ScyllaDB is an open-source, distributed NoSQL database designed for high throughput and low latency at scale. It’s a drop-in replacement for Apache Cassandra but with 10x better performance due to its shared-nothing architecture written in C++ (vs Cassandra’s Java).
✅ High Performance
✅ Low Latency (<1ms P99 for reads)
✅ Fully Compatible with Cassandra
✅ Horizontally Scalable
✅ Open Core Model (Enterprise & Free Versions)
1. ScyllaDB vs. Cassandra: Performance Benchmarks
(Based on ScyllaDB Benchmarks)
| Metric | ScyllaDB | Apache Cassandra |
|---|---|---|
| Throughput (Ops/sec/node) | 1.5M | 150K |
| P99 Read Latency | <1ms | 10-50ms |
| P99 Write Latency | <2ms | 15-60ms |
| Scaling Efficiency | Near-linear | Sub-linear |
Why ScyllaDB is Faster?
- C++ (vs Java in Cassandra) → No GC pauses
- Shard-per-core architecture → Maximizes CPU utilization
- Auto-tuning capabilities → Less manual optimization needed
2. Deployment Options: Cloud vs. On-Premise
| Deployment | Supported? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Public Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure) | ✅ Yes | AMI, Marketplace, Kubernetes |
| Private Cloud / On-Premise | ✅ Yes | Bare metal, VMware, OpenStack |
| Hybrid (Multi-Cloud) | ✅ Yes | Supports replication across clouds |
Managed Option: ScyllaDB Cloud (DBaaS)
3. Pricing & Licensing
| Model | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source (AGPL) | Free | Startups, testing |
| Enterprise License | $20K/node/year | Large-scale production |
| ScyllaDB Cloud | $0.10/GB/month | Fully managed |
*Compared to Cassandra (free but needs heavy tuning) and DynamoDB ($0.25/GB/month).*
4. When to Use ScyllaDB?
✔ Time-series data (IoT, metrics)
✔ Real-time analytics (ad tech, fintech)
✔ High-throughput apps (gaming, social media)
✔ Cassandra replacement (better performance, lower TCO)
When NOT to Use?
❌ Simple key-value needs (use Redis instead)
❌ Graph data (use Neo4j)
5. Big Companies Using ScyllaDB
| Company | Use Case | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Discord | Message storage | 100M+ users |
| Comcast | Metadata for streaming | Petabyte-scale |
| IBM | IoT data processing | 10M+ devices |
| Rakuten | E-commerce catalog | 1B+ requests/day |
Source: ScyllaDB Case Studies
6. Key Takeaways
- Best for: Apps needing Cassandra-like scalability but better speed.
- Cost: Cheaper than DynamoDB at scale, but pricier than open-source Cassandra.
- Deployment: Runs everywhere (cloud, on-prem, hybrid).
- Who uses it? Discord, Comcast, IBM for high-scale workloads.
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