Database & Data Management · head to head
Couchbase vs RavenDB
Couchbase
Database & Data Management
The modern database for enterprise applications
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
RavenDB
Database & Data Management
The fully transactional NoSQL document database
- 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; RavenDB the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
- They diverge on capability: Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, RavenDB covers ACID Transactions.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Couchbase and RavenDB actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).
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
- Eventing
- Analytics
- Mobile Sync
- Multi-dimensional Scaling
- Kafka
- Spark
Only in RavenDB
- ACID Transactions
- Auto-indexing
- Graph Queries
- Distributed Counters
- Time Series
- Document Compression
- .NET
- Node.js
Both cover
- Full-text Search
- Linux support
- Windows support
- Mac support
- Docker support
- Web support
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 RavenDB
- Mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud databasenot RavenDB
RavenDB
- Running a distributed document database with ACID transactionsnot Couchbase
- Self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardwarenot Couchbase
- Replicating operational data out to analytics systems through ETLnot 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
RavenDB
- The free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
- The free Community licence caps a customer at 60 cores and forces you to stay on the latest major version
- The Professional licence is limited to a single database, a 5 node cluster, 40 cores and 240 GB RAM
- Sharding across nodes, ETL to OLAP, Elasticsearch and Kafka, and data archival are Enterprise only
- Enterprise and AI licence pricing is contact us only with no published rate
Pricing, plan by plan
Couchbase
Free- CommunityFree
- Full features
- Community support
- Self-managed
- Capella FreeFree
- Managed service
- Limited resources
- Cloud hosted
RavenDB
Free- CommunityFree
- 3 cores
- 6GB RAM
- Community support
- Professional$499/year
- Production use
- Professional support
- Advanced features
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 RavenDB if
- You need acid transactions.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- You also want auto-indexing.
Questions people ask
- Is Couchbase or RavenDB better?
- Neither clearly leads. Couchbase starts at Free and RavenDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Couchbase or RavenDB?
- Couchbase starts at Free and RavenDB at Free.
- Does Couchbase or RavenDB run on more platforms?
- Both run on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 RavenDB is typically brought in for.
- What can Couchbase do that RavenDB cannot?
- Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, SQL++ Query, Eventing, Analytics. RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Graph Queries, Distributed Counters. Both handle Full-text Search, Linux support, Windows support, Mac support.