XitDB
an immutable single-file database
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I couldn't find a database that was immutable (like Datomic) and embedded (like SQLite), so I made one. The reference impl is in Zig and there are now ports for Java, Clojure, TypeScript, and Go.
HN · launched Apr 17, 2026 · 8 upvotes (top 52%) · 0 views
Niche: database management systems and engines · 162 launches, 5 in the last 7 days ▼ -17% · Explore this niche →
Category and tags
- Horizontal
- Data infrastructure
- Developer
- Not AI
- Hobby / open-source project
Visit website ↗ Source listing ↗
More like this: all 162 launches in database management systems and engines →
Could you build this?
No Writing a custom embedded immutable database engine in Zig with multi-language ports requires specialized knowledge of database storage engines, B-trees, and concurrency.
What it would actually take: The engine requires implementing copy-on-write immutable data structures (like append-only B-trees or fractal trees), custom binary file serialization, memory mapping (mmap), and ACID crash recovery in Zig. The hardest part is ensuring zero corruption on crashes, memory safety, and cross-platform binary compatibility across language bindings. This requires extensive experience in database internals, disk I/O semantics, and systems programming.
Discussion
No comments on this launch.
Competitors
Other products that read as similar to this one : 149 launches clear the similarity bar, closest 8 shown.
Attention rank: #77 of 150 (itself plus its competitors, highest first, normalized so YC and Product Hunt are compared fairly).
Launched 170 days after the earliest competitor.
- LatticeDB · hn · 2026-08-25 · 190 upvotes · similarity 0.52
- GEDB · hn · 2026-02-16 · 9 upvotes · similarity 0.52
- ChikkaDB · hn · 2025-11-29 · 5 upvotes · similarity 0.48
- yq-DB · ph · 2026-10-13 · 1 upvotes · similarity 0.45
- Xsql · hn · 2025-12-16 · 11 upvotes · similarity 0.42
- gamedb · github · 2026-10-01 · 26 upvotes · similarity 0.42
- Sequill · ph · 2026-11-01 · 1 upvotes · similarity 0.41
- CrossMigrateDB · ph · 2026-10-23 · 1 upvotes · similarity 0.41
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