7 Best NoSQL Database of 2023 (Open-Source & Paid)

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There are many different types of database systems available, but when it comes to modern applications and big data, NoSQL databases are often a great option.

They offer users more flexibility and scalability than traditional relational databases, which is great for suiting your needs.

In this blog post, we will look at the best NoSQL databases currently available.

We will compare the pros and cons, highlight some unique features and share the pricing options of each database.

So whether you are looking for an open-source solution or a paid option, we have you covered!

What Are Some of The Best NoSQL Databases?

There are many great NoSQL databases out there, but here are our top picks:

1. MongoDB
2. CouchbaseDB
3. Neo4j
4. Apache Cassandra
5. Redis
6. ApacheHBase
7. RavenDB

Let’s take a look at each of them.

1. MongoDB (Most Popular Choice)

If you are looking for a powerful and popular NoSQL database, MongoDB is a great option. It is reportedly used by Uber, Lyft, and Accenture.

MongoDB is a document-oriented database, which means that data is stored in JSON-like documents.

It is also schema-less, which gives you more flexibility when it comes to data models.

MongoDB is similar to a traditional relational database in terms of querying. This makes it easy to learn and use if you have previous database experience.

Pros:

• Popular
• Easy scalability
• Document-oriented design
• Schema-less
• Powerful query language

Cons:

• Uses high memory for data storage
• Not suitable for all applications
• Document size limits

Unique Features:

• Has MongoDB Atlas: a cloud service that makes it easy to deploy, manage, and scale your MongoDB database. This allows you to choose your instance size according and pay according to your needs.
• Has a great GUI (MongoDB Compass) in its enterprise version that lets you explore your data

Pricing:

MongoDB offers 2 main product options:

1. MongoDB Atlas
2. MongoDB Enterprise Advanced

MongoDB Atlas is a cloud-based solution and starts at $0/month.

MongoDB Enterprise Advanced is their on-premises option for enterprises. This will give you access to premium features and support.

Their pricing can be obtained from contacting sales on the MongoDB website.

Bottomline:

MongoDB is a popular all-around NoSQL database and their MongoDB Atlas product makes it easy to get started with a cloud-based solution in a cost-effective way.

MongoDB is best suited for applications that require scalability and flexibility.

2. Couchbase (Best for Performance)

Couchbase is another great NoSQL database that offers users high performance and scalability. It is reportedly used by Uniqlo and Agoda.

Couchbase is a document-oriented database that uses JSON documents to store data.

It is also a key-value store and has indexing capabilities.

This makes it easy to query data, as well as update documents without having to rewrite the entire dataset.

Pros:

• High performance and scalability
• Document-oriented
• Built-in search feature
• Good key-value cache storage
• Flexible data models

Cons:

• Steep learning curve
• UI can be improved

Pricing:

Couchbase offers several products:

1. Couchbase Capella – a database as a service (DBaaS) product
2. Couchbase Server – a cloud database

Unique Features:

• Has Couchbase Mobile: a mobile database that allows you to sync data across devices.
• Has a built-in search feature that makes it easy to find the data you need.

Bottomline:

Couchbase is best suited for applications that need high performance and scalability. However, the learning curve might be tougher for beginners.

Its built-in search feature and Couchbase Mobile make it a great choice for mobile applications.

3. Neo4j (Best Graph Database)

Neo4j is not one of your ordinary NoSQL databases. It is a graph database that offers users a flexible data model that relational SQL databases do not offer.

With Neo4j, you can have a data model as nodes and relationships. This makes it easy to represent complex data structures.

Here’s a simple video about Neo4j to help you understand it better:

It also has an intuitive query language that makes it easy to find the data you need.

Pros:

• High performance and scalability
• Easy deployment
• Flexible data modeling

Cons:

• Less suitable for complex datasets (requires a good server)
• Less support for looking up indexes

Pricing:

Neo4j has two main products:

1. Neo4j Graph Database
2. Neo4j AuraDB

Neo4J Graph Database is their on-premises product and starts at $0/month.

Neo4J AuraDB is a fully managed cloud database as a service (DBaas) product.

Their free version starts at $0/month and their professional version starts from $65/month.

Unique Features:

• Has Neo4J Browser: a web-based interface that makes it easy to visualize and query your data.
• Offers graph algorithms that you can use to find patterns and relationships in your data.

Bottomline:

Graph databases like Neo4J are great for applications that need to deal with a lot of relationships. However, they might not be the best choice for more complex datasets.

Their NeoJ Browser makes it easy to query and visualize your data. Plus, their graph algorithms can be really helpful in finding patterns in your data.

4. Apache Cassandra (Best Open-Source Database)

Apache Cassandra is a scalable NoSQL database that can be easily deployed across multiple data centers. It is used in big tech companies such as Instagram, Spotify, and Netflix.

It is also one of the few open-source NoSQL databases on this list!

