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apache/hugegraph

Analysis updated 2026-08-08 · repo last pushed 2026-08-07

⭐ Rising★ 3,143JavaAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5ActiveLicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

Apache HugeGraph is an open-source graph database that stores and queries highly connected data, like social networks or product relationships, scaling to over 10 billion data points across multiple machines.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Stores connected data
      Vertices and edges
      Scales to 10 billion
    How you use it
      Web API
      Gremlin query language
      Cypher query language
    Deployment
      Runs on a laptop
      Clusters for big data
      Flexible storage
    Use cases
      Social network analysis
      Product recommendations
      Security threat tracking
    Tech stack
      Java
      Apache Software Foundation
      Big data integrations

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Power a social media feature to find mutual friends between millions of users.

USE CASE 2

Build an e-commerce recommendation engine by analyzing products frequently bought together.

USE CASE 3

Track a hacker's path through a network of connected devices for security analysis.

USE CASE 4

Store and navigate organizational charts or complex product relationship catalogs.

What is it built with?

JavaGremlinCypherREST API

How does it compare?

apache/hugegraphapache/avrogetactivity/toaster
Stars3,1433,2913,499
LanguageJavaJavaJava
Last pushed2026-08-072026-08-072026-04-10
MaintenanceActiveActiveMaintained
Setup difficultymoderatemoderateeasy
Complexity4/53/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires downloading and running a Java-based server, with production use needing multiple machines configured as a cluster.

As an Apache Software Foundation project, it is open-source under a permissive license, allowing free use and modification for any purpose.

In plain English

Apache HugeGraph is a graph database, a system designed to store and query data that is naturally connected, like social networks, organizational charts, or product relationships. Instead of arranging data in flat tables the way traditional databases do, it maps data as "vertices" (things like people or products) and "edges" (the relationships connecting them). Its main benefit is that it can handle massive scale, comfortably managing over 10 billion of these connected data points while still answering questions quickly. The project works by running a central server that processes incoming questions, or queries. You can interact with this server through a few different avenues: a web-friendly API, or by using established query languages designed specifically for navigating relationships, known as Gremlin and Cypher. Behind the scenes, the engine manages the actual stored data. For someone just testing it out, it can run entirely on a single laptop. For serious production use handling up to a petabyte of data, it can be deployed across a cluster of multiple machines working together. This tool is built for developers and data teams who need to understand complex relationships at a massive scale. For example, a social media company might use it to find mutual friends between millions of users. An e-commerce platform could use it to power a recommendation engine by analyzing what products are frequently bought together. A security team might use it to track a hacker's path through a network of connected devices. It also includes ecosystem tools to visualize these connections and integrate with popular big data and AI platforms. The codebase is notable for its modular design and flexible storage. You can start small with its built-in single-node storage and seamlessly scale to a distributed cluster later, without needing to rewrite your application. It is built in Java and is part of the Apache Software Foundation, meaning it is open-source and maintained by a broad community rather than a single company.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Help me model a social network in HugeGraph using Gremlin, where I need to find mutual friends between two users represented as vertices with friend edges.
Prompt 2
Write a Cypher query for HugeGraph that finds products frequently bought together by analyzing purchase history stored as vertices and edges.
Prompt 3
Guide me through setting up HugeGraph in single-node mode on my laptop for local testing, including how to connect via the REST API.
Prompt 4
Show me how to scale my HugeGraph setup from a single node to a distributed cluster without rewriting my existing Gremlin queries.

Frequently asked questions

What is hugegraph?

Apache HugeGraph is an open-source graph database that stores and queries highly connected data, like social networks or product relationships, scaling to over 10 billion data points across multiple machines.

What language is hugegraph written in?

Mainly Java. The stack also includes Java, Gremlin, Cypher.

Is hugegraph actively maintained?

Active — commit in last 30 days (last push 2026-08-07).

What license does hugegraph use?

As an Apache Software Foundation project, it is open-source under a permissive license, allowing free use and modification for any purpose.

How hard is hugegraph to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is hugegraph for?

Mainly developer.

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