Query capabilities¶
SQL is all you need.
SQL is the most widely used language for querying data and is the natural choice for people in many roles working with data in databases.
CrateDB extends industry-standard SQL with features to support its data types, data I/O procedures, and cluster management.
CrateDB is designed to deliver high-performance aggregations on massive volumes of data—in real time and using familiar SQL syntax.
CrateDB is built to support highly dynamic, ad-hoc querying, even on large-scale, real-time datasets.
Based on Apache Lucene, CrateDB offers native BM25 term search and vector search, all using SQL. Combine both—still using SQL—to implement powerful single‑query hybrid search.
CrateDB is not just a real-time analytics database, it’s a powerful platform to feed and interact with machine learning models, thanks to its ability to store, query, and transform structured, unstructured, and vectorized data at scale using standard SQL.
See also
To learn more, check out the SQL introduction, Advanced Querying tutorials, and the SQL syntax reference manual.