Pros:

• Open-source
• High performance
• Elastic architecture
• Scalable

Cons:

• Basic ad-hoc queries are not efficient
• Limited querying using the Cassandra Query Language
• Lack of ACID property support
• Does not allow aggregates

Unique Features:

• It has a unique Cassandra Query Language, which is a simple, powerful language that makes it easy to query and update data.

This can be useful for users coming from a traditional SQL background

Pricing:

Apache Cassandra is open-source (free to use).

Bottomline:

Apache Cassandra NoSQL database is best suited for applications that need an elastic architecture and a cost-effective solution and are willing to trade off some querying capabilities.

Its open-source nature makes it a great choice for developers who want complete control over their database.

While basic ad-hoc queries are not efficient, Cassandra Query Language is a simple and powerful language that makes it easy to query and update data.

5. Redis (Best In-Memory Database)

If you’re going to explore using NoSQL databases, you can consider a Redis database.

Redis (short for Remote Dictionary Server) is the most loved database among developers, according to the 2021 Stack Overflow Developer Survey.

Redis is an in-memory key-value data store, which makes it extremely fast. It is open-source and can be used as a database, cache, or message broker.

Pros:

• Open-source (great for small projects, hobbyists)
• High performance (blazingly fast!)
• Allows a variety of data structures

Cons:

• Data is not persistent (it is stored in memory)
• Single-threaded – this means that only one operation can be executed at a time
• Cost can be high when scaling

Unique Features:

• Has a Pub/Sub (Publish/Subscribe) messaging system

Pricing:

Redis has two options: Redis Enterprise Software and Redis Enterprise Cloud.

The Redis Enterprise Software is available on a free 30-day trial limit but cannot be deployed to production.

More information on full pricing can be found by contacting sales on their website.

Redis Enterprise Cloud has several plans:

• Free: $0
• Fixed: $7/month
• Flexible: $0.881 /hour
• Annual

Bottomline:

Redis is best suited for applications that need a fast, in-memory database for messaging solutions.

It is open-source and has a variety of data structures, which makes it versatile for many applications.

However, its single-threaded architecture can be limiting and the pricing can be high when scaling.

6. Apache HBase (Best for Big Data Applications)

If you’re looking for a fast and scalable NoSQL database, Apache HBase is definitely worth considering. It is the open-source version of Google’s Bigtable database.

HBase is an open-source, columnar-oriented NoSQL database that runs on top of the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS).

It is well suited for sparse data sets, which are common in many big data use cases.

Pros:

• Can handle very large amounts of data (scalable)
• Consistent
• Built on trusted Hadoop technology

Cons:

• Not easy to use (complexity)
• Less availability (hard to replace when HMaster node fails)
• Lack of transaction support

Unique Features:

• Integrates well with Hadoop systems

Pricing:

HBase is open-source (free to use).

HBase can be downloaded directly from their website.

Bottomline:

HBase is best suited for big data applications that need to scale quickly and handle large amounts of data.

7. RavenDB (Best Overall Database)

RavenDB is a powerful NoSQL database that allows multi-document ACID transactions. It runs natively on the .NET framework.

RavenDB is a document database that uses JSON documents to store data. It also has an embedded (full-text) search engine that makes it easy to find the data you need.

Here’s a great video I found that might help you understand more about RavenDB!

Pros:

• Data model flexibility
• Good performance
• Scalability
• Has native full-text search functions

Cons:

• RavenDB GUI Studio could be more UI-friendly
• A smaller community of developers using the database

Unique Features:

• Allows multi-document ACID transactions
• Has a multi-writer architecture (which helps a lot with availability!)

Pricing:

RavenDB has two main products: RavenDB On-Premise and RavenDB Cloud.

RavenDB On-Premise has multiple pricing options:

1. Community: FREE
2. Professional: $828
3. Enterprise: $1458

RavenDB Cloud is a cloud service that makes it easy to deploy, manage, and scale your database.

This cloud service has 3 tiers:

1. Free: $0
2. Development: $0.013/hour
3. Production: $0.134/hour

Bottomline:

RavenDB is best suited for applications that need high performance, scalability, and availability while having ACID transaction functionality. However, its smaller community might make it harder to find support when you need it.

Its multi-writer architecture and native full-text search functions make it a great choice for applications that need those features.

Related Questions

What is a NoSQL database?

A NoSQL database is a type of database that does not use the traditional table-based relational database model. They are often used for big data and real-time web applications. They are more scalable and easier to work with than relational databases.

Which is the most widely used NoSQL database?

MongoDB is the most widely used NoSQL database. Couchbase, Neo4J, RavenDB, Cassandra, and Redis are all also popular choices. Apache HBase is a newer option that is gaining popularity.

Which is the easiest NoSQL database?

MongoDB is the easiest NoSQL database. It has friendly query language and good documentation. However, RavenDB might be the easier choice because of its native built-in full-text search.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many great NoSQL databases to choose from. It really depends on your needs as to which one is the best for you.

Do some research and decide which is the best NoSQL database for your project. Whichever one you choose, you can be confident that you’re getting a great database out of this list.

We hope you found this blog post helpful. Thanks for reading!