B-tree vs Hash Index #coding #data-structures #computer-science #B-tree #hash-index #database-index

Added: 2026-05-16

Hash indexes provide O(1) lookup for exact matches by jumping directly to a bucket, making them ideal for equality queries, but they cannot efficiently handle range scans or sorted data since they lack ordering. B-trees maintain keys in sorted order, requiring slightly more steps for single lookups but enabling efficient range scans, prefix queries, and sorting operations. Use hash indexes for exact match queries and B-trees when order matters or when performing range-based operations.