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Database & Data Management · head to head

FaunaDB vs Couchbase

FaunaDB logo

FaunaDB

Database & Data Management

The distributed serverless database for modern applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Couchbase logo

Couchbase

Database & Data Management

The modern database for enterprise applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FaunaDB the Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.; Couchbase the free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only
  • They diverge on capability: FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Couchbase covers JSON Document Model.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FaunaDB and Couchbase actually diverge.

Attributes where FaunaDB and Couchbase differ
AttributeFaunaDBCouchbase
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
Founded20122011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 FaunaDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Document-relational Model
  • GraphQL API
  • Global Distribution
  • Temporal Queries
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Serverless
  • GraphQL

Only in Couchbase

  • JSON Document Model
  • SQL++ Query
  • Full-text Search
  • Eventing
  • Analytics
  • Mobile Sync
  • Multi-dimensional Scaling
  • Kafka

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

FaunaDB

  • Serverless applicationsnot Couchbase
  • Rapid prototypingnot Couchbase
  • Mobile backendsnot Couchbase
  • JAMstacknot Couchbase
  • Microservicesnot Couchbase

Couchbase

  • Running a distributed NoSQL document database as a managed servicenot FaunaDB
  • Mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud databasenot FaunaDB

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

FaunaDB

  • The Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.

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

Pricing, plan by plan

FaunaDB

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100K read ops
    • 50K write ops
    • 1GB storage
  • Pro$25/month
    • Pay per use
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features

Couchbase

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Full features
    • Community support
    • Self-managed
  • Capella FreeFree
    • Managed service
    • Limited resources
    • Cloud hosted

Which should you pick?

Choose FaunaDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want document-relational model.
FaunaDB review

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.
Couchbase review

Questions people ask

Is FaunaDB or Couchbase better?
Neither clearly leads. FaunaDB starts at Free and Couchbase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FaunaDB or Couchbase?
FaunaDB starts at Free and Couchbase at Free.
Does FaunaDB or Couchbase run on more platforms?
FaunaDB runs on Web. Couchbase runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use FaunaDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FaunaDB best used for?
FaunaDB is most often used for serverless applications, rapid prototyping, mobile backends, jamstack. Of those, serverless applications and rapid prototyping are not what Couchbase is typically brought in for.
What can FaunaDB do that Couchbase cannot?
FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Document-relational Model, GraphQL API, Global Distribution. Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, SQL++ Query, Full-text Search, Eventing. Both handle Web support.
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