head to head · open source
llama_index vs arcadedb
llama_index has 52,206 GitHub stars, 8,165 forks, 770 open issues and last shipped today. arcadedb has 1,156 stars, 143 forks, 167 open issues and last shipped today. llama_index leads on adoption by 4,416% (52,206 vs 1,156 stars). llama_index is written in Python under MIT; arcadedb is written in Java under Apache-2.0. llama_index has attracted 16% as many forks as stars, arcadedb 12%. arcadedb 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
| llama_index | arcadedb | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 8.2K | ⑂ 143 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick llama_index if
- You weight community size — 52K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick arcadedb if
- You want the arcadedb feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and arcadedb fits your workflow better
About llama_index
LlamaIndex is an MIT licensed, open source Python framework for building agentic applications — retrieval augmented generation systems, agents and multi agent workflows — on top of private documents and data, and it is aimed at AI engineers and teams who need to connect large language models to their own sources of context.
read the full llama_index overview →
About arcadedb
Multi Model DBMS Built for Extreme Performance ArcadeDB is a Multi Model DBMS created by Luca Garulli, the same founder of OrientDB, after SAP's acquisition. Written from scratch with a brand new engine made of Alien Technology, ArcadeDB is able to crunch millions of records per second on common hardware with minimal resource usage. ArcadeDB reuses OrientDB's SQL engine (heavily modified) and some utility classes. It's written in LLJ: Low Level Java still Java21+ but only using low level APIs to leverage advanced mechanical sympathy techniques and reduce Garbage Collector pressure. Highly optimized for extreme pe…
read the full arcadedb overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is llama_index or arcadedb more popular?
llama_index has 52,206 GitHub stars and arcadedb has 1,156. llama_index has the larger community by that measure.
Are llama_index and arcadedb free?
Both are open source. llama_index is licensed under MIT and arcadedb under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between llama_index and arcadedb?
llama_index is written in Python and arcadedb in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, llama_index or arcadedb?
Choose llama_index if you want the larger community (52,206 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose arcadedb if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.