Software · head to head
MongoDB vs Couchbase
The short version
- Each has a real cost: MongoDB 16 MB maximum document size limits large single objects; Couchbase the free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only
- They diverge on capability: MongoDB covers Document model, Couchbase covers JSON Document Model.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MongoDB and Couchbase actually diverge.
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 MongoDB
- Document model
- Distributed architecture
- ACID transactions
- Real-time analytics
- Full-text search
- Time series data
- Geospatial queries
- Aggregation framework
Only in Couchbase
- JSON Document Model
- SQL++ Query
- Full-text Search
- Eventing
- Analytics
- Mobile Sync
- Multi-dimensional Scaling
- Kafka
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
MongoDB
- Mobile applicationsnot Couchbase
- Content managementnot Couchbase
- Real-time analyticsnot Couchbase
- IoT applicationsnot Couchbase
- Gaming backendsnot Couchbase
Couchbase
- Running a distributed NoSQL document database as a managed servicenot MongoDB
- Mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud databasenot MongoDB
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
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
Couchbase
Free- CommunityFree
- Full features
- Community support
- Self-managed
- Capella FreeFree
- Managed service
- Limited resources
- Cloud hosted
Which should you pick?
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.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is MongoDB or Couchbase better?
- Neither clearly leads. MongoDB 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, MongoDB or Couchbase?
- MongoDB starts at Free and Couchbase at Free.
- Does MongoDB or Couchbase run on more platforms?
- MongoDB runs on Cloud (Atlas), Self-hosted, Multi-cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure). Couchbase runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
- Can I use MongoDB for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is MongoDB best used for?
- MongoDB is most often used for mobile applications, content management, real-time analytics, iot applications. Of those, mobile applications and content management are not what Couchbase is typically brought in for.
- What can MongoDB do that Couchbase cannot?
- MongoDB covers Document model, Distributed architecture, ACID transactions, Real-time analytics. Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, SQL++ Query, Full-text Search, Eventing.
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