Cassandra drivers supported by DataStax
This page summarizes the Apache Cassandra® drivers that DataStax considers to be compatible with DataStax Enterprise (DSE), Hyper-Converged Database (HCD), and Astra DB, as well as open-source Apache Cassandra.
Cassandra drivers and DataStax drivers
The terms drivers for Apache Cassandra® and Cassandra drivers refer to all drivers that can be used with Cassandra-based databases.
Due to the open source nature of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), Cassandra drivers are developed by different contributors, depending on source code ownership or primary responsibility. The majority of the drivers described in this guide are developed by either DataStax or the Apache Software Foundation.
Some drivers, such as the Java driver, originate from DataStax and are later donated to the ASF. When a donation happens, the documentation is split between the original maintainer (pre-donation versions) and the ASF (post-donation versions).
For simplicity, this guide uses the following terms to refer to all DataStax-compatible Cassandra drivers:
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Cassandra drivers
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DataStax-compatible drivers
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Cassandra-compatible drivers
When referring to a specific driver version or series, this documentation uses the maintainer’s prefix if it is required for clarity, such as DataStax Java driver or Apache Cassandra Java driver. Additionally, the DataStax prefix can be used to highlight functionality that is specific to DataStax, such as DSE advanced workloads.
Scope of support for CQL and DSE functionality
DataStax-compatible drivers work exclusively with the Cassandra Query Language (CQL) version 3 for transactional workloads. They support both Fluent and String APIs for DSE Graph workloads.
You can use compatible drivers in production applications to pass CQL or DSE Graph statements from the client to a cluster and to retrieve, manipulate, or remove data. The drivers support Cassandra’s binary protocol.
If you are running an earlier version of open-source Cassandra or DSE, you might need to use a specific driver version for compatibility with your version of Cassandra or certain DSE advanced workloads. To verify compatibility, check your driver’s documentation and [compatibility tables].
DataStax-compatible drivers
DataStax considers the following drivers to be compatible with Cassandra, DSE, HCD, and Astra DB. These drivers are developed and maintained by either DataStax or the Apache Software Foundation. The following table provides links to source code, version compatibility, download links, and documentation for each DataStax-compatible driver.
| Language | Source code | Compatibility | Install | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
C++ |
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C# |
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Go |
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Java |
Java 4.18 and later (with DSE Graph extension) documentation Java 4.17 and earlier (with DSE Graph extension) documentation |
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Node.js |
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Python |
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Can I use a driver that isn’t listed here?
DataStax strongly recommends using DataStax-compatible drivers whenever possible. While other Apache Cassandra drivers might provide the required functionality, they might lack features that harden the driver against IP address changes of the coordinators. This can cause frequent connection issues or failed connections.
Connections using third-party open-source drivers over private links, with or without custom domains, aren’t supported by DataStax. For more information, see the DataStax Support Policy.
For Astra DB only: If you want to use an incompatible or unsupported CQL driver, consider using cql-proxy.
This utility provides connectivity for incompatible drivers by securely forwarding your application’s CQL traffic to an appropriate database service.
cql-proxy isn’t required for supported driver versions, which are already compatible with Astra DB.
JDBC and ODBC drivers
You can access the DataStax ODBC and JDBC drivers through the DataStax Support portal or by contacting DataStax Support.
Legacy drivers
The following drivers are in end-of-life (EOL) or maintenance mode:
