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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Databases
  4. Databases
  5. Neo4j vs Oracle

Neo4j vs Oracle

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Oracle
Oracle
Stacks2.6K
Followers1.8K
Votes113
Neo4j
Neo4j
Stacks1.2K
Followers1.4K
Votes351
GitHub Stars15.3K
Forks2.5K

Neo4j vs Oracle: What are the differences?

Introduction

Neo4j and Oracle are both popular database management systems, but they differ in several key aspects. In this article, we will explore the main differences between Neo4j and Oracle.

  1. Data Model: One of the key differences between Neo4j and Oracle is their data model. Neo4j is a graph database, which means it organizes data in nodes and relationships. This allows for highly connected data to be efficiently stored and queried. On the other hand, Oracle is a relational database, meaning it stores data in tables with predefined relationships and joins.

  2. Language and Querying: Another difference lies in the query language used. Neo4j uses a graph querying language called Cypher, which is specifically designed for graph databases. Cypher offers expressive syntax for traversing and querying graph data. In contrast, Oracle uses SQL (Structured Query Language), the standard language for relational databases.

  3. Scalability and Performance: Neo4j is known for its scalability and performance when dealing with highly interconnected datasets. Its native graph storage and query optimization make it suitable for handling complex queries efficiently. Oracle, as a relational database, is well-suited for handling large volumes of structured data but may face challenges when dealing with highly connected data.

  4. Flexibility: Neo4j offers flexible schema, allowing for dynamic changes in the structure and relationships of the data. Nodes and relationships can be added, modified, or removed without disrupting the existing data. Oracle, being a relational database, requires predefined schemas and a strict structure for data storage and modification.

  5. Use Cases: The choice between Neo4j and Oracle also depends on the specific use case. Neo4j is often favored when dealing with scenarios that have complex relationships and require advanced querying capabilities. It is commonly used in applications like social networks, recommendation engines, and fraud detection systems. Oracle, on the other hand, is more suitable for traditional enterprise applications, such as financial systems and transactional processing.

  6. Cost and Licensing: The cost and licensing models of Neo4j and Oracle can differ significantly. Neo4j offers both community edition and enterprise edition, with different features and support options. Oracle, as a commercial database, often requires a paid license and support agreement. The cost aspect should be considered when making a decision between the two.

In summary, Neo4j and Oracle differ in their data model, query language, scalability, flexibility, use cases, and cost. Choosing between them depends on factors such as data structure complexity, querying requirements, and budget considerations.

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Advice on Oracle, Neo4j

Daniel
Daniel

Data Engineer at Dimensigon

Jul 18, 2020

Decided

We have chosen Tibero over Oracle because we want to offer a PL/SQL-as-a-Service that the users can deploy in any Cloud without concerns from our website at some standard cost. With Oracle Database, developers would have to worry about what they implement and the related costs of each feature but the licensing model from Tibero is just 1 price and we have all features included, so we don't have to worry and developers using our SQLaaS neither. PostgreSQL would be open source. We have chosen Tibero over Oracle because we want to offer a PL/SQL that you can deploy in any Cloud without concerns. PostgreSQL would be the open source option but we need to offer an SQLaaS with encryption and more enterprise features in the background and best value option we have found, it was Tibero Database for PL/SQL-based applications.

495k views495k
Comments
Jaime
Jaime

none at none

Aug 31, 2020

Needs advice

Hi, I want to create a social network for students, and I was wondering which of these three Oriented Graph DB's would you recommend. I plan to implement machine learning algorithms such as k-means and others to give recommendations and some basic data analyses; also, everything is going to be hosted in the cloud, so I expect the DB to be hosted there. I want the queries to be as fast as possible, and I like good tools to monitor my data. I would appreciate any recommendations or thoughts.

Context:

I released the MVP 6 months ago and got almost 600 users just from my university in Colombia, But now I want to expand it all over my country. I am expecting more or less 20000 users.

56.4k views56.4k
Comments
Abigail
Abigail

Dec 6, 2019

Decided

In the field of bioinformatics, we regularly work with hierarchical and unstructured document data. Unstructured text data from PDFs, image data from radiographs, phylogenetic trees and cladograms, network graphs, streaming ECG data... none of it fits into a traditional SQL database particularly well. As such, we prefer to use document oriented databases.

