12x smaller than MySQL. 13x less RAM. 500x faster startup. More features than PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite combined — in a single 47 MB binary.
The database that replaces your entire stack. HeliosDB Nano packs PostgreSQL + MySQL wire protocols, native vector search, database branching, time-travel queries, and AES-256 encryption into a 47 MB binary that uses 30 MB of RAM — while MySQL alone needs 570 MB and 400 MB RAM without any of those features.
Built in Rust for AI-powered applications, edge deployments, WordPress/CMS platforms, and any modern app that needs more than just SQL. Every feature in Nano is also available in Lite and Full, making it easy to start small and scale up.
// Three lines to a working database
let db = HeliosDB::open("myapp.db")?;
db.execute("CREATE TABLE docs (
id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
content TEXT,
embedding VECTOR(768)
)")?;
// Semantic search in one query
let results = db.query("
SELECT content, embedding <=> $1 AS dist
FROM docs ORDER BY dist LIMIT 10
", &[&query_vec])?;HeliosDB Nano includes built-in vector search powered by HNSW indexing with Product Quantization compression. No extensions required — vector types and operators are first-class citizens in the SQL engine.
-- Create a table with vector column
CREATE TABLE documents (
id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
title TEXT,
content TEXT,
embedding VECTOR(768)
);
-- Create HNSW index with PQ compression
CREATE INDEX idx_docs_embedding
ON documents USING hnsw (embedding vector_cosine_ops)
WITH (m = 16, ef_construction = 200);
-- Semantic similarity search
SELECT title, content,
embedding <=> $query_vec AS distance
FROM documents
ORDER BY distance
LIMIT 10;HeliosDB is the only SQL database with Git-like branching at the storage layer. Create zero-cost copy-on-write branches for schema testing, A/B experiments, and safe migrations — without duplicating data.
-- Create a branch for schema testing
CREATE BRANCH feature_auth
FROM main;
-- Switch to the new branch
SWITCH BRANCH feature_auth;
-- Make changes safely
ALTER TABLE users
ADD COLUMN role TEXT DEFAULT 'user';
-- Test the changes...
INSERT INTO users (name, role)
VALUES ('admin', 'superuser');
-- Merge back when satisfied
SWITCH BRANCH main;
MERGE BRANCH feature_auth
INTO main;Query any point in your database's history using the AS OF syntax. Time-travel enables audit compliance, production debugging, and data recovery without restoring from backups.
-- Query data as it existed yesterday
SELECT * FROM orders
AS OF TIMESTAMP '2026-02-05 14:30:00';
-- Compare current vs. historical data
SELECT
current.balance,
historical.balance AS prev_balance,
current.balance - historical.balance AS delta
FROM accounts current
JOIN accounts AS OF VERSION 42 historical
ON current.id = historical.id;
-- Recover accidentally deleted data
INSERT INTO users
SELECT * FROM users
AS OF TIMESTAMP '2026-02-05 09:00:00'
WHERE id = 1234;HeliosDB Nano ships with enterprise-grade security features built in, not bolted on. From transparent data encryption to zero-knowledge encryption, your data is protected at every level.
-- Enable transparent data encryption
ALTER DATABASE myapp
SET encryption = 'AES-256-GCM';
-- Enable zero-knowledge encryption
ALTER TABLE sensitive_data
SET encryption_mode = 'ZKE';
-- Row-Level Security for multi-tenancy
CREATE POLICY tenant_isolation
ON orders
FOR ALL
USING (tenant_id = current_setting('app.tenant_id'));
-- FIPS 140-3 compliance (all tiers)
-- Enabled via compile-time feature flag
-- to avoid runtime performance impact
cargo build --features fips --releaseHeliosDB Nano achieves 95%+ SQL compatibility with PostgreSQL, including full wire protocol support. Use your existing tools, ORMs, and workflows without changes.
-- Standard PostgreSQL syntax works
CREATE TABLE products (
id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
name TEXT NOT NULL,
metadata JSONB,
created_at TIMESTAMPTZ DEFAULT now()
);
-- JSONB queries with GIN indexing
CREATE INDEX idx_meta
ON products USING gin (metadata);
SELECT name, metadata->>>'category'
FROM products
WHERE metadata @> '{"active": true}';
-- Window functions, CTEs, all work
WITH ranked AS (
SELECT *,
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (
PARTITION BY category
ORDER BY sales DESC
) AS rank
FROM products
)
SELECT * FROM ranked
WHERE rank <= 5;HeliosDB Nano is the first embedded database to support both PostgreSQL and MySQL wire protocols natively. Connect with any MySQL client, driver, or ORM — no external middleware required — MySQL syntax is translated transparently.
# Start with both PostgreSQL and MySQL protocols
$ heliosdb-nano start --data-dir ./mydata --mysql
# Connect with PostgreSQL client
$ psql -h 127.0.0.1 -p 5432
# Connect with MySQL client (same database!)
$ mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -P 3306
# Same data, same tables, any protocol
mysql> SELECT * FROM users;
+----+-------+-------------------+
| id | name | email |
+----+-------+-------------------+
| 1 | Alice | alice@example.com |
+----+-------+-------------------+HeliosDB Nano includes a complete BaaS layer — no Supabase, no Firebase, no external services required. Auth, REST API, Realtime subscriptions, and file storage are built into the same binary that runs your database.
