100% Open Source

Every Barrel project is Apache 2.0 licensed. Fork it, modify it, deploy it anywhere. We monetize support and managed infrastructure, not code access.

Projects

Barrel is one database made of independent libraries. Use the whole thing, or just the piece you need.

barrel

The full edge-AI database

The full database: documents, blobs, and vectors under one id, with BQL, timeline, and the agent layer.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_docdb

Document layer

Version-vector MVCC, BQL queries, attachments, changes feed, and replication.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_vectordb

Vector layer

HNSW, DiskANN, FAISS, and BM25 backends with hybrid search and metadata filtering.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_embed

Embedding library

Embeddings across providers: OpenAI, Ollama, local models, and more.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_rerank

Reranking

Cross-encoder reranking to sharpen search results.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_crypto

Encryption at rest

AES-256-GCM envelope, HKDF key derivation, and pluggable key providers.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_spaces

Agent layer

Spaces, capability tokens, sessions with TTL, and handoffs.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_server

REST + MCP server

Exposes Barrel over HTTP (REST/JSON) and the Model Context Protocol.

Apache 2.0 Erlang
Source Docs

barrel_faiss

FAISS bindings (optional)

Erlang NIF bindings for FAISS. An optional backend for the vector layer.

Apache 2.0 Erlang NIF
Source Docs

barrel-lite

Browser client

Offline-first Barrel in the browser: sync, multi-tab, and local vector search.

Apache 2.0 TypeScript
Source Docs

Apache 2.0 License

Every Barrel project is released under the Apache License, Version 2.0. This means you can:

You can:

  • Use commercially
  • Modify and distribute
  • Use privately
  • Patent use granted

You must:

  • Include license
  • State changes
  • Include copyright

Contributing

Documentation

Improve docs, fix typos, add examples

Feature Ideas

Open issues to discuss new features

Code

Submit pull requests with fixes and features

Need Support or Managed Hosting?

While the code is free, we offer professional support and managed hosting for teams that need guaranteed response times, deployment assistance, or don't want to manage infrastructure.

Contact Us for an Offer

Available Services

+ Community: GitHub Issues
+ Professional Support
+ Managed Hosting (EU)
+ Custom SLAs