Tools · SPBoucher
Menu

Kùzu

In-depth entryDiscontinued

by Kùzu Inc. (company acquired; project archived) · Database · also known as Kuzu, KuzuDB, Kùzu Inc.

Embedded property-graph database with Cypher, vector and full-text search; MIT-licensed but archived in October 2025 after the company was acquired

MIT licenseOpen sourceFreeLocalSelf-hostable
Visit official site Compare

Link verified Nov 2, 2026

Overview

Kùzu (KuzuDB) was an embedded property-graph database written in C++ and developed by Kùzu Inc., a University of Waterloo spin-out. Like DuckDB for tables, it ran in-process from Python, Node.js, Rust, Java, Go or C with no server, stored a graph in a single database file, and answered Cypher queries through a columnar, vectorized executor. Later releases added vector indexes and full-text search so that graph traversal, keyword and embedding retrieval could be combined in one query, which made it popular for GraphRAG experiments and for LangChain and LlamaIndex integrations.

The project is no longer maintained. The GitHub repository was archived on 10 October 2025 with the note that the team was working on something new, the last PyPI release (0.11.3) was published the same day, and the kuzudb.com website and docs went offline. In February 2026 an Apple filing under the EU Digital Markets Act disclosed that Apple had agreed on 9 October 2025 to acquire Kùzu Inc.; Apple has not announced plans for the software. Existing releases remain installable and usable under the MIT license, and community forks such as RyuGraph (Predictable Labs) and bighorn (Kineviz) continue development, but no security fixes or new features should be expected from the original project.

Editorial note on uncertainty. Project status verified on the archived GitHub repository and PyPI; the acquisition by Apple is reported from an EU regulatory filing via news coverage, not from an Apple or Kùzu announcement. The official website is offline, so the GitHub repository is recorded as homepage.

Capabilities

  • In-process property-graph storage in a single file
  • Cypher query language
  • Vector index and full-text search extensions
  • Bindings for Python, Node.js, Rust, Java, Go and C

Typical workflows

  1. Local GraphRAG prototype combining graph traversal and embeddings
  2. Graph analytics inside a Python notebook without a server

Strengths

  • No server to run; MIT license
  • Columnar vectorized execution for analytical graph queries

Limitations

  • Repository archived; no further releases from the original team
  • Official website and documentation are offline
  • Future compatibility depends on community forks

Prerequisites

  • A pinned release from PyPI, npm, crates.io or Maven

Who it is for

  • Researchers and developers maintaining existing Kùzu-based projects

Alternatives & comparison

Neo4j is the server-based alternative with commercial support and a managed cloud. DuckDB offers the same embedded, columnar approach for relational rather than graph data and is actively maintained. Forks RyuGraph and bighorn aim to continue the Kùzu codebase.

  • DuckDB

    In-process analytical SQL database that queries Parquet, CSV and Arrow data directly from Python, R, Node or the CLI

    Open sourceOpen source
  • Neo4j

    Native property-graph database queried with Cypher, offered as a GPL community edition, a commercial enterprise edition and the AuraDB cloud service

    MixedOpen source
  • SQLite

    Public-domain embedded SQL database engine that stores a whole database in one file and ships inside most operating systems and browsers

    Open sourceOpen source
Compare Kùzu with its alternatives →

Sources & verification

Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.

  • License
    Kùzu LICENSE (MIT)

    https://github.com/kuzudb/kuzu/blob/master/LICENSE

    Supports: license_spdx, source_model

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • News
    BetaKit: Apple strikes deal to acquire Kuzu

    https://betakit.com/apple-strikes-deal-to-acquire-canadian-database-software-startup-kuzu

    Supports: product_status, vendor

    EU DMA filing disclosed agreement dated 2025-10-09

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • News
    The Register: KuzuDB graph database abandoned

    https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/14/kuzudb_abandoned

    Supports: product_status, comparison_notes

    Reports archive and community forks

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Package registry
    kuzu on PyPI

    https://pypi.org/project/kuzu

    Supports: product_status

    Latest release 0.11.3 uploaded 2025-10-10

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Repository
    kuzudb/kuzu

    https://github.com/kuzudb/kuzu

    Supports: name, summary, product_status, capabilities

    Repository banner states it was archived by the owner on Oct 10, 2025; kuzudb.com and docs.kuzudb.com did not resolve today

    checked Nov 1, 2026
Confidence
Medium
Reviewed
Nov 1, 2026
Links
Verified · Nov 2, 2026

Spotted an error?

Broken link, outdated license, wrong category, or a tool that no longer exists? Tell us; reports are reviewed by the editor.

Redis

Redis Ltd. · NoSQL & key-value stores

In-depth entry

In-memory key-value data store used as cache, message broker and database, with data structures, Pub/Sub, Streams and, since Redis 8, built-in JSON, search and time-series modules

LicenseRef-RSALv2 OR SSPL-1.0 OR AGPL-3.0-onlyOpen sourceFreeSelf-hostedNov 2, 2026

MongoDB

MongoDB, Inc. · NoSQL & key-value stores

Document database storing BSON documents with a rich aggregation pipeline, available as a source-available Community Server or the managed Atlas service

SSPL-1.0FreeFreemiumSelf-hostedBroken