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MongoDB vs RavenDB

MongoDB logo

MongoDB

Technology

The developer data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RavenDB logo

RavenDB

Databases

The fully transactional NoSQL document database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: MongoDB 16 MB maximum document size limits large single objects; RavenDB the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • They diverge on capability: MongoDB covers Document model, RavenDB covers ACID Transactions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MongoDB and RavenDB actually diverge.

Attributes where MongoDB and RavenDB differ
AttributeMongoDBRavenDB
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsCloud (Atlas), Self-hosted, Multi-cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
CategoryTechnologyDatabases
Founded20072010

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

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 RavenDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Auto-indexing
  • Full-text Search
  • Graph Queries
  • Distributed Counters
  • Time Series
  • Document Compression
  • Linux support

Both cover

  • Node.js
  • Python
  • Java
  • .NET
  • Go

What people use each for

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

MongoDB

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

RavenDB

  • Running a distributed document database with ACID transactionsnot MongoDB
  • Self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardwarenot MongoDB
  • Replicating operational data out to analytics systems through ETLnot 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

RavenDB

  