Freemium

DolphinDB

Time-series database and real-time computing platform with AI features on top: Chat-to-Query text-to-SQL, RAG-based Smart Q&A, native MCP support for LLMs, in-database ML inference and the DolphinMind assistant.

4.1 Data and Analytics
4.1 Very good 4.1
Community Edition comes with a perpetual license No prices published for the Enterprise edition
Reviewed by Challenging Voice Editorial · Updated Oct 2026 How we rate
PricingFree
Free planYes
CompanyDolphinDB
PlatformsAPI
CategoryData and Analytics
Last reviewedOct 2026
Ask AI about DolphinDB ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

Overview

DolphinDB is a time-series database and stream processing platform used in finance, IoT and manufacturing. It stores large volumes of time-stamped data and runs real-time analytics and heavy computation in one system, with a scripting language and more than 1,500 built-in functions. The company presents it as a data foundation for AI workloads and real-time decisions.

The AI layer has several named parts. Chat-to-Query turns a plain-language question into SQL so business users can query data without writing it. Smart Q&A runs retrieval-augmented search over enterprise knowledge. Native MCP support lets an LLM query the database directly and ships with a stock analysis toolkit. For machine learning, the database loads PyTorch and TensorFlow models for inference, integrates XGBoost and LightGBM, and supports GPU acceleration. DolphinMind is an assistant that answers questions about DolphinDB and generates code, and a newer DolphinX release targets agent development and governance.

No prices are published. The product page lists a Community Edition download with a perpetual license, limited to 2 nodes with 2 CPU cores and 8 GB of RAM per node. An Enterprise trial with high-availability clusters and technical support is available on request.

Key features

  • Chat-to-Query text-to-SQL for plain-language questions
  • Smart Q&A with retrieval-augmented search
  • Native MCP support so LLMs can query the database
  • In-database inference for PyTorch, TensorFlow, XGBoost and LightGBM
  • DolphinMind assistant for guidance and code generation
  • Time-series storage with real-time stream processing

Screenshots & demo

DolphinDB screenshot 1

Pricing

DolphinDB offers a free plan, with paid upgrades for higher limits and more features.

  • Pricing modelFreemium
  • Starting priceFree
  • Free planYes
Visit DolphinDB

Pricing is provided as a guide. Check the official site for the latest plans.

Is DolphinDB expensive?

DolphinDB has no advertised paid tier. Among the 65 priced tools we list in Data and Analytics, the median entry price is $25 a month.

39% of Data and Analytics tools in the directory offer a free tier, and this is one of them.

Compared against every priced listing in Data and Analytics, recalculated as the catalogue changes. Method and the full market breakdown are in our AI tool pricing study.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Community Edition comes with a perpetual license
  • ML inference runs inside the database, close to the data
  • MCP support connects LLMs to private data

Cons

  • No prices published for the Enterprise edition
  • Community Edition is capped at 2 nodes, 2 cores and 8 GB RAM per node
  • Agent features are described only briefly on the site
  • Built for engineering teams, with its own scripting language to learn

How it compares

ToolRatingFreeFromBest known for
DolphinDB (this tool)4.1YesFreeChat-to-Query text-to-SQL for plain-language questions
Kinetica3.7YesFreeNative GraphRAG support for knowledge-graph-enhanced retrieval
Vanna4.4YesFreeOpen-source RAG framework for text-to-SQL
Fluent4.0Yes$29/moNatural-language question answering over connected business data

Alternatives to DolphinDB

4 tools matched to DolphinDB on what they do, their category and their price.

Kinetica

3.7

"Stop duct-taping five databases behind your agent stack" – GraphRAG support and vectorized GPU processing built specifically for AI agent infrastructure.

Frequently asked questions

What is DolphinDB?
DolphinDB is a time-series database and stream processing platform used in finance, IoT and manufacturing.
Is DolphinDB free?
Yes, DolphinDB offers a free plan. Paid plans unlock more features and higher usage limits.
What are the best DolphinDB alternatives?
The closest matches in the directory are Kinetica, Vanna, and Fluent, compared side by side above.

Reviews

4.1 Editorial rating No reviews yet

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