The short version
RaptorDB is ServiceNow's new proprietary database engine, replacing MariaDB (a MySQL fork). It is built on PostgreSQL and specifically optimised for ServiceNow workloads. You do not install it or configure it — ServiceNow is rolling it out to all customers at the platform level.
The numbers ServiceNow is quoting: up to 27x faster reports and list views, up to 53% improvement in overall transaction times, and up to 3x more transactional throughput.
Why ServiceNow replaced MariaDB
For years ServiceNow ran on MariaDB. It worked well — but as enterprises pushed the platform harder, with billions of records across ITSM, HRSD, CMDB, and custom applications, the cracks started showing. Complex queries slowed down. Performance Analytics dashboards lagged. Heavy reporting caused timeouts.
The core problem: MariaDB handles transactional workloads well, but it struggles when you need to run analytics on the same data simultaneously. You cannot easily do both at scale.
RaptorDB solves this with HTAP — Hybrid Transactional and Analytical Processing. It handles both in the same engine, on the same data, at the same time.
What actually changed under the hood
RaptorDB is built on PostgreSQL (via ServiceNow's 2021 acquisition of Swarm64, a Berlin-based database company). PostgreSQL allows more advanced query types than MySQL/MariaDB, supports better parallel processing, and enables more sophisticated indexing strategies.
The key technical additions RaptorDB brings to the ServiceNow platform:
- Column-store index — data stored in columns rather than rows for analytics queries, which is dramatically faster for aggregations and reporting
- Parallel query execution — multiple CPU cores process a single query simultaneously instead of sequentially
- Smarter automatic indexing — the engine indexes and compresses large datasets automatically
- No ETL required — transactional data and analytical data live in the same place, eliminating the extract-transform-load process
Two tiers: Standard and Professional
RaptorDB Standard is the default for all customers — it replaces MariaDB as the primary database. Faster queries, better performance at scale. No additional cost. ServiceNow is migrating all existing customers automatically.
RaptorDB Professional is a premium licensed add-on for organisations that need ultra-scale performance for AI workloads, massive data volumes, and machine-scale analytics. Contact your ServiceNow account team for pricing.
What this means for you as a developer or admin
The honest answer: for most developers, nothing changes in your day-to-day code. Your GlideRecord queries, Business Rules, and Flow Designer flows all work exactly the same. You do not rewrite anything.
What you will notice:
- GlideRecord queries return results faster, especially on large tables
- Performance Analytics dashboards load noticeably quicker
- List views with complex filters respond faster
- CMDB queries and relationship lookups improve significantly
- Report generation that previously timed out may now complete
The performance gains are largest for organisations with high data volumes. ServiceNow benchmarks show 26% gains for smaller customers, 52% for mid-size, and up to 75% for large enterprise customers.
How to check if your instance is on RaptorDB
Navigate to System Diagnostics → Stats and look for the database engine version in the instance diagnostics. New customer instances are already on RaptorDB. Existing customers are being migrated through 2025 and 2026.
The bottom line
RaptorDB is the most significant change to the ServiceNow platform foundation in years. You do not need to do anything — but you do need to know about it because it will come up in interviews, in client conversations, and in any discussion about platform performance. Now you know.