Side by side
Cortex vs openGemini
Both stand on time-series databases. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Choose Cortex if you can operate your own metrics storage and need PromQL queries, horizontal scaling, or long-term storage integrations. Look elsewhere if you need SQL or expect authentication and authorization to be built into Cortex without external configuration.
Visit Cortex
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Choose openGemini for self-hosted time-series workloads that need distributed scaling, several query languages, and Prometheus remote read and write. Look elsewhere if complete Prometheus function and operator compatibility is essential, or if you need a backup CLI.
Visit openGeminiThe facts
| Cortex | openGemini | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | cortexmetrics.io | opengemini.org |
| On time-series databases | #11 of 36 | #15 of 36 |
Cortex: what it does well
- Scales across machines and can replicate data between them.
- Accepts Prometheus remote_write and OpenTelemetry Protocol data.
- Queries metrics with PromQL.
- Supports S3, Google Cloud Storage, Swift, and Azure storage.
- Offers retention policies and tenant isolation.
What to know first
- Authentication and authorization must be added externally, typically through a reverse proxy.
- Tenant headers require an additional protection layer for the installation.
- SQL is not supported.
- Windows is not a regular supported release target.
openGemini: what it does well
- Open-source plan costs nothing.
- Stores metrics, logs, and traces for analysis.
- Supports InfluxQL, PromQL, and GeminiQL.
- Ingests data through InfluxDB Line Protocol and Apache Arrow Flight.
- MPP components can be scaled independently.
What to know first
- PromQL support covers 90% of Prometheus functions and operators.
- Authentication is disabled by default and requires configuration.
- Backup requests use an interface; there is no backup CLI command.
Alternatives to Cortex Alternatives to openGemini The whole list