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Which InfluxDB 3 should I use?

For new production workloads, use InfluxDB 3 Enterprise. A Trial or Home license lets you evaluate Enterprise before purchasing.

InfluxDB 3 Core is the free, open-source, single-node release of the v3 engine. Choose Core for non-production, edge, or single-node deployments.

Choose InfluxDB 3 Cloud Serverless for a multi-tenant, self-service cloud — pay for what you use — or to continue from InfluxDB Cloud (TSM).

InfluxDB 1 and InfluxDB 2 are in maintenance. Build new workloads on InfluxDB 3; see Coming from InfluxDB 1 or InfluxDB 2? for migration guidance.

The short answer

Your situationUse this
New production deploymentInfluxDB 3 Enterprise (Trial or Home license for evaluation)
Free, open source, single-nodeInfluxDB 3 Core
Multi-tenant, self-service cloud for smaller workloads (pay for what you use), or continuing from InfluxDB Cloud (TSM)InfluxDB 3 Cloud Serverless
Managed single-tenant cloudInfluxDB Cloud Dedicated
KubernetesInfluxDB Clustered
Running InfluxDB 1 or InfluxDB 2 todayPlan migration to InfluxDB 3 Enterprise

InfluxDB 3 Enterprise—the production answer

InfluxDB 3 Enterprise is a diskless, object-storage-backed time series database delivered as a single binary. Run it self-managed on hardware or VMs — single-node or multi-node.

Choose Enterprise when you need:

  • High availability and multi-node deployment
  • Long-range historical queries with compaction
  • ISO 27001 and SOC 2 security certifications
  • Commercial support

Get started with InfluxDB 3 Enterprise

InfluxDB 3 Core—open source, single-node

InfluxDB 3 Core is the free, open-source, single-node release of the v3 engine. Use Core for edge or non-critical workloads, or to develop against the v3 APIs.

Choose Core when:

  • You need a free, open source v3 database
  • A single node meets your throughput and availability requirements
  • You want to develop and test against the native v3 write and query APIs

If you want to evaluate Enterprise features (high availability, replicas, long-range compaction), use an Enterprise Trial or Home license instead. Upgrade from Core to Enterprise when you need those features in production.

Get started with InfluxDB 3 Core

InfluxDB 3 Cloud Serverless—multi-tenant, self-service cloud

InfluxDB 3 Cloud Serverless is a multi-tenant, self-service cloud for smaller workloads — pay for what you use. It runs on the v3 storage engine but exposes a different API surface than Core and Enterprise:

  • No native v3 write API—use v1 and v2 compatibility endpoints
  • No Processing Engine
  • Multi-tenant; usage-based pricing

Choose Cloud Serverless when:

  • You are an existing InfluxDB Cloud (TSM) customer
  • You want a multi-tenant, self-service cloud and pay only for what you use
  • Your workload is small enough for a multi-tenant environment
  • You do not need the native v3 API surface or the Processing Engine

Get started with InfluxDB 3 Cloud Serverless

Coming from InfluxDB 1 or InfluxDB 2?

InfluxDB 1 and InfluxDB 2 are in maintenance and don’t receive InfluxDB 3 features. For new projects and for production workloads that need v3 features (SQL, object storage, unlimited cardinality, Processing Engine), plan a migration to InfluxDB 3 Enterprise.

If you rely on Flux queries today, you’ll need to migrate them to SQL or InfluxQL. InfluxDB Cloud Serverless and other InfluxDB 3 products don’t support Flux. Although Flux might still work with InfluxDB Cloud Serverless, it isn’t officially supported or optimized for InfluxDB 3.

Flux is now in maintenance mode. For more information, see The future of Flux.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between InfluxDB 1, InfluxDB 2, and InfluxDB 3?

InfluxDB 3 is the current generation — a rewritten storage and query engine based on Apache Arrow, DataFusion, and object storage. v3 supports SQL and InfluxQL. Flux is not officially supported on any InfluxDB 3 product. InfluxDB 1 and InfluxDB 2 are previous generations in maintenance: v1 uses the TSM storage engine and supports InfluxQL and Flux; v2 adds a new API surface and also supports InfluxQL and Flux. For new projects, use InfluxDB 3.

Should I start a new project on InfluxDB 1 or InfluxDB 2?

No. Start new projects on InfluxDB 3. InfluxDB 1 and 2 remain supported for existing deployments. They receive improvements, but don’t receive v3 features. InfluxDB 3 Enterprise is the recommended target for production workloads.

I run InfluxDB 2 today — should I migrate to InfluxDB 3?

Plan a migration when you need features only available in v3 (SQL, object storage, unlimited cardinality, the Processing Engine), or when v2’s maintenance status becomes a constraint. Migration paths exist from both InfluxDB 2 OSS and InfluxDB Cloud (TSM) to InfluxDB 3 Enterprise.

I run InfluxDB 1 today — should I migrate to InfluxDB 3?

