FaunaDB vs GFQL
FaunaDB is a multiple database; GFQL is a property graph database. FaunaDB (2016, Apache-2.0, Scala) ranks #61 this month; GFQL (2023, BSD-3-Clause, Python) ranks #20.
| Attribute | FaunaDB | GFQL |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Rank | #61 | #20 |
| Score | 44.9 | 56.7 |
| GitHub stars | — | 2.6k |
| Popularity | 49.9 | 53.8 |
| Activity | 45.7 | 62.2 |
| Community | 34.7 | 57.5 |
| Research | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| Fundamentals | ||
| Description | A distributed multi-model database with document and graph capabilities, accessed via its custom Fauna Query Language (FQL). Supported ACID transactions and global distribution. Service was shut down in 2025. | A dataframe-native graph query language with vectorized processing and optional GPU acceleration. Supports Cypher-like syntax, embedded within the PyGraphistry library. |
| Vendor | Fauna Inc | Graphistry |
| Model | Multiple | Property Graph |
| Kind | database | query-engine |
| Category | Emerging | Growing |
| First released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Status | deprecated — Service shut down in 2025. | active |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | Scala | Python |
| Query languages | FQL, GraphQL | GFQL, openCypher |
| gdotv support | no | no |
Feature scores — not surveyed for GFQL
| Feature | FaunaDB | GFQL |
|---|---|---|
| Community & Business | ||
| Active development | · | — |
| Commercial support | ✓ | — |
| Live community | · | — |
| Open Source | 0.5 | — |
| Pricing | ✓ | — |
| Trendiness | ✓ | — |
| Deployment | ||
| Containerization | ✓ | — |
| Work as dedicated instance | ✓ | — |
| Work as embedded | · | — |
| Testing in-memory version | · | — |
| Platform | ||
| Operating on Linux | ✓ | — |
| Operating on Windows | · | — |
| SaaS offering | ✓ | — |
| Operations | ||
| Automatic updates | · | — |
| Client side caching | · | — |
| Data versioning support | ✓ | — |
| Live backups | ✓ | — |
| Distribution | ||
| Cluster Re-balancing | · | — |
| Data Distribution | ✓ | — |
| High-Availability | ✓ | — |
| Query Distribution | ✓ | — |
| Replication support | ✓ | — |
| Developer Experience | ||
| Data types defined | 0.5 | — |
| Logging/Auditing | ✓ | — |
| Object-Graph Mapper | · | — |
| Reactive programming | · | — |
| Documentation up-to-date | ✓ | — |
| Binary protocol | · | — |
| CLI | ✓ | — |
| GUI | · | — |
| Data Model | ||
| Multi-database | · | — |
| Graph-native data | ✓ | — |
| REST API | · | — |
| Query Language | ✓ | — |
| Transactions | ||
| Granular locking | · | — |
| Multiple isolation levels | · | — |
| Read committed transaction | · | — |
| Transaction support | ✓ | — |
| Schema & Security | ||
| Constraints | ✓ | — |
| Schema support | ✓ | — |
| Secondary indexes | ✓ | — |
| Server side procedures | ✓ | — |
| Triggers | · | — |
| Authentication | ✓ | — |
| Authorization | ✓ | — |
| Data encryption | · | — |
Links
- FaunaDB · website · full profile
- GFQL · website · github · full profile