# REST API — zero config, works out of the box
$ curl localhost:8080/rest/v1/users?role=eq.admin&select=id,name
# Auth — built-in signup and JWT
$ curl -X POST localhost:8080/auth/v1/signup \
-d '{"email":"alice@example.com","password":"s3cret"}'
# OAuth — redirect to Google login
$ curl localhost:8080/auth/v1/authorize?provider=google
# Realtime — WebSocket subscription
wscat -c ws://localhost:8080/realtime/v1/websocket
> {"event":"phx_join","topic":"realtime:public:orders"}WordPress powers 43% of the web. Every installation requires a separate MySQL server — until now. HeliosDB Nano speaks native MySQL wire protocol, making it the first embedded drop-in replacement for MySQL.
Deploy WordPress as a single container with one process. No separate MySQL instance, no credentials, no server coordination. Just PHP and a single database file.
CREATE BRANCH staging — instant copy-on-write clone for testing plugins and themes. No mysqldump, no restore, no downtime. Merge or discard when done.
SELECT * FROM wp_posts AS OF TIMESTAMP '2024-01-01' — recover any deleted post, page, or setting without backups.
Native HNSW vector search means WordPress can do semantic search without Elasticsearch or Algolia. Find content by meaning, not just keywords.
AES-256-GCM TDE with zero WordPress plugin changes. Every shared hosting customer gets database encryption automatically. GDPR compliance built in.
Just copy mysite.helio. No mysqldump, no credentials, no server coordination. Atomic, consistent, instant backup and restore.
HeliosDB Nano is the only database where you can connect with psql, mysql, and the embedded Rust API to the same data simultaneously. This isn't protocol emulation — it's native wire protocol support for both PostgreSQL and MySQL.
# Connect via PostgreSQL
$ psql -h localhost -p 5432
=> SELECT * FROM users;
# Connect via MySQL (same data!)
$ mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -P 3307
> SELECT * FROM users;
# Connect via embedded Rust API
let db = EmbeddedDatabase::new("mydata");
let rows = db.query("SELECT * FROM users")?;
# All three see the same tables,
# same rows, same transactions.
# Switch drivers without migrating data.WordPress is the biggest prize, but the same polyglot value applies to every MySQL or PostgreSQL framework.
| Framework | Protocol | HeliosDB Nano |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress / Drupal / Joomla | MySQL | ✓ Native |
| Laravel / Symfony (PHP) | MySQL / PG | ✓ Both |
| Ruby on Rails | MySQL / PG | ✓ Both |
| Django (Python) | MySQL / PG | ✓ Both |
| Express / Fastify (Node.js) | PG / MySQL | ✓ Both |
| Rust (SQLx / Diesel) | PG / Embedded | ✓ All 3 |
MySQL gives you SQL in a 570 MB image. HeliosDB Nano gives you SQL + vector search + branching + time-travel + encryption in 47 MB — with native MySQL and PostgreSQL protocol support. Verified with WordPress running 70 SQL compatibility tests.
WordPress login, authentication, REST API (40 routes), and chatbot all confirmed working on Nano v3.8.0.
# Resource Comparison
Docker Image
HeliosDB Nano 47 MB
MariaDB 400 MB
MySQL 8.0 570 MB
RAM Usage
HeliosDB Nano ~30 MB
MariaDB ~300 MB
MySQL 8.0 ~400 MB
Startup Time
HeliosDB Nano 10ms
MariaDB 3-5s
MySQL 8.0 5-10s
Embedded Mode
HeliosDB Nano Yes
MariaDB No
MySQL 8.0 No
Vector Search
HeliosDB Nano Native HNSW
MariaDB No
MySQL 8.0 Plugin
Encryption (AES-256)
HeliosDB Nano Built-in
MariaDB Plugin
MySQL 8.0 Enterprise onlyHeliosDB Nano supports four deployment modes to fit every use case. Start embedded in your application, switch to server mode for shared access, or use in-memory mode for blazing-fast testing.
use heliosdb::{HeliosDB, Config, Mode};
// Embedded mode - zero config
let db = HeliosDB::open("myapp.db")?;
// Server mode - shared access
let db = HeliosDB::builder()
.mode(Mode::Server)
.bind("0.0.0.0:5432")
.max_connections(100)
.build()?;
// In-memory mode - testing
let db = HeliosDB::builder()
.mode(Mode::InMemory)
.build()?;
// Hybrid mode - fast + durable
let db = HeliosDB::builder()
.mode(Mode::Hybrid)
.wal_path("./wal")
.sync_interval_ms(100)
.build()?;HeliosDB Nano is designed for developers who need a powerful, embedded database without the operational overhead of a full server deployment.
Embed a full-featured database directly in desktop apps with zero installation. Ship a single binary with built-in vector search and branching.
Run on edge devices, IoT sensors, and mobile platforms. The 50 MB binary footprint fits where others can't, with offline-first capability.
Build RAG pipelines, semantic search, and AI agent memory with zero infrastructure. Native vector search means no extension juggling.
Run production workloads on a single server with MVCC, WAL, crash recovery, and enterprise encryption. No cluster overhead required.
Drop-in embedded MySQL replacement for WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and any PHP CMS. Zero database server, single-file deployment, native MySQL wire protocol.
Download HeliosDB Nano and start building in minutes. Free and open source.