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MongoDB Atlas vs RAD Studio

MongoDB Atlas logo

MongoDB Atlas

Technology

The multi-cloud developer data platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
RAD Studio logo

RAD Studio

Developer Tools

Cross-platform native app development with Delphi and C++Builder

From
$2000/perpetual
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MongoDB Atlas has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MongoDB Atlas m0 free tier limited to learning and exploration only with no backup capability; RAD Studio professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MongoDB Atlas and RAD Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where MongoDB Atlas and RAD Studio differ
AttributeMongoDB AtlasRAD Studio
Starting priceFree$2000/perpetual
Pricing modelusage-basedone-time
Free tierYesNo
CategoryTechnologyDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What people use each for

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

MongoDB Atlas

  • Building applications with flexible JSON document storagenot RAD Studio
  • Performing full-text and vector search on unstructured datanot RAD Studio
  • Scaling multi-cloud deployments across AWS, Azure, GCPnot RAD Studio
  • Streaming event data integration with Kafkanot RAD Studio

RAD Studio

  • Building Windows desktop applications with VCL componentsnot MongoDB Atlas
  • Creating iOS and Android apps from shared Delphi codebasenot MongoDB Atlas
  • Connecting to Oracle databases through FireDAC connectivitynot MongoDB Atlas
  • Building REST web services that run on Linux serversnot MongoDB Atlas

Where each one falls short

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

MongoDB Atlas

  • M0 free tier limited to learning and exploration only with no backup capability
  • Data transfer egress charges apply at 0.12 USD/GB for dedicated clusters; inbound free
  • MongoDB Search and Vector Search add significant per-hour costs starting at 0.12 USD/hour

RAD Studio

  • Professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax
  • Enterprise edition steps up to $3,400 license plus $1,199 maintenance, and Architect edition to $4,416 license plus $2,183 maintenance
  • The perpetual license only entitles the buyer to updates for one year; continued access to new updates and upgrades requires an annually renewable Update Subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

MongoDB Atlas

Free
  • M0 (Free Tier)Free
    • 512 MB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU
    • No backups
  • Flex Tier$0.011/hour
    • 5 GB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU
    • Pay-as-you-go hourly billing
  • M2 Shared$9/month
    • 2 GB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU
  • M5 Shared$25/month
    • 5 GB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU

RAD Studio

$2000/perpetual
  • Professional Edition$2000/perpetual
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $599
    • Total $2,599 + Tax
  • Enterprise Edition$3400/perpetual
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $1,199
    • Total $4,599 + Tax
  • Architect Edition$4416/perpetual
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $2,183
    • Total $6,599 + Tax

Which should you pick?

Choose MongoDB Atlas if

  • You want to start without paying.
MongoDB Atlas review

Choose RAD Studio if

Nothing in the data separates RAD Studio from MongoDB Atlas on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

RAD Studio review

Questions people ask

Is MongoDB Atlas or RAD Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. MongoDB Atlas starts at Free and RAD Studio at $2000/perpetual, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MongoDB Atlas or RAD Studio?
MongoDB Atlas has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MongoDB Atlas and $2000/perpetual for RAD Studio.
Does MongoDB Atlas or RAD Studio run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use MongoDB Atlas for free?
Yes. MongoDB Atlas has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RAD Studio starts at $2000/perpetual.
What is MongoDB Atlas best used for?
MongoDB Atlas is most often used for building applications with flexible json document storage, performing full-text and vector search on unstructured data, scaling multi-cloud deployments across aws, azure, gcp, streaming event data integration with kafka. Of those, building applications with flexible json document storage and performing full-text and vector search on unstructured data are not what RAD Studio is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MongoDB Atlas: How much does MongoDB Atlas cost?

MongoDB Atlas offers a free M0 tier with 512 MB storage, Flex tier at approximately 8-30 USD/month with pay-per-hour billing, shared clusters at 9-25 USD/month, and dedicated clusters from 56.94 USD/month. Add-on services like MongoDB Search cost 0.12-3.27 USD/hour.

Source
RAD Studio: How much does RAD Studio cost?

RAD Studio uses perpetual licensing: Professional Edition $2,000 perpetual license + $599 first year maintenance ($2,599 total + tax). Enterprise Edition $3,400 license + $1,199 maintenance ($4,599 total + tax). Architect Edition $4,416 license + $2,183 maintenance ($6,599 total + tax).

Source
MongoDB Atlas: Is there a free tier?

Yes, MongoDB Atlas M0 free tier offers 512 MB storage with shared resources, suitable for learning and exploration. Flex tier allows pay-as-you-go usage starting at 0.011 USD/hour.

Source
RAD Studio: What is the difference between RAD Studio editions?

Professional Edition ($2,599 total + tax) targets individual developers. Enterprise Edition ($4,599 total + tax) adds multi-tier app capabilities. Architect Edition ($6,599 total + tax) includes advanced database and cloud features. All three include perpetual licenses.

Source
MongoDB Atlas: What are the data transfer limits?

Inbound data transfer is typically free; egress from dedicated clusters costs 0.12 USD/GB. Free and Flex tiers do not incur data transfer charges.

Source
RAD Studio: Does RAD Studio offer Kai AI integration and discounts?

Yes, adding Kai AI to any edition provides discounts: 25% off Professional ($2,136 + tax), 30% off Enterprise ($3,394 + tax), and 40% off Architect ($4,109 + tax). This promotion is active through August 31, 2026.

Source
MongoDB Atlas: What backup options are available?

M0 free tier and Flex tier do not include backups. Dedicated clusters M10 and above include backup services with region and snapshot storage-based pricing.

Source
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