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FaunaDB vs CouchDB

FaunaDB logo

FaunaDB

Software

The distributed serverless database for modern applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CouchDB logo

CouchDB

Software

Seamless multi-master sync with Apache CouchDB

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.; CouchDB append-only storage model may have performance implications for certain workloads with high update rates
  • They diverge on capability: FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, CouchDB covers Multi-master Replication.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FaunaDB and CouchDB actually diverge.

Attributes where FaunaDB and CouchDB differ
AttributeFaunaDBCouchDB
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWebDocker, Windows (x64), macOS, Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS), Raspberry Pi
Founded20121999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 CouchDB

  • Multi-master Replication
  • HTTP/JSON API
  • MapReduce Views
  • ACID Semantics
  • Offline-first
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Fauxton UI
  • PouchDB

What people use each for

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

FaunaDB

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

CouchDB

  • Offline-first applications requiring seamless replication across mobile and server environmentsnot FaunaDB
  • Multi-master deployments where data consistency eventually resolves across regionsnot FaunaDB
  • IoT and edge computing scenarios with intermittent connectivitynot 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.

CouchDB

  • Append-only storage model may have performance implications for certain workloads with high update rates
  • Requires network synchronisation for cluster data consistency; can introduce latency in multi-master scenarios
  • No explicit support for complex joins; MapReduce queries may be inefficient compared to relational databases

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

CouchDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CouchDB review.

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 CouchDB if

  • You need multi-master replication.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Windows (x64), macOS, Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS), Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want http/json api.
CouchDB review

Questions people ask

Is FaunaDB or CouchDB better?
Neither clearly leads. FaunaDB starts at Free and CouchDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FaunaDB or CouchDB?
FaunaDB starts at Free and CouchDB at Free.
Does FaunaDB or CouchDB run on more platforms?
FaunaDB runs on Web. CouchDB runs on Docker, Windows (x64), macOS, Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS), Raspberry Pi.
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 CouchDB is typically brought in for.
What can FaunaDB do that CouchDB cannot?
FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Document-relational Model, GraphQL API, Global Distribution. CouchDB covers Multi-master Replication, HTTP/JSON API, MapReduce Views, ACID Semantics.
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