What is ClickHouse?
ClickHouse is a columnar SQL database built for fast analytical queries over large datasets, originally developed internally and open-sourced in 2016. ClickHouse, Inc. was incorporated in 2021 and is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a subsidiary in Amsterdam. The core database remains free under the Apache 2.0 license; ClickHouse Cloud is a separate usage-based managed service starting around $50/month.
Read the full overview
Sources checked 27 September 2026: official website, documentation, GitHub repository, pricing page.
ClickHouseDatabasesFast, open-source columnar database for real-time analytics
Key capabilities
- Columnar SQL engine: Vectorized execution built for sub-second aggregate queries.
- Multiple protocols: Native, HTTP and MySQL-compatible wire interfaces.
- Deployment choice: Self-hosted (free) or ClickHouse Cloud (usage-based, from ~$50/month).
Benchmark against your actual query patterns and data volume, and confirm your team's plan for cluster sizing and backups before choosing self-hosting over ClickHouse Cloud.
“Fast, open-source columnar database for real-time analytics”
Technical details
- Access
- Self-hosted
- Source model
- Open source
- Founded
- 2016
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- API
- Not specified
- Website
- clickhouse.com ↗
- GitHub
- Source repository ↗
What to verify
Start from the users, systems and operating responsibilities the tool needs to support.
- Confirm current features, licensing and support terms.
- Validate deployment, data location and access control.
- Test integrations, exports and recovery workflows.
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