TiDB
Open-source distributed SQL database for hybrid transactional and analytical processing
Founded
N/A
Starting Price
Free
Category
Developer Tools
Last updated March 14, 2026
About TiDB
TiDB is an open-source, cloud-native, distributed SQL database built by PingCAP for hybrid transactional and analytical processing (HTAP). It offers MySQL compatibility, horizontal scalability, strong consistency with distributed ACID transactions, and real-time analytics through its dual storage engine architecture (TiKV for row storage, TiFlash for columnar). Available as TiDB Cloud (serverless and dedicated) or self-hosted, it handles both OLTP and OLAP workloads without ETL pipelines.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- True MySQL compatibility means teams can migrate existing applications without rewriting queries or changing ORMs
- HTAP eliminates the need for separate analytics databases and ETL pipelines — query fresh data in real time
- Generous serverless free tier with auto-scaling to zero is ideal for development and small workloads
- Horizontal scaling is seamless — add nodes without downtime and data rebalances automatically
- Open-source core means no vendor lock-in and full transparency into the database engine
Key Features
MySQL Compatibility
Drop-in MySQL protocol compatibility — use existing MySQL drivers, ORMs, and tools without code changes
Horizontal Scalability
Scale out by adding nodes without downtime — automatically rebalances data across the cluster
HTAP Architecture
Dual storage engines (TiKV for transactions, TiFlash for analytics) with real-time data replication between them
Distributed ACID Transactions
Two-phase commit protocol ensures data correctness across nodes, even during network partitions
TiDB Cloud Serverless
Auto-scaling serverless deployment with a generous free tier that scales to zero when idle
Multi-Cloud Deployment
Deploy on AWS or GCP with TiDB Cloud, or self-host on any infrastructure
Real-Time Analytics
Run analytical queries on fresh transactional data without ETL pipelines or data movement
Pricing
Serverless Free
Free
- 25 GB row storage
- 25 GB column storage
- 250M Request Units/month
- Auto-scaling to zero
- Built-in monitoring
Best For
Real-Time Analytics on Live Data
Run analytical dashboards and reports directly on production transactional data without ETL, data warehouses, or stale data
High-Traffic Web Applications
Handle millions of concurrent users with horizontal scalability and automatic load balancing across nodes
Financial Transaction Processing
Process high-volume transactions with distributed ACID guarantees, strong consistency, and multi-region deployments
MySQL Migration at Scale
Migrate from MySQL when single-node limits are reached — keep existing application code while gaining distributed scalability
