What is TimescaleDB used for?

TimescaleDB is a PostgreSQL extension that adds time-series storage, hypertables and a columnstore for fast, real-time analytics on event data. It is a good fit for IoT and sensor data analytics, financial and market time-series, and monitoring metrics inside PostgreSQL.

Is TimescaleDB open source?

Yes. TimescaleDB is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at timescale/timescaledb and is written mainly in C.

Yes. TimescaleDB is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available.

Can I self-host TimescaleDB?

Yes. TimescaleDB can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is TimescaleDB an alternative to?

TimescaleDB is an open-source alternative to KX kdb+ and Azure Data Explorer. Other open-source alternatives to KX kdb+ include InfluxDB, QuestDB and ClickHouse.

Is TimescaleDB actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to TimescaleDB was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 2.30.2, published on 29 September 2026. The project has 24k stars on GitHub.

TimescaleDB: open-source alternative to KX kdb+

About TimescaleDB

TimescaleDB is a PostgreSQL extension that turns Postgres into a database for time-series and event data, aimed at real-time analytics. Because it lives inside PostgreSQL, you keep SQL, existing tools and the broader Postgres ecosystem while gaining storage and query features designed for data that arrives continuously with timestamps.

The quick start walks through running it locally with a one-line install script or Docker, creating a hypertable with the columnstore enabled, inserting data directly into the columnstore and running analytical queries. It suggests Docker, around 8 GB of RAM and a psql or other PostgreSQL client, and warns that the install script is meant for local development and testing, not production. Topics list uses such as IoT, financial analysis and historian data.

The code is written in C, and its license is listed as 'Other' on GitHub because some features sit under Timescale's own license rather than a standard open-source one, so check which apply to you. The company, now branded TigerData, also runs a hosted cloud service. It suits teams who want time-series features without leaving PostgreSQL.

Key features

PostgreSQL extension for time-series data
Hypertables with columnstore
Fast analytical queries on event data
Full SQL and Postgres tooling compatibility
Docker and one-line local install
Managed cloud service from the vendor

Good fit for

→IoT and sensor data analytics
→Financial and market time-series
→Monitoring metrics inside PostgreSQL

Built with: C; PostgreSQL
Tags: time-series; postgresql; database; analytics; iot; sql; extension; tigerdata; columnstore

TimescaleDB: questions and answers

What is TimescaleDB used for?: TimescaleDB is a PostgreSQL extension that adds time-series storage, hypertables and a columnstore for fast, real-time analytics on event data. It is a good fit for IoT and sensor data analytics, financial and market time-series, and monitoring metrics inside PostgreSQL.
Is TimescaleDB open source?: Yes. TimescaleDB is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at timescale/timescaledb and is written mainly in C.
Is TimescaleDB free?: Yes. TimescaleDB is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available.
Can I self-host TimescaleDB?: Yes. TimescaleDB can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is TimescaleDB an alternative to?: TimescaleDB is an open-source alternative to KX kdb+ and Azure Data Explorer. Other open-source alternatives to KX kdb+ include InfluxDB, QuestDB and ClickHouse.
Is TimescaleDB actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to TimescaleDB was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 2.30.2, published on 29 September 2026. The project has 24k stars on GitHub.