ScyllaDB, the NoSQL database often presented as a powerful alternative to Apache Cassandra, has just announced a major change in its distribution model. With the planned release of ScyllaDB Enterprise 2025.1 in February 2025, the publisher will abandon its dual stream of versions (OSS and Enterprise) in favor of a single branch called “ScyllaDB Enterprise”.
LThe publisher announces that its product will move from a proprietary license to a so-called “source available” license. The latest OSS version under the AGPL license (6.2) will nevertheless remain available, while a new free offer of the Enterprise version will be offered to the community.
What is ScyllaDB?
ScyllaDB is a NoSQL database compatible with Cassandra and DynamoDB, written in C++ and designed to best exploit multi-core architecture, with a model shard-per-core. Since its creation, the ScyllaDB team has focused on high performance and low latency, thanks to low-level optimizations (notably via Seastar, the asynchronous and open source C++ engine).
Over the years, ScyllaDB has established itself in demanding production environments, offering an alternative to other NoSQL databases like Cassandra, while offering the same API.
Until now, the company published two versions:
- ScyllaDB Open Source (AGPL)
- ScyllaDB Enterprise (closed, with premium features)
Why is the publisher changing its licensing model?
The company explains: maintaining two development flows and two products (OSS and Enterprise) has become a strategic puzzle.
On the one hand, most of the major developments (eg the new concept of “tablets”, the backup/restore functions, etc.) were developed openly in the OSS branch, which reduced the differentiation with the paid version.
On the other hand, the community did not necessarily update its OSS deployments, often preferring older and stable versions.
In addition, the publisher explains that its management features (e.g. automatic repair, native S3 integration, unified backups) are gradually migrating to the very heart of the database, making the separation between a “free” version with incomplete features and a version obsolete. Paid “business”.
By unifying everything under the same code, ScyllaDB hopes simplify developmentgain in efficiency and offer a free version richer.
What happens to open source in this transition?
The version ScyllaDB US 6.2 under AGPL license will be the last to be maintained as such. Beyond that, the database becomes “source available”:
- Searchable code and modifiable for use and integration,
- But with restrictions (e.g. prohibiting unauthorized commercial use).
ScyllaDB nevertheless ensures that a free offer will exist within the new “ScyllaDB Enterprise” for the community, integrating all the features previously reserved for the paid version.
- Scylla Manager (orchestration tool) will pass under AGPL,
- The Kubernetes operator for multi-region management will be merged with the open source operator Apache,
- And all other components (drivers, Seastar, etc.) retain their current licenses.
For more information, see the official announcement and detailed FAQ.
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