H2 Database Engine

The H2 Database Engine is a lightweight, embeddable, open-source relational database management system written in Java. It supports a standard SQL interface and offers multiple modes of operation, including in-memory, embedded, and client-server, making it suitable for development, testing, and…

Key facts

First appeared
2005
Category
technology
Problem solved
H2 was created to provide a modern, faster, and more robust embeddable relational database for Java applications, addressing the architectural limitations and stagnating development of its spiritual predecessor, Hypersonic SQL. It aimed to offer improved performance, concurrency (via MVCC), and a richer feature set within a lightweight package.
Platforms
linux, web, Linux, Windows, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), macOS, Any OS supporting Java

Related technologies

Notable users

  • Numerous open-source Java projects for testing and development
  • Spring Boot (default embedded database for new projects)
  • Various enterprise applications for embedded or testing environments