# Cassandra vs ScyllaDB: source lines of code compared

The Cassandra vs ScyllaDB comparison on OctoCounts shows side-by-side source line counts for apache/cassandra and scylladb/scylladb, counted with the same engine and analysis options on the dates shown in the methodology line: files, total lines, code lines, comment lines, blank lines, and per-language totals, pinned to the exact commits listed below.

As of 2026-09-05, apache/cassandra contains 807,208 total lines (535,394 code) across 3,533 files, while scylladb/scylladb contains 537,721 total lines (397,729 code) across 1,952 files as of 2026-09-15. apache/cassandra is about 1.3x the size of scylladb/scylladb by code lines. Code size is not code quality: a larger count only means more source material, not a better or worse project.

| Metric | [apache/cassandra](https://octocounts.com/github/apache/cassandra) | [scylladb/scylladb](https://octocounts.com/github/scylladb/scylladb) |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| Files | 3,533 | 1,952 |
| Total lines | 807,208 | 537,721 |
| Code lines | 535,394 | 397,729 |
| Comment lines | 172,772 | 71,715 |
| Blank lines | 99,042 | 68,277 |
| Languages counted | 12 | 12 |

Top languages in apache/cassandra: Java (95.2% of code), SVG (2.1% of code), Python (1.5% of code). Top languages in scylladb/scylladb: C++ (60.9% of code), C++ Header (27.6% of code), Python (4.9% of code). Python appears in both top language lists; Java, SVG, XML, Shell appear only in apache/cassandra's top languages; C++, C++ Header, JSON, C Header appear only in scylladb/scylladb's top languages.

Methodology: both counts come from cached OctoCounts reports generated with tokei. apache/cassandra was counted at ref e4d83b3bb74c4c9be3c8e5e1119709d1aa585eb7 (commit e4d83b3bb74c) on 2026-09-05; scylladb/scylladb was counted at ref 0e61d575ae3518481ef0b49e1101eac28a1ced9f (commit 0e61d575ae35) on 2026-09-15. See the [counting methodology](https://octocounts.com/docs/methodology) for ignored directories and analysis options.
## About this comparison

apache/cassandra counts the Cassandra repository: the wide-column database engine, predominantly Java, with its query language layer and extensive test suites. scylladb/scylladb counts the ScyllaDB repository — a database written in C++ that implements the Cassandra query language and protocol family. The two databases share a protocol and query-language lineage but are independent implementations, counted on the dates shown above.

The per-language tables state the architectural difference in one glance: Cassandra's counted code is predominantly Java, while ScyllaDB's counted code is C++ — different implementation languages for databases that speak the same query-language family.

Cassandra's repository carries a large testing footprint relative to its engine code, including distributed test material, so a substantial share of its count exists to verify cluster behavior rather than to run queries.

_Same query language does not mean same codebase or same behavior under load: these are independent implementations, and repository size is a property of each project's source tree — it does not measure throughput, latency, or operational characteristics._

Sources: [apache/cassandra repository](https://github.com/apache/cassandra) · [scylladb/scylladb repository (C++ implementation)](https://github.com/scylladb/scylladb). Statements verified 2026-09-16.

Evidence and next steps:

- [apache/cassandra SLOC report](https://octocounts.com/github/apache/cassandra)
- [scylladb/scylladb SLOC report](https://octocounts.com/github/scylladb/scylladb)
- [Compare apache/cassandra and scylladb/scylladb interactively](https://octocounts.com/compare?left=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fapache%2Fcassandra&right=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fscylladb%2Fscylladb)

Note: code size is not code quality. OctoCounts only reports reproducible line counts and makes no claim that either project is better.

## Compare FAQ

### Which has more lines of code, apache/cassandra or scylladb/scylladb?

apache/cassandra has more code: 535,394 code lines versus 397,729 for scylladb/scylladb, about 1.3x as much, based on cached OctoCounts reports as of 2026-09-15.

### Does more source lines of code mean more complexity?

Not necessarily. SLOC measures size, not complexity, quality, or maintainability. A larger codebase can mean more features, more generated or vendored code, more verbose language idioms, or more tests — none of which imply the code is harder to work with. Use SLOC to gauge the scale of what you'd be reading or maintaining, not as a quality signal for apache/cassandra, scylladb/scylladb, or any repository.

### How is this comparison calculated?

Methodology: both counts come from cached OctoCounts reports generated with tokei. apache/cassandra was counted at ref e4d83b3bb74c4c9be3c8e5e1119709d1aa585eb7 (commit e4d83b3bb74c) on 2026-09-05; scylladb/scylladb was counted at ref 0e61d575ae3518481ef0b49e1101eac28a1ced9f (commit 0e61d575ae35) on 2026-09-15. See the counting methodology for ignored directories and analysis options.

### Can I compare a different branch, tag, or commit?

Yes. This page shows the default branch for each repository. Use the interactive comparison tool to pick any public GitHub repository, branch, tag, or commit SHA for both sides and get a fresh side-by-side report.

## Related OctoCounts pages

- [Interactive repository comparison](https://octocounts.com/compare)
- [Recently analyzed repositories](https://octocounts.com/recent)
- [Popular SLOC reports](https://octocounts.com/popular)
- [Trending GitHub repositories](https://octocounts.com/trending)
- [Hall of Monoliths](https://octocounts.com/hall-of-monoliths)
- [Original research: how filtering changes SLOC counts](https://octocounts.com/research)
- [GitHub SLOC counter guide](https://octocounts.com/docs/github-sloc-counter)
- [Counting methodology](https://octocounts.com/docs/methodology)
- [SLOC and code metrics glossary](https://octocounts.com/docs/glossary)
- [OctoCounts API docs](https://octocounts.com/docs/api)