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Technology · head to head

MongoDB vs Neo4j

MongoDB logo

MongoDB

Technology

The developer data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Neo4j logo

Neo4j

Databases

The world's leading graph database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: MongoDB 16 MB maximum document size limits large single objects; Neo4j auraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • They diverge on capability: MongoDB covers Document model, Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MongoDB and Neo4j actually diverge.

Attributes where MongoDB and Neo4j differ
AttributeMongoDBNeo4j
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsCloud (Atlas), Self-hosted, Multi-cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
CategoryTechnologyDatabases

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2007).

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 Neo4j

  • Native Graph Storage
  • Cypher Query Language
  • ACID Transactions
  • High Availability
  • Graph Data Science
  • Full-text Search
  • Native Indexes
  • GraphQL

What people use each for

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

MongoDB

  • Mobile applicationsnot Neo4j
  • Content managementnot Neo4j
  • Real-time analyticsnot Neo4j
  • IoT applicationsnot Neo4j
  • Gaming backendsnot Neo4j

Neo4j

  • Graph database for learning and explorationnot MongoDB
  • Production workloads requiring high availability and multi-zone redundancynot MongoDB
  • Enterprise deployments needing custom infrastructurenot 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

Neo4j

  • AuraDB Free has no service availability SLA, no backups and no point-in-time recovery
  • AuraDB Free imposes limits on node and relationship counts and runs single-zone only
  • SSO authentication and role-based access control are excluded from AuraDB Free and AuraDB Professional, starting only at Business Critical at $146 per GB per month with a 2GB minimum cluster
  • AuraDB Professional starts at $65 per GB per month with a minimum 1GB cluster and caps at 128GB memory per instance
  • AuraDB Professional backups are daily with only 7-day retention, against 30 days on Business Critical
  • Customer managed keys and private endpoints are available only on AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud, which is quote only with no published price
  • Change data capture, query log forwarding, secondaries and access to Neo4j Professional Services are excluded below the Business Critical tier
  • Support on AuraDB Free is community only and AuraDB Professional is best effort, with 24x7 one-hour response starting at Business Critical
  • AuraDB Virtual Dedicated Cloud is sold on prepaid contract terms with enterprise commercial negotiation rather than self-serve card payment

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

Neo4j

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Learning and exploration access
    • No credit card required
    • All graph tools included
  • AuraDB Professional$65/GB/month
    • 1GB minimum cluster
    • Hourly billing available ($0.09/hour for 1GB)
    • Daily backups with 7-day retention
  • AuraDB Business Critical$146/GB/month
    • 2GB minimum cluster
    • Hourly billing available ($0.40/hour for 2GB)
    • Up to 512GB maximum
  • Virtual Dedicated Cloud$null/custom
    • Custom pricing via sales contact
    • Dedicated VPC infrastructure
    • Hourly backups with 60-day retention

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.
MongoDB review

Choose Neo4j if

  • You need native graph storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want cypher query language.
Neo4j review

Questions people ask

Is MongoDB or Neo4j better?
Neither clearly leads. MongoDB starts at Free and Neo4j at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MongoDB or Neo4j?
MongoDB starts at Free and Neo4j at Free.
Does MongoDB or Neo4j run on more platforms?
MongoDB runs on Cloud (Atlas), Self-hosted, Multi-cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure). Neo4j 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 Neo4j is typically brought in for.
What can MongoDB do that Neo4j cannot?
MongoDB covers Document model, Distributed architecture, ACID transactions, Real-time analytics. Neo4j covers Native Graph Storage, Cypher Query Language, ACID Transactions, High Availability.

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.

Source
Neo4j: Is Neo4j free?

Neo4j offers a free tier (AuraDB Free) for learning and exploration with no credit card required. Community Edition is also free and GPL3-licensed. Paid tiers start at $65/GB per month for AuraDB Professional.

Source
MongoDB: 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.

Source
Neo4j: What does Neo4j's Professional tier include?

AuraDB Professional costs $65/GB per month with a 1GB minimum cluster, includes daily backups with 7-day retention, single-zone availability, and best-effort support. Hourly billing is available at $0.09/hour per GB.

Source
MongoDB: 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.

Source
Neo4j: What is Neo4j's most advanced pricing tier?

AuraDB Business Critical costs $146/GB per month with a 2GB minimum and includes multi-zone redundancy, 99.95% uptime SLA, 24/7 premium support with one-hour response times, and point-in-time recovery.

Source
MongoDB: 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
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