Compare connection methods
There are several ways to connect to your Astra DB Serverless database programmatically, including HTTP, clients, drivers, Astra CLI, and more.
Differences between clients and drivers
Use clients to interact with the Data API and access some DevOps API functions, such as creating databases and keyspaces.
Drivers are exclusively for CQL.
DataStax recommends clients for most applications. Use a CQL driver only for legacy applications or use cases that require specific CQL functions.
Available clients
DataStax offers the following officially-supported clients:
| Language | Client | Version | Dependency | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Python 3.8 or later |
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Node.js 18 or later |
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Java 11 or later |
Available drivers
DataStax offers the following officially-supported drivers for Astra DB Serverless:
| Language | Driver | Version | Documentation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Use CQL Proxy to connect with an unsupported driver
DataStax CQL Proxy simplifies connecting to Astra DB Serverless without having to change your Apache Cassandra® driver, driver version, and/or framework (springdata, lagom, akka-persistence-cassandra, quarkus, etc.). This open source tool securely forwards your application’s CQL traffic to an appropriate database service. CQL Proxy automatically discovers Astra DB Serverless, and then configures communication with it.
If you are using a driver for an unsupported language, consider using CQL Proxy. The CQL Proxy sidecar enables unsupported CQL drivers to work with Astra DB Serverless.
See also
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Get started with the Astra DevOps API (HTTP and limited client support)
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Get started with the Data API (HTTP and clients)
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CQL (CQL shell and drivers)