Yes, when feasible. InfluxDB 3 supports InfluxQL, so most v1 queries continue to work. The data model and line protocol write format are compatible. Migration guides cover InfluxDB 1 OSS and InfluxDB Enterprise 1.x to InfluxDB 3 Enterprise.

Is InfluxDB 3 Cloud Serverless the same as InfluxDB 3 Enterprise?

No. Cloud Serverless runs on the v3 storage engine but has a different API surface: it uses v1/v2-compatible write endpoints (no native v3 write API), has no Processing Engine, and supports SQL and InfluxQL. InfluxDB 3 Enterprise supports SQL and InfluxQL, provides the native v3 write API, and includes the Processing Engine. Choose Cloud Serverless for a multi-tenant, self-service cloud for smaller workloads (pay for what you use) or for continuity from InfluxDB Cloud (TSM). Choose Enterprise for the full v3 API surface, Processing Engine, and single-tenant deployment.

Which query languages does InfluxDB 3 support?

SQL and InfluxQL on all InfluxDB 3 products — Core, Enterprise, Cloud Serverless, Cloud Dedicated, and Clustered. SQL is the primary query language across all InfluxDB 3 products.

Flux is not officially supported on any InfluxDB 3 product. Flux might still work on InfluxDB 3 Cloud Serverless, but it isn’t officially supported or optimized for InfluxDB 3. Flux is in maintenance mode — see The future of Flux. Migrate Flux queries to SQL or InfluxQL.

Where does InfluxDB 3 Explorer fit?

InfluxDB 3 Explorer is a web-based UI for querying, visualizing, and administering InfluxDB 3. It works with InfluxDB 3 Core and InfluxDB 3 Enterprise.

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For more information, see InfluxDB Cloud regions or InfluxDB OSS URLs.

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InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0: API tokens are hashed by default

Stronger token security in InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0 — tokens are hashed on disk by default. Existing tokens are hashed on first startup and can’t be recovered afterward. Capture any plaintext tokens you still need before you upgrade.

View InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0 release notes

Hashed tokens authenticate exactly like unhashed tokens — clients and integrations keep working.

Also new in 2.9.0:

  • Configurable backup compression
  • Restore support for backups containing hashed tokens
  • Tighter Edge Data Replication queue validation
  • Flux upgrade
  • Compaction reliability improvements

Key enhancements in Explorer 1.8

Explorer 1.8 is now available with streaming data subscriptions (beta), line protocol preview, and query history & saved queries.

View Explorer 1.8 release notes

Explorer 1.8 includes new features and improvements that make it easier to ingest, explore, and manage data.

Highlights:

  • Streaming data subscriptions (beta): Stream data into Explorer from MQTT, Kafka, and AMQP sources.
  • Line protocol preview: Preview line protocol, schema, and parse errors before data is written.
  • Custom sample data: Generate custom sample datasets with line protocol and schema preview.
  • Query history and saved queries: Browse query history and save/re-run named queries.
  • Retention period management: Set, update, or clear retention periods on databases and tables.

For more details, see Explorer 1.8 release notes

InfluxDB 3.9: Performance upgrade preview

InfluxDB 3 Enterprise 3.9 includes a beta of major performance upgrades with faster single-series queries, wide-and-sparse table support, and more.

InfluxDB 3 Enterprise 3.9 includes a beta of major performance and feature updates.

Key improvements:

  • Faster single-series queries
  • Consistent resource usage
  • Wide-and-sparse table support
  • Automatic distinct value caches for reduced latency with metadata queries

Preview features are subject to breaking changes.

For more information, see:

Telegraf Enterprise now in public beta

Get early access to the Telegraf Controller and provide feedback to help shape the future of Telegraf Enterprise.

See the Blog Post

The upcoming Telegraf Enterprise offering is for organizations running Telegraf at scale and is comprised of two key components:

  • Telegraf Controller: A control plane (UI + API) that centralizes Telegraf configuration management and agent health visibility.
  • Telegraf Enterprise Support: Official support for Telegraf Controller and Telegraf plugins.

Join the Telegraf Enterprise beta to get early access to the Telegraf Controller and provide feedback to help shape the future of Telegraf Enterprise.

For more information:

Telegraf Controller v0.0.7-beta now available

Telegraf Controller v0.0.7-beta is now available with new features, improvements, bug fixes, and an important breaking change.

View the release notes
Download Telegraf Controller v0.0.7-beta

InfluxDB Docker latest tag changing to InfluxDB 3 Core

On May 27, 2026, the latest tag for InfluxDB Docker images will point to InfluxDB 3 Core. To avoid unexpected upgrades, use specific version tags in your Docker deployments.

If using Docker to install and run InfluxDB, the latest tag will point to InfluxDB 3 Core. To avoid unexpected upgrades, use specific version tags in your Docker deployments. For example, if using Docker to run InfluxDB v2, replace the latest version tag with a specific version tag in your Docker pull command–for example:

docker pull influxdb:2