Database & Data Management · head to head
Couchbase vs MongoDB
Couchbase
Database & Data Management
The modern database for enterprise applications
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Couchbase the free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only; MongoDB 16 MB maximum document size limits large single objects
- They diverge on capability: Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, MongoDB covers Document model.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Couchbase and MongoDB actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Couchbase
- JSON Document Model
- SQL++ Query
- Full-text Search
- Eventing
- Analytics
- Mobile Sync
- Multi-dimensional Scaling
- Kafka
Only in MongoDB
- Document model
- Distributed architecture
- ACID transactions
- Real-time analytics
- Full-text search
- Time series data
- Geospatial queries
- Aggregation framework
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Couchbase
- Running a distributed NoSQL document database as a managed servicenot MongoDB
- Mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud databasenot MongoDB
MongoDB
- Mobile applicationsnot Couchbase
- Content managementnot Couchbase
- Real-time analyticsnot Couchbase
- IoT applicationsnot Couchbase
- Gaming backendsnot Couchbase
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Couchbase
- The free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only
- Node rates are hourly and quoted as starting figures, from $0.15 an hour on Basic to $0.49 on Enterprise
- The Developer Pro and Enterprise plans require 3 nodes, so the hourly rate multiplies before any usage
- Backup storage is billed separately at $0.07 per GB a month, and analytics backups at $0.14
- Support response time is a plan feature, at 8 hours on Developer Pro against 30 minutes on Enterprise
- AI and analytics run as separately priced planes at up to $0.86 an hour per node
MongoDB
- 16 MB maximum document size limits large single objects
- No native JOIN support for relational data operations
- Higher memory usage due to storing field names with each document
- Eventual consistency in distributed deployments can cause data stale reads
Pricing, plan by plan
Couchbase
Free- CommunityFree
- Full features
- Community support
- Self-managed
- Capella FreeFree
- Managed service
- Limited resources
- Cloud hosted
MongoDB
Free- M0Free
- 512 MB storage
- Learning and exploration
- M2$9/month
- 2 GB storage
- Development and testing
- M5$25/month
- 5 GB storage
- M10+$56.94/month
- Dedicated clusters for production
Which should you pick?
Choose Couchbase if
- You need json document model.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- You also want sql++ query.
Choose MongoDB if
- You need document model.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud (Atlas), Self-hosted, Multi-cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure).
- You also want distributed architecture.
Questions people ask
- Is Couchbase or MongoDB better?
- Neither clearly leads. Couchbase starts at Free and MongoDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Couchbase or MongoDB?
- Couchbase starts at Free and MongoDB at Free.
- Does Couchbase or MongoDB run on more platforms?
- Couchbase runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web. MongoDB runs on Cloud (Atlas), Self-hosted, Multi-cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure).
- Can I use Couchbase for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Couchbase best used for?
- Couchbase is most often used for running a distributed nosql document database as a managed service, mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud database. Of those, running a distributed nosql document database as a managed service and mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud database are not what MongoDB is typically brought in for.
- What can Couchbase do that MongoDB cannot?
- Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, SQL++ Query, Full-text Search, Eventing. MongoDB covers Document model, Distributed architecture, ACID transactions, Real-time analytics.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
MongoDB: Does MongoDB offer a free tier?
Yes. MongoDB Atlas offers an M0 free tier with 512 MB storage for learning and exploration, plus paid options starting at $9/month for M2 with 2 GB storage.
SourceMongoDB: Can I self-host MongoDB?
Yes. You can run MongoDB Community Edition on your own servers, or use MongoDB Enterprise Advanced for self-managed production deployments with enterprise features.
SourceMongoDB: What is the maximum document size in MongoDB?
Documents are limited to 16 MB. For documents exceeding this limit, you can use MongoDB's GridFS API to store files larger than the maximum size.
SourceMongoDB: Does MongoDB support ACID transactions?
Yes. MongoDB supports ACID transactions within a single document by default, and multi-document ACID transactions are available for replica sets and sharded clusters in MongoDB 4.0+.
Source