head to head · open source
etcd vs graphqlite
etcd has 52,606 GitHub stars, 10,601 forks, 351 open issues and last shipped yesterday. graphqlite has 532 stars, 34 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. etcd leads on adoption by 9,788% (52,606 vs 532 stars). etcd is written in Go under Apache-2.0; graphqlite is written in C under MIT. etcd has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, graphqlite 6%. etcd was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| etcd | graphqlite | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 53K | ★ 532 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Go | C |
| Last push | 2026-11-14 | 2026-11-10 |
| Forks | ⑂ 11K | ⑂ 34 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick etcd if
- You weight community size — 53K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick graphqlite if
- You want the graphqlite feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and graphqlite fits your workflow better
About etcd
etcd Note : The main branch may be in an unstable or even broken state during development. For stable versions, see [releases][github release]. etcd is a distributed reliable key value store for the most critical data of a distributed system, with a focus on being: Simple : well defined, user facing API (gRPC) Secure : automatic TLS with optional client cert authentication Fast : benchmarked 10,000 writes/sec Reliable : properly distributed using Raft etcd is written in Go and uses the [Raft][] consensus algorithm to manage a highly available replicated log. etcd is used in production by many companies, and the…
About graphqlite
GraphQLite An SQLite extension that adds graph database capabilities using the Cypher query language. Store and query graph data directly in SQLite—combining the simplicity of a single file, zero config embedded database with Cypher's expressive power for modeling relationships. Installation Quick Start Features Cypher queries — MATCH, CREATE, MERGE, SET, DELETE, WITH, UNWIND, RETURN Graph algorithms — PageRank, Louvain, Dijkstra, BFS/DFS, connected components, and more Zero configuration — Works with any SQLite database, no server required Multiple bindings — Python, Rust, and raw SQL interfaces openCypher…
read the full graphqlite overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is etcd or graphqlite more popular?
etcd has 52,606 GitHub stars and graphqlite has 532. etcd has the larger community by that measure.
Are etcd and graphqlite free?
Both are open source. etcd is licensed under Apache-2.0 and graphqlite under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between etcd and graphqlite?
etcd is written in Go and graphqlite in C. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, etcd or graphqlite?
Choose etcd if you want the larger community (52,606 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose graphqlite if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.