MongoDB is probably the oldest component in our stack besides Javascript, having been in it for over 5 years. At the time, we were looking for a technology that could simply cache our data visualization state (stored in JSON) in a database as-is without any destructive normalization. MongoDB was the perfect tool; and has been exceeding expectations ever since.

Trivia fact: some of the earliest electronic medical records (EMRs) used a document oriented database called MUMPS as early as the 1960s, prior to the invention of SQL. MUMPS is still in use today in systems like Epic and VistA, and stores upwards of 40% of all medical records at hospitals. So, we saw MongoDB as something as a 21st century version of the MUMPS database.

540k views540k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Oracle
Oracle
Neo4j
Neo4j

Oracle Database is an RDBMS. An RDBMS that implements object-oriented features such as user-defined types, inheritance, and polymorphism is called an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS). Oracle Database has extended the relational model to an object-relational model, making it possible to store complex business models in a relational database.

Neo4j stores data in nodes connected by directed, typed relationships with properties on both, also known as a Property Graph. It is a high performance graph store with all the features expected of a mature and robust database, like a friendly query language and ACID transactions.

-
intuitive, using a graph model for data representation;reliable, with full ACID transactions;durable and fast, using a custom disk-based, native storage engine;massively scalable, up to several billion nodes/relationships/properties;highly-available, when distributed across multiple machines;expressive, with a powerful, human readable graph query language;fast, with a powerful traversal framework for high-speed graph queries;embeddable, with a few small jars;simple, accessible by a convenient REST interface or an object-oriented Java API
Statistics
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
15.3K
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
2.5K
Stacks
2.6K
Stacks
1.2K
Followers
1.8K
Followers
1.4K
Votes
113
Votes
351
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 44
    Reliable
  • 33
    Enterprise
  • 15
    High Availability
  • 5
    Expensive
  • 5
    Hard to maintain
Cons
  • 14
    Expensive
Pros
  • 69
    Cypher – graph query language
  • 61
    Great graphdb
  • 33
    Open source
  • 31
    Rest api
  • 27
    High-Performance Native API
Cons
  • 9
    Comparably slow
  • 4
    Can't store a vertex as JSON
  • 1
    Doesn't have a managed cloud service at low cost

What are some alternatives to Oracle, Neo4j?

MongoDB

MongoDB

MongoDB stores data in JSON-like documents that can vary in structure, offering a dynamic, flexible schema. MongoDB was also designed for high availability and scalability, with built-in replication and auto-sharding.

MySQL

MySQL

The MySQL software delivers a very fast, multi-threaded, multi-user, and robust SQL (Structured Query Language) database server. MySQL Server is intended for mission-critical, heavy-load production systems as well as for embedding into mass-deployed software.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is an advanced object-relational database management system that supports an extended subset of the SQL standard, including transactions, foreign keys, subqueries, triggers, user-defined types and functions.

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft® SQL Server is a database management and analysis system for e-commerce, line-of-business, and data warehousing solutions.

SQLite

SQLite

SQLite is an embedded SQL database engine. Unlike most other SQL databases, SQLite does not have a separate server process. SQLite reads and writes directly to ordinary disk files. A complete SQL database with multiple tables, indices, triggers, and views, is contained in a single disk file.

Cassandra

Cassandra

Partitioning means that Cassandra can distribute your data across multiple machines in an application-transparent matter. Cassandra will automatically repartition as machines are added and removed from the cluster. Row store means that like relational databases, Cassandra organizes data by rows and columns. The Cassandra Query Language (CQL) is a close relative of SQL.

Memcached

Memcached

Memcached is an in-memory key-value store for small chunks of arbitrary data (strings, objects) from results of database calls, API calls, or page rendering.

MariaDB

MariaDB

Started by core members of the original MySQL team, MariaDB actively works with outside developers to deliver the most featureful, stable, and sanely licensed open SQL server in the industry. MariaDB is designed as a drop-in replacement of MySQL(R) with more features, new storage engines, fewer bugs, and better performance.

RethinkDB

RethinkDB

RethinkDB is built to store JSON documents, and scale to multiple machines with very little effort. It has a pleasant query language that supports really useful queries like table joins and group by, and is easy to setup and learn.

ArangoDB

ArangoDB

A distributed free and open-source database with a flexible data model for documents, graphs, and key-values. Build high performance applications using a convenient SQL-like query language or JavaScript extensions.

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