scylladb/scylladb

ScyllaDB is a NoSQL data store that provides Apache Cassandra and Amazon DynamoDB compatibility.

ScyllaDB addresses the performance limitations of traditional Cassandra deployments by reimplementing the database in C++ using the Seastar framework, a high-performance asynchronous I/O library. This approach eliminates the garbage collection pauses and thread-per-connection overhead inherent in Java-based Cassandra, enabling significantly higher throughput and lower latency on the same hardware. The tool maintains wire protocol compatibility with both Cassandra and DynamoDB, allowing existing applications to connect without code changes.

Teams should consider ScyllaDB if they are running Cassandra workloads and want to reduce infrastructure costs through better per-node performance, or if they need DynamoDB compatibility without vendor lock-in. It suits projects with high-throughput requirements where latency consistency matters, particularly those already invested in the Cassandra ecosystem. Organizations can migrate existing Cassandra clusters to ScyllaDB by treating it as a drop-in replacement, since client applications require no modification.

The project maintains active development with regular commits across core database functionality, performance optimization, and compatibility features. Work spans the Seastar framework integration, query execution, storage engine improvements, and protocol implementation for both Cassandra and DynamoDB APIs. The codebase shows ongoing attention to test coverage and stability, with contributions addressing edge cases and production readiness.