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Best Distributed SQL Databases in 2026

When assessing SQL databases for distributed workloads, compare how entries list horizontal scaling, geo-partitioning, and multi-region deployment. HTAP workload support and MySQL or PostgreSQL compatibility can help you check technical fit. Deployment model also matters when considering how a database would operate in your environment; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. CrateDB, MySQL, and TBase are among the options shown. Use the stated criteria to weigh distribution, compatibility, workload, and deployment needs.

  1. 1

    Apache Ignite

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    Choose Apache Ignite if you need a free, open-source distributed database with SQL, partition-spanning transactions, and an in-memory primary tier.

    9.2 Open source Visit site
  2. 2

    CrateDB

    by CrateDB
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
    9.1 Free plan Visit site
  3. 3

    OceanBase Database

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    OceanBase Database offers deployment choices and compatibility options for teams consolidating varied workloads.

    8.9 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    PrestoDB

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    PrestoDB is a free query engine for federating queries across heterogeneous sources, with deployment and security options documented.

    8.8 Open source Visit site
  5. 5

    TiDB Cloud

    by TiDB Cloud
    Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    TiDB Cloud pairs managed database hosting with a free Starter quota and support for transactional and analytical workloads.

    8.6 Free plan Visit site
  6. 6

    VoltDB

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    VoltDB combines an in-memory database with streaming integrations and multiple deployment options.

    8.6 Pricing on request Visit site
  7. 7

    ActorDB

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    Choose ActorDB if you need a self-hosted, open-source database that distributes data across actors and supports SQL, multi-actor transactions and cluster failover.

    7.4 Open source Visit site
  8. 8

    CockroachDB Cloud

    by CockroachDB Cloud
    Free plan APILinuxWeb

    CockroachDB Cloud combines managed operations with distributed SQL and deployments across regions and cloud providers.

    7.4 From $0.06 · 30-day trial Visit site
  9. 9

    IBM Db2

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+2

    Choose IBM Db2 if you need a database for varied enterprise workloads, with query optimization, vector queries, and options for availability and security.

    7.4 Free plan · paid from $630/mo Visit site
  10. 10

    MySQL

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2
    7.3 Free plan Visit site
  11. 11

    Amazon Aurora

    by Amazon Aurora
    Free plan API

    Choose Amazon Aurora if you need a managed relational database with PostgreSQL, MySQL, or DSQL engines and want database operations through the RDS console, CLI, or API.

    7.2 Visit site
  12. 12

    SingleStore Helios

    by SingleStore Helios
    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    Helios brings varied data capabilities and ingestion options to a managed cloud database, with separate Shared, Standard, and Enterprise plans.

    7.1 Free plan · paid from $0.99 Visit site
  13. 13

    TBase

    Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3

    TBase offers distributed database and warehouse services with several table types and monitoring capabilities.

    7.1 Open source Visit site
  14. 14

    MatrixOne

    Free plan Self-hosted

    Choose MatrixOne if you want a self-hosted MySQL-compatible database for transactional, analytical, vector, and full-text work, with Git-style data features and hybrid retrieval.

    6.9 Free plan Visit site
  15. 15

    YDB

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    YDB spans transactional, analytical and streaming use cases, with both self-hosted and cloud deployment options.

    6.8 Open source Visit site
  16. 16

    Google Cloud Spanner

    Free trial APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Spanner combines several data models with scaling, search, and live-data analytics capabilities.

    6.4 90-day trial Visit site
  17. 17

    YugabyteDB Anywhere

    Free trial APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    YBA provides management for YugabyteDB deployments across several infrastructure environments, with operational and recovery controls.

    5.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  18. 18

    MariaDB Enterprise Manager

    Paid LinuxWeb

    MariaDB Enterprise Manager offers database management capabilities across three quote-based tiers.

    4.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  19. 19

    BigchainDB

    Paid Linux
    4.5 Open source Visit site
  20. 20

    Huawei GaussDB

    Paid Web
    4.5 Visit site
  21. 21

    Oracle Globally Distributed AI Database

    Paid Web

    Consider Oracle Globally Distributed AI Database if horizontal scaling, multi-region deployment and geo-partitioning are central to your requirements.

    4.5 Visit site
  22. 22

    Oracle Real Application Clusters

    Paid Linux
    4.4 Visit site
  23. 23

    PolarDB-X

    Paid Web

    Choose PolarDB-X if MySQL compatibility, horizontal scaling, multi-region deployment and HTAP support match your database needs.

    4.4 Visit site
  24. 24

    TaurusDB (formerly GaussDB(for MySQL))

    Paid Web
    4.0 Visit site
  25. 25

    TDSQL

    Paid Web
    3.9 Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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