Difference between graph database: Neo4j & AllegroGraph

Question

What is the difference between these two graph databases: Neo4j and AllegroGraph? Which is better for Java Web programming?

Answer 1

If you have no reason to choose RDF + SPARQL (which both products support), Neo4j provides a clean Java API for manipulating a property graph (nodes + relationships + properties on both). For web applications, I wrote up an example using Spring Framework, which also exists in a simplified version as a workshop.

Disclaimer: Obviously I'm on the Neo4j team, and I don't have any in-depth knowledge regarding AllegroGraph.

Answer 2

I chose AllegroGraph over Neo4j because of its support for SPARQL queries. It seemed to me that the Neo4j approach of traversing a graph is less tidy, especially for more complex retrieval operations.

...and no, I have no affiliation with either organisation.

Answer 3

One other consideration is the licenses. AllegroGraph's free edition can be used as long as you have fewer than 50 million triples. See http://www.franz.com/agraph/allegrograph/ag_commercial_edition.lhtml

Neo4j is free as long as your project uses the community edition; only if you modify the Neo4j source you must open-source the modifications. The basic license terms can be found on their home page: http://neo4j.org/