At a glance
| Data model | Wide-column (Cassandra-style tables); DynamoDB-style items through Alternator |
| Query language | CQL; DynamoDB API through Alternator |
| Consistency model | Tunable per request like Cassandra; strongly consistent keyspaces experimental in 2026.3 |
| Replication | Masterless replication with per-data-centre replication factors |
| Partitioning or sharding | Tablets (or legacy vNodes) across nodes, shard-per-core within a node |
| Transactions | Lightweight transactions; no multi-partition ACID transactions documented |
| Deployment and cloud availability | Self-managed on Linux, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, OCI or Kubernetes; managed ScyllaDB X Cloud |
| Licensing | Source-available licence: free for non-customers up to 10 TB and 50 vCPUs; commercial licence by quote |
| Last open source release | ScyllaDB Open Source 6.2.x (AGPL) |
ScyllaDB is worth evaluating when you like Cassandra's data model or DynamoDB's API but want a different engine and vendor-run operations. Read the licence carefully: the open source edition ended with 6.2, and the free tier is restricted to non-customers within 10 TB and 50 vCPUs, so most production estates will be on a quoted commercial licence or X Cloud.
Overview
ScyllaDB is a distributed wide-column database from ScyllaDB, Inc. It speaks CQL, so Cassandra drivers and data models carry over, and its Alternator interface is compatible with the Amazon DynamoDB API. The engine is written in C++ and splits each node's data by CPU core. Recent releases use tablets for data distribution (recommended for all new clusters from 2026.1) and Raft for cluster metadata; 2026.3, announced on 8 September 2026, added full-text search over text columns with BM25 scoring, large-data guardrails, cluster-wide restore and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure support, plus experimental strongly consistent keyspaces.
The licensing changed in two steps. In December 2024 ScyllaDB announced it would stop its open source edition: ScyllaDB Open Source 6.2.x (AGPL) is the final open source release, and from 2025.1 there is one source-available release stream. The current ScyllaDB Software License Agreement (v1.1, 12 April 2026) is free only for "Never Customers" up to 10 TB of storage and 50 vCPUs in total, assigns modifications to ScyllaDB, allows audits and licence keys, and forbids offering ScyllaDB as a service. ScyllaDB X Cloud is the vendor-run managed service.
Key features
- CQL compatibility with Apache Cassandra drivers and data models
- Alternator: a DynamoDB-compatible API on the same cluster
- Tablets for elastic data distribution, recommended for new clusters since 2026.1
- Full-text search with MATCH() and BM25 scoring (2026.3) and vector search
- Workload prioritisation, change data capture and lightweight transactions
- Backup and restore to object storage, including cluster-wide restore and OCI Object Storage (2026.3)
- Companion ScyllaDB Manager, Monitoring Stack and Kubernetes Operator
Integrations and ecosystem
Pros and cons
Pros
- Runs existing CQL applications and offers a DynamoDB-compatible API as well
- Tablets, Raft-based metadata and object-storage backups in current releases
- Vendor-run X Cloud service and a Kubernetes operator for self-managed clusters
- Free self-managed use for small estates within the licence limits
Cons
- No longer open source: the licence restricts who may use it free, assigns modifications to ScyllaDB and bars offering it as a service
- Free use stops at 10 TB and 50 vCPUs, and existing paying customers cannot use the free tier for production
- No published prices for X Cloud or self-managed licences
- Lightweight transactions only; same query-driven modelling constraints as Cassandra
Pricing
Self-managed ScyllaDB is free under its source-available licence only for organisations with no paid ScyllaDB relationship in the previous 12 months, and only up to 10 TB of total storage and 50 vCPUs across all clusters; above that, or for existing customers, a commercial licence is required, priced by quote. ScyllaDB X Cloud, the managed service, publishes no rates: it is billed on demand by the hour or by 1-year or 3-year subscription (with prepaid Flex Credits), with a 30-day developer trial and a 48-hour production evaluation. The pricing page offers a calculator and quotes.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Teams running Cassandra-style or DynamoDB-style workloads who want a commercially supported engine or a vendor-managed cloud service and accept a source-available licence.
Typical use cases
- Migrating Cassandra workloads while keeping CQL applications and drivers
- Running DynamoDB-style applications outside AWS through Alternator
- High-throughput event, telemetry and feature-store data
- Combined keyword and vector search over operational data
Who should look elsewhere
- Organisations that require an OSI-approved licence: Apache Cassandra remains Apache 2.0.
- Workloads that need joins or multi-row transactions: see SQL vs NoSQL.
Verdict
ScyllaDB is a serious option for Cassandra and DynamoDB style workloads, with active development in tablets, search and backups. The licence is now the deciding factor: small, non-customer deployments can run free, but most production use means a quoted licence or X Cloud, and Apache Cassandra is the open source alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Is ScyllaDB still open source?
No. ScyllaDB Open Source 6.2.x under the AGPL was the final open source release. From ScyllaDB 2025.1 the product is source-available under the ScyllaDB Software License Agreement; the code is still on GitHub, but the licence restricts use.
Can I use ScyllaDB for free?
Self-managed, yes, within limits: the licence allows free use by organisations that have not been paying ScyllaDB customers in the previous 12 months, up to 10 TB of total storage and 50 vCPUs across all clusters. Above that you must stop or buy a commercial licence. X Cloud offers a 30-day developer trial and a 48-hour production evaluation.
Is ScyllaDB compatible with Cassandra and DynamoDB?
ScyllaDB implements CQL, so Cassandra drivers work, and its Alternator interface is compatible with the DynamoDB API. Check ScyllaDB's compatibility pages for specific features before migrating.
How much does ScyllaDB X Cloud cost?
ScyllaDB publishes no rates. X Cloud is billed by instance type, storage, plan and deployment model, on demand by the hour or on 1-year or 3-year subscriptions, plus cloud network and backup costs. Use the pricing calculator or ask for a quote.
Sources
- ScyllaDB source-available licensing FAQ
- ScyllaDB Software License Agreement (GitHub)
- Why ScyllaDB is moving to a source-available license (December 2024)
- ScyllaDB 2026.3 release announcement
- ScyllaDB documentation
- ScyllaDB pricing
Checked November 2026.
Listed in: NoSQL & Distributed Databases.
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