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Powerful Multi-Model Graph Database[1] | |
| Developer(s) | Bitnine Global Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 16 January 2017[2] |
| Stable release | 2.14.1
|
| Repository | github |
| Written in | C |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Type | Graph database |
| License | Apache License 2.0 |
| Website | bitnine |
AgensGraph is an open-source graph database developed by Bitnine Global Inc., a South Korean company specializing in graph database solutions. AgensGraph is PostgreSQL-derived [3] [4] database. It combines RDB and GDB features and support all the extension which are supported by PostgreSQL.
Version 1.0.0 was released in January 2017.[2]
From 2017 onwards, AgensGraph community has consistently released new versions with enhancements.[5] These updates included performance improvements, new features (like query language extensions), and better integration with other tools.
Latest community version of AgensGraph is v2.14.1 which was released in January 2025.
AgensGraph Community Edition is released under the Apache 2 License. The Enterprise Edition requires a commercial license.
AgensGraph uniquely blends SQL and Cypher queries, enabling seamless interaction with both relational and graph data in a single query.
AgensGraph's fundamental graph components are nodes, edges that establish connections between nodes, and the properties that characterize each node and edge.
AgensGraph utilizes relational tables to persist graph data.[9] Each node and edge type is represented by a dedicated table. Dynamic node properties are handled through JSON object storage, and B-tree indexes are automatically generated to optimize query performance.[10]
AgensGraph boasts comprehensive support for two powerful query languages: SQL and Cypher. This dual-language capability allows users to leverage the strengths of both relational and graph database paradigms.
For relational data manipulation, AgensGraph adheres to standard SQL syntax, ensuring compatibility with existing applications and tools. When navigating complex relationships and patterns within graph data, users can seamlessly switch to Cypher, a declarative graph query language designed for intuitive and efficient traversal.
SELECT p.first_name, p.last_name, ct.name
FROM person p, city c
WHERE nationality(c.name) = 'EU'
AgensGraph's Cypher implementation aligns closely with the openCypher specification, facilitating interoperability and ease of use for developers familiar with other graph databases.[11]
MATCH (p:Person)-[:LIVES_IN]->(c:City), (p:Person)-[:NATIONAL_OF]->(EUCountry)
RETURN p.first_name, p.last_name, c.name, c.state
In AgensGraph you can also write hybrid queries to increase performance, better data integration.[8] There are two ways to write hybrid queries.
1. Cypher in SQL
SELECT p.first_name, p.last_name, ct.name
FROM city c,(MATCH (p:Person) RETURN p) as person,
WHERE nationality(c.name) = 'EU'
2. SQL in Cypher
MATCH (p:Person)
WHERE p.city IN (SELECT city FROM countries WHERE nationality(city) = 'EU')
RETURN properties(p) AS p;
Both ISO standards GQL[12] and SQL/PGQ[13] (Published in 2023 and 2024 respectively) support hybrid query syntax which combines graph and relational model.[14]
In term of transaction processing, complex aggregate queries and data import, AgensGraph is 3x to 25x faster than ArangoDB and OrientDB.[15]
Because AgensGraph is derived from PostgreSQL, its performance can be improved with PostgreSQL performance recommendation [16] and using Graph Property Index.
| Release | First release[5] | Latest minor version | Latest release | End of Support Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2017-01-16 | 1.0.0 | N/A | 2020-01-16 |
| 1.1 | 2017-03-16 | 1.1.0 | N/A | 2021-11-11 |
| 1.2 | 2017-08-22 | 1.2.1 | 2018-08-21 | 2021-11-11 |
| 1.3 | 2017-12-14 | 1.3.2 | 2018-09-06 | 2022-11-10 |
| 2.0 | 2018-09-18 | 2.0.0 | N/A | 2022-11-10 |
| 2.1 | 2019-01-17 | 2.1.3 | 2020-01-14 | 2022-11-10 |
| 2.5 | 2021-10-06 | 2.5.0 | N/A | 2023-11-09 |
| 2.12 | 2022-01-08 | 2.12.1 | 2023-01-11 | 2024-11-21 |
| 2.13 | 2022-11-10 | 2.13.1 | 2023-01-11 | 2025-11-13 |
| 2.14 | 2025-01-16 | 2.14.1 | N/A | 2026-11-12 |
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Because of Graph database popularity, An AgensGraph extension was proposed to The Apache Software Foundation.[17] Proposal was accepted and moved to incubation in April 2020.
After two more years of development in June 2022 Apache® announced Apache AGE Template:TM as Top Level Project as graph extension for PostgreSQL database.[18][19]