libraries are available for TypeScript/JavaScript and Python, with Rust also documented. Access control is role-based, using users, roles, capabilities, and resource scopes. WOQL's typed query structure prevents query injection by construction, while authentication, authorization, and business-logic vulnerabilities remain possible. TerminusDB supports ontology modeling, semantic reasoning, and graph visualization, and can import CSV, JSON, JSON-LD, RDF/XML, and Turtle. It does not support RDF/SPARQL. It runs in Docker, can be built from source on Linux or macOS, and can run on Kubernetes. DFRNT provides cloud instances for getting started and collaborating. The project is maintained by DFRNT with the open-source community and is aimed at developers and data engineers managing auditable data lineage, complex domain models, collaborative workflows, or structured content that changes over time.

Who it suits

TerminusDB suits developers and data engineers who need versioned, schema-enforced graph data, particularly for auditable lineage, complex domain models, and collaborative data work. Its APIs, query languages, client libraries, and deployment options support teams integrating it into development workflows.

Getting started

1. Visit https://terminusdb.org/ to get started.
2. Choose the free TerminusDB Open Source Community Version, listed as free and licensed under Apache 2.0.
3. Run it in Docker using the quickstart, or build from source on Linux or macOS.
4. Alternatively, run TerminusDB on Kubernetes or use a cloud instance from DFRNT.
5. Connect through the HTTP document API, GraphQL, or WOQL; client libraries are available for TypeScript/JavaScript and Python, with Rust also documented.

Verdict

Choose TerminusDB if your work needs a schema-enforced document graph with Git-like version control, transactional commits, and multiple query interfaces. Look elsewhere if RDF/SPARQL support is required or if your priority is relational analytics, mature ORMs, or a very large extensions ecosystem.