Graph query engines compared

Query engines that run graph queries over storage they do not own.

8 active graph query engines are in the catalogue. They are written mostly in Python and Java, 5 are open source, and 1 carry survey feature scores. Apache Giraph is no longer active and listed separately below.

Attribute	GFQL #17 ▼4 Strong	Ontop #19 ▲6 Strong	Comunica #34 = Strong	PuppyGraph #50 ▼1 Growing	Gaffer #54 ▼5 Growing	Lance Graph #56 = Growing
At a glance
Rank	#17	#19	#34	#50	#54	#56
Score	59.6	58.8	53.9	48.3	46.4	46.1
GitHub stars	2.5k	895	575	—	1.8k	166
Popularity	62.7	67.8	63.6	45.4	63.5	43.3
Activity	67.4	51.3	72.3	77.2	40.7	40.2
Community	69.4	75.5	31.0	32.4	31.0	62.0
Research	50.4	53.8	50.9	50.4	—	—
Fundamentals
Description	A dataframe-native graph query language with vectorized processing and optional GPU acceleration. Supports Cypher-like syntax, embedded within the PyGraphistry library.	A Virtual Knowledge Graph system that exposes relational databases as RDF knowledge graphs, translating SPARQL queries into SQL without moving data. Uses R2RML mappings and lightweight ontologies.	A modular SPARQL query engine written in TypeScript that federates queries across heterogeneous linked data sources including SPARQL endpoints, RDF files, HDT archives, and Solid data pods. Runs in both Node.js and browsers.	A graph query engine that runs analytics on existing relational databases, data lakes, and warehouses without data migration.	A graph database framework with pluggable storage backends (Accumulo, HBase, Parquet). Developed by GCHQ for large-scale graph analysis with built-in timestamp management.	A graph query engine built on the Lance columnar format, supporting multimodal knowledge graphs in serverless environments.
Vendor	Graphistry	Ontopic	Comunica Association	PuppyQuery Inc	GCHQ	LanceDB Inc
Model	Property Graph	RDF	RDF	Property Graph	Other	Property Graph
Kind	query-engine	query-engine	query-engine	query-engine	query-engine	query-engine
Category	Growing	Established	Emerging	Growing	Established	Emerging
First released	2023	2009	2018	2024-03	2015	2025-09
Status	active	active	active	active	active	active
License	BSD-3-Clause	Apache-2.0	MIT	Proprietary	Apache-2.0	Apache-2.0
Written in	Python	Java	TypeScript	—	Java	Rust
Query languages	GFQL, openCypher	SPARQL	SPARQL, GraphQL	Gremlin, openCypher	Custom API	SQL, openCypher
gdotv support	no	no	no	yes	no	no