Citus Data vs LocalDB comparison

Citus Data and Microsoft are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Citus Data is ranked #23 with an average rating of 7.5, while Microsoft is ranked #15 with an average rating of 10.0. Citus Data holds a 2.4% mindshare in SQL, compared to Microsoft’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Citus Data users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Citus Data

Read 3 Citus Data reviews

1,277 Views
937 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

LocalDB

Read 6 LocalDB reviews

1,949 Views
1,623 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Citus Data

LocalDB

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

LocalDB and Citus Data serve distinct purposes and compete in different spheres. LocalDB is advantageous for its compatibility with Microsoft environments, while Citus Data stands out with its scalability features, making it suitable for larger, distributed database environments.

Features: LocalDB provides simplicity and easy integration with Microsoft technologies, a lightweight footprint, and built-in support for developers. Citus Data emphasizes its scalability by distributing PostgreSQL databases across multiple nodes, handling large datasets efficiently, and offering advanced performance optimization for high-demand operations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: LocalDB integrates effortlessly with Microsoft systems, making it straightforward for small-scale projects within this ecosystem. Citus Data requires more intricate deployment but compensates with robust customer service, which is crucial for managing distributed systems in enterprise settings.

Pricing and ROI: LocalDB has minimal setup costs providing good ROI for developers focused on Microsoft compatibility without demanding scale. In contrast, Citus Data has higher costs due to its complex structure, but it offers significant ROI for enterprises needing extensive scalability and performance enhancements, catering to expansive, data-heavy operations.

To learn more, read our detailed Citus Data vs. LocalDB Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Citus Data vs. LocalDB

April 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Citus Data

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

23rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

LocalDB

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

15th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Citus Data is 2.4%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of LocalDB is 2.7%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Arucy Lionel

Co-Founder at Afriziki

Efficiently handles high-traffic scenarios and compatible with PostgreSQL extensions, offering flexibility in database management

There are many areas of improvement , especially in terms of DDL query routing. Even though it's masterless, DDL queries need to be sent to the coordinator node. Also, setting up a multi-node environment could be more straightforward. Currently, setting up a multi-node environment is challenging. It's a bit tricky. Installation on each PostgreSQL node can lead to communication issues between nodes. An automatic rebalancing feature would be a significant improvement. Currently, I have to manually command the rebalance. It would be more convenient if it was rebalanced automatically. The dashboard and monitoring capabilities are good, but it would be helpful to have an integrated availability dashboard.

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Srini-Dhanaraj

Founder & CEO at imfine.club

The database always has structured data, like rows, columns, and bases

LocalDB is an excellent solution for learners, beginners, and projects of negligible size; it is very good. Any startup can use a local database to start. Once they grow beyond its limits, they can migrate to a MS SQL server that's also available on-premises. I rate it ten out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"You can use Citus Data to write complex scripts. I like its version upgrades and disaster recovery as well."

"Its distributed processing capabilities are a standout feature. It requires minimal changes to get up and running if you already have a system on PostgreSQL. Citus can run in its natural state."

"It's very straightforward to implement the solution. It took us two days to set up everything."

"The most valuable feature of LocalDBis the connection between the application and DB."

"The initial setup was simple."

"The initial setup is very straightforward. The guidelines are very easy to follow. Maintenance is very easy and requires very little manpower."

"LocalDB is an excellent solution for learners, beginners, and projects of negligible size; it is very good."

"The solution is fast."

Cons

"There are many areas of improvement , especially in terms of DDL query routing. Even though it's masterless, DDL queries need to be sent to the coordinator node. Also, setting up a multi-node environment could be more straightforward."

"More features in monitoring and the reporting could make it better."

"Citus Data needs to improve its stability. Do not consider this product if you have the budget. It is still developing and has a lot of issues."

"The internal connection features of LocalDB could improve."

"The solution needs to create a management tool. Right now, the solution has tools for creating a local installation, but it's too simplistic. We need something that's a bit more complex so that we can extend the tools with our scripts."

"It is only for a small amount of data. Local DB is made for the purpose of small-volume optics."

"The ALM features can be improved, but the database by itself is reliable."

"The initial setup is complex and requires a skilled person."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Citus Data is an open-source product."

"The licensing cost is too high for LocalDB."

"The fees are fair."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

23%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Consumer Goods Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Citus Data?

You can use Citus Data to write complex scripts. I like its version upgrades and disaster recovery as well.

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What needs improvement with Citus Data?

Citus Data needs to improve its stability. Do not consider this product if you have the budget. It is still developing and has a lot of issues.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Citus Data?

I rate the product a seven out of ten.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for LocalDB?

It's free of cost.

See all answers

What needs improvement with LocalDB?

Technically speaking, you don't need to get any updates because it's not online. It's on-premise. So once it is installed, then you get a desktop-grade version. But the purpose of LocalDB is not th...

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What is your primary use case for LocalDB?

There were multiple systems, some planned, like the mainframe, the gold database, a website, and a manual Excel spreadsheet. These were the various data sources, and we wanted to bring everything i...

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Compared 81% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

May 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

May 2025

Download LocalDB product report

Overview

Citus is a distributed database that extends PostgreSQL, allowing you to continue using all the powerful Postgres features while still scaling.

Whether you're running into a ceiling on a single node, or need more performance for real-time analytical queries Citus can help.

Citus Data

LocalDB is a lightweight version of the SQL Server Express Database Engine that is targeted for program development. LocalDB starts on demand and runs in user mode, so there is no complex configuration.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Cloud Flare, Agari, Mix Rank, Heap

AstraZeneca, Kienzle Automotive GmbH, Kodak Alaris, Unilever, Floatel International and Kongsberg Maritime, MyHero

Buyer's Guide

Citus Data vs. LocalDB

April 2025

Free Report: Citus Data vs. LocalDB

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