KDB-X Overview

This page explains what KDB-Xis and how it came to be.

Why KDB-X?

kdb+ was built to handle massive amounts of time-series data with extremely low latency, especially in areas like capital markets where traditional databases couldn’t keep up with the volume or speed required for analytical tasks. kdb+ solved this by using an in-memory, columnar architecture optimized for both real-time and historical data, processing billions of events and querying trillions of records with ease. It combined data ingestion and analysis in one system and introduced q, a concise and powerful language allowing developers to elegantly express their ideas and making those same developers more efficient.

Over time, however, the needs of developers have changed. While performance still matters, there's an increasing emphasis on usability. Developers want clear documentation, good tooling, package management, and support for popular languages like Python. Developers also expect systems that are easy to get started with and integrate well with their existing data stacks.

KDB-X keeps the core performance and compatibility of kdb+ but unites it with a focus on developer experience through improved accessibility, extensibility, and interoperability. It introduces architectural improvements that enable community contributions, making it highly extensible. It supports Python, SQL, and q, and is being built to work with open data formats like Parquet and Iceberg for interoperability. Lastly, it's built for the AI era with transformative agentic AI interaction and scalable machine learning integration. Our vision is to make it easier for developers to build, extend, and deploy high-performance analytics applications without compromise.

Key advantages

  • Unified analytical data stack: Seamlessly handle streaming, batch, and historical data in real time through a single compute and data environment.

  • Polyglot access: Support for Python, SQL, and q in a single platform designed for modern data workflows.

  • High-performance engine: Built on the proven kdb+ kernel, delivering industry-leading speed for time-series data processing.

  • Built-in vector search and AI capabilities: Leverage both structured and unstructured data for unified queries and insights.

  • Streaming analytics runtime: Optimized for low-latency execution on high-volume, time-sensitive data streams.

  • Backward compatibility: Supports existing q code, APIs, and workflows, preserving prior investments while enabling next-generation workloads.

  • Modular architecture and extensibility: Designed from the ground up for modular integration, making it easier to manage libraries and expand functionality over time.

  • Deployment agility: Operate self-managed in the cloud or on-premises environments with consistent control and performance.

What’s included?

During the Public Preview phase, the Community Edition is available for testing with time-limited access. There will be regular feature drops that will extend the expiration window until the official release later this year with "free-forever" access. This phased roll out allows the KX community to explore, build with, and provide feedback on KDB-X as the platform continues to evolve and KX refines the offering.

Upon its official GA release, KDB-X Community Edition will become free-forever with limited resource capacity, while a paid licensed edition will be available with full capacity, enterprise support, service-level agreements (SLAs), and options for integration into production environments. Both editions will include the full feature set of capabilities. For more details on inclusions and limitations, refer to our usage restrictions page.

Why participate in the Public Preview?

KDB-X is the result of deep collaboration between the KX engineering team and the global KX community. It was designed to incorporate extensive developer feedback, modernize the tooling ecosystem, and support the demands of real-time, AI-driven development. As KX continues to work directly with the global community, we invite all developers to collaborate and co-create with KX through Public Preview and beyond.

By trying KDB-X, developers gain:

  • Early access to platform updates and new capabilities, delivered throughout the preview cycle

  • A direct channel to influence the roadmap through structured feedback

  • A refined developer experience, including updated documentation, hands-on tutorials, and community support

  • Full compatibility with existing kdb+ workflows, minimizing migration risk and time to value

  • An opportunity to collaborate with the KX engineering team and help define the direction of the platform

  • You’re not just trying KDB-X, you’re defining it.