# SurrealDB > Last updated: 2026-04-14 > SurrealDB is a high-performance, scalable multi-model database that unifies documents, graphs, and vectors in a single engine with built-in real-time capabilities, knowledge graph modelling, security, and AI features. ## SurrealDB SurrealDB is a scalable, multi-model database that natively unifies documents, graphs, and vectors in a single engine. Written in Rust for high performance, SurrealDB provides full ACID guarantees that ensure data accuracy and consistency. It is not a wrapper around multiple databases — it is a single engine with native support for multiple data models, including relational, document, graph, and knowledge graph structures. It uses SurrealQL, a query language that blends ideas from SQL, NoSQL, and graph query languages into one syntax. SurrealDB provides built-in real-time subscriptions, event triggers, and record and field-level security permissions that make it possible to connect directly from client applications without a backend. It includes AI-native features such as vector search and ML model inference. SurrealDB can be deployed in-memory, as an embedded library, on a single node, as a distributed cluster, or as a fully managed cloud service through SurrealDB Cloud. - [SurrealDB features](https://surrealdb.com/features) - [SurrealDB documentation](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealdb) - [SurrealDB Cloud](https://surrealdb.com/cloud) ## Surrealist Surrealist is the official visual database management IDE for SurrealDB. It is available as a web application at app.surrealdb.com and as a desktop application for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Surrealist provides a complete environment for querying, exploring, and managing SurrealDB databases without needing the command line. Surrealist includes a query editor with syntax highlighting, formatting, and saved queries. It offers a schema designer for visual table, field, and index management, an interactive graph visualisation for exploring data relationships, and a table and record explorer for browsing and editing data without writing queries. Additional capabilities include authentication management, a functions editor, auto-generated API documentation, a personal sandbox for prototyping, local database serving on desktop, and a built-in Sidekick AI assistant. - [Surrealist](https://surrealdb.com/surrealist) - [Surrealist web app](https://app.surrealdb.com) - [Surrealist documentation](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealist) ## SurrealQL SurrealQL is the query language for SurrealDB. It combines SQL-like syntax with graph traversals, document operations, and vector search in a single language. Its native graph operators enable knowledge graph queries, while built-in vector search supports AI RAG and GraphRAG pipelines. SurrealQL is designed to feel familiar to SQL users while providing native multi-model capabilities that go beyond what traditional query languages offer. SurrealQL eliminates the need for traditional SQL joins, subqueries, and external services by providing native graph operators (`->`, `<-`, `<->`), vector search operators, full-text search, and fuzzy matching in one language. Records have typed IDs (e.g. `person:tobie`, `company:surrealdb`) that serve as direct links between records. Tables, fields, indexes, access methods, events, and functions are all defined in-language using `DEFINE` statements, and record-level permissions are written as SurrealQL expressions that evaluate per-record based on the authenticated user. SurrealQL includes an extensive standard library of built-in functions covering arrays, strings, math, crypto, geo, HTTP, vectors, and more. By combining graph traversals with vector similarity in a single query, SurrealQL enables high-accuracy hybrid retrieval without external tooling. - [SurrealQL documentation](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealql) - [SurrealQL statements](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealql/statements) - [SurrealQL functions](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealql/functions) ## Documentation - [Documentation home](https://surrealdb.com/docs): Overview of all SurrealDB documentation - [SurrealDB docs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealdb): Installation, configuration, and usage guides - [SurrealQL reference](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealql): Query language syntax, statements, operators, and functions - [SurrealDB Cloud docs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/cloud): Cloud setup, management, and deployment - [Surrealist docs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealist): Visual database management IDE documentation - [SurrealML docs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealml): Machine learning integration documentation - [SDK documentation](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealdb/integration/sdks): Overview of all client libraries - [Integrations docs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/integrations): Third-party integrations and tools documentation - [Tutorials](https://surrealdb.com/docs/tutorials): Step-by-step guides and walkthroughs ## Products - [SurrealDB](https://surrealdb.com/features): The open-source multi-model database engine - [SurrealDB Cloud](https://surrealdb.com/cloud): Fully managed cloud database service with automatic backups, monitoring, and scaling - [Surrealist](https://surrealdb.com/surrealist): Visual database management IDE available as a web and desktop application - [Spectron](https://surrealdb.com/platform/spectron): Persistent agent memory layer with knowledge graphs, entity extraction, GraphRAG support, temporal facts, and hybrid retrieval for accurate context recall - [Distributed Storage](https://surrealdb.com/platform/storage): Scalable storage layer with quorum consensus, compute-storage separation, and object storage - [Extensions](https://surrealdb.com/surrealism): WebAssembly-based extension framework for running custom logic inside SurrealDB - [SurrealDB University](https://surrealdb.com/learn): Free interactive learning platform with courses, labs, and certifications - [Enterprise](https://surrealdb.com/enterprise): Enterprise-grade deployment with high-performance clustering, data accuracy guarantees, knowledge graph support, dedicated support, and compliance certifications - [Open source](https://surrealdb.com/opensource): Open-source programme and licensing ## AI and agent tools SurrealDB provides integrated tools for AI and agentic workflows, combining graph and vector retrieval to power AI RAG and GraphRAG pipelines. Its unified data model supports persistent agent memory, enabling AI agents to store, traverse, and retrieve context with high accuracy — all without external middleware. - [Sidekick](https://surrealdb.com/sidekick): AI assistant for SurrealDB - [MCP Server](https://surrealdb.com/mcp): Model Context Protocol server for connecting AI tools directly to SurrealDB - [Agent Skills](https://github.com/surrealdb/agent-skills): Official SurrealDB agent skills for use in agentic workflows, compatible with Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Cline, and other AI agents. Includes skills for SurrealQL, vector search, and the Python SDK. - [Spectron](https://surrealdb.com/platform/spectron): Persistent agent memory layer with knowledge graphs, entity extraction, GraphRAG support, temporal facts, and hybrid retrieval for accurate context recall ## Getting started SurrealDB can be installed on macOS, Linux, and Windows as a single binary, or run via Docker. Once installed, a local database can be started with a single command. Each SDK provides a quick start guide for connecting to SurrealDB from your preferred language, and SurrealDB Cloud offers a managed option that requires no local setup. - [Install SurrealDB](https://surrealdb.com/install): Installation instructions for all platforms - [SurrealDB quick start](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealdb/introduction/start): In-memory, single-node, and multi-node deployment guides - [Get started with SurrealDB Cloud](https://surrealdb.com/docs/cloud/getting-started): Cloud setup and management guide - [Get started with JavaScript SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/javascript/start): JavaScript SDK quick start - [Get started with Python SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/python/start): Python SDK quick start - [Get started with Rust SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/rust/setup): Rust SDK quick start - [Get started with Go SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/golang/start): Go SDK quick start - [Get started with Java SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/java/start): Java SDK quick start - [Get started with .NET SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/dotnet/start): .NET SDK quick start - [Get started with PHP SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/php): PHP SDK quick start ## SDKs SurrealDB provides official client libraries for all major languages and runtimes. Each SDK supports connecting over WebSocket or HTTP, and some support embedded mode where SurrealDB runs directly inside the application process without a separate server. - [JavaScript / TypeScript SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/javascript): Server-side and browser SDK for Node.js, Deno, and Bun - [Python SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/python): Async and sync Python client - [Rust SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/rust): Native Rust client with embedded mode support - [Go SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/golang): Go client module - [Java SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/java): Maven and Gradle compatible Java client - [.NET SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/dotnet): NuGet package for .NET applications - [PHP SDK](https://surrealdb.com/docs/sdk/php): Composer package for PHP applications - [C SDK](https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb.c): C client library ## Use cases - [AI agents](https://surrealdb.com/use-cases/ai-agents): Build AI agent pipelines with unified context, agent memory, and GraphRAG-powered retrieval for high-performance, accurate decision-making - [Agent memory](https://surrealdb.com/use-cases/agent-memory): Persistent agent memory layer for AI agents combining documents, graphs, vectors, and time-series for accurate AI RAG retrieval - [Knowledge graphs](https://surrealdb.com/use-cases/knowledge-graphs): Model complex domains with a native graph engine, advanced traversals, and flexible schema - [Real-time applications](https://surrealdb.com/use-cases/real-time): Built-in real-time subscriptions, event triggers, and streaming updates with low-latency performance - [Embedded and edge](https://surrealdb.com/use-cases/embedded-edge): Run SurrealDB on phones, browsers, IoT gateways, and retail kiosks via lightweight binary or WebAssembly ## Customer stories - [Samsung](https://surrealdb.com/customer/samsung) - [Verizon](https://surrealdb.com/customer/verizon) - [Tencent](https://surrealdb.com/customer/tencent) - [PolyAI](https://surrealdb.com/customer/polyai) - [Permit.io](https://surrealdb.com/customer/permitio) - [Saks](https://surrealdb.com/customer/saks) - [SiteForge](https://surrealdb.com/customer/siteforge) - [DigitalKin](https://surrealdb.com/customer/digitalkin) - [Aspire](https://surrealdb.com/customer/aspire) - [Calamu](https://surrealdb.com/customer/calamu) - [Fountain](https://surrealdb.com/customer/fountain) - [GameScript](https://surrealdb.com/customer/gamescript) - [LiveSponsors](https://surrealdb.com/customer/livesponsors) - [Yaacomm](https://surrealdb.com/customer/yaacomm) ## Industry solutions - [Finance and fintech](https://surrealdb.com/solutions/finance-and-fintech): Fraud detection, trading, compliance, and organisational knowledge sharing - [Healthcare](https://surrealdb.com/solutions/healthcare): AI-driven patient care insights and real-time sensor data monitoring - [Gaming and entertainment](https://surrealdb.com/solutions/gaming-and-entertainment): Real-time, personalised AI-driven digital experiences - [Retail and ecommerce](https://surrealdb.com/solutions/retail-and-ecommerce): Real-time inventory, recommendations, and personalisation - [Defence and aerospace](https://surrealdb.com/solutions/defence-and-aerospace): Real-time situational awareness and on-device multi-modal inference - [Energy and manufacturing](https://surrealdb.com/solutions/energy-and-manufacturing): Edge device monitoring, industrial operations, and AI-driven optimisation ## SurrealDB Cloud SurrealDB Cloud is the recommended way to deploy SurrealDB. It is a fully managed cloud service that runs the same engine as the open-source version, with automatic backups, monitoring, scaling, and built-in security. SurrealDB Cloud removes the need to provision infrastructure, manage upgrades, or configure clustering, so teams can focus on building applications. - [SurrealDB Cloud](https://surrealdb.com/cloud): Product overview and sign-up - [Cloud documentation](https://surrealdb.com/docs/cloud): Setup, management, and configuration guides - [Deploy on SurrealDB Cloud](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealdb/deployment/surreal-cloud): Step-by-step deployment guide - [Cloud getting started](https://surrealdb.com/docs/cloud/getting-started): Quick start for new Cloud users - [Pricing](https://surrealdb.com/pricing): Cloud and self-hosted pricing plans ## Resources - [Blog](https://surrealdb.com/blog): Technical articles, product updates, and engineering deep-dives - [Pricing](https://surrealdb.com/pricing): Cloud and self-hosted pricing plans - [SurrealDB vs MongoDB](https://surrealdb.com/comparison/mongodb): Feature-by-feature comparison with MongoDB - [SurrealDB vs PostgreSQL](https://surrealdb.com/comparison/postgres): Feature-by-feature comparison with PostgreSQL - [SurrealDB vs Neo4j](https://surrealdb.com/comparison/neo4j): Feature-by-feature comparison with Neo4j - [Learn](https://surrealdb.com/learn): Interactive courses and tutorials - [Releases](https://surrealdb.com/releases): Release notes and changelog - [Roadmap](https://surrealdb.com/roadmap): Planned features and development timeline - [Integrations](https://surrealdb.com/integrations): Third-party integrations and tools - [Benchmarks](https://surrealdb.com/benchmarks): Database performance benchmarks comparing throughput, latency, and query performance across workloads - [Events](https://surrealdb.com/events): Conferences, webinars, and livestreams - [Labs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/labs): Hands-on labs and video tutorials ## Why SurrealDB - [The context layer](https://surrealdb.com/why/the-context-layer): Why SurrealDB is the context layer for AI agents — combining graphs, vectors, and structured data for GraphRAG workflows with high accuracy and performance - [vs Vector databases](https://surrealdb.com/why/vs-vector-databases): SurrealDB compared to standalone vector databases - [vs Memory middleware](https://surrealdb.com/why/vs-memory-middleware): SurrealDB compared to agent memory middleware - [vs Agent databases](https://surrealdb.com/why/vs-agent-databases): SurrealDB compared to agent-specific databases - [vs Data platforms](https://surrealdb.com/why/vs-data-platforms): SurrealDB compared to general data platforms - [vs Traditional databases](https://surrealdb.com/why/vs-traditional-databases): SurrealDB compared to traditional relational and NoSQL databases ## Community - [GitHub](https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb): Source code and issue tracker - [Discord](https://discord.gg/surrealdb): Community chat and support - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@surrealdb): Video tutorials and talks - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/surrealdb): Company updates - [X / Twitter](https://twitter.com/surrealdb): News and announcements - [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/surrealdb): Community discussions - [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/surrealdb): Q&A and troubleshooting ## Company - [Contact](https://surrealdb.com/contact): Sales, support, and partnership enquiries - [Careers](https://surrealdb.com/careers): Open positions at SurrealDB - [Brand assets](https://surrealdb.com/brand): Logos and brand guidelines - [Legal](https://surrealdb.com/legal): Terms, privacy, security, and compliance policies - [Trust Centre](https://trust.surrealdb.com): Compliance status and security certifications - [Status](https://status.surrealdb.com): System status and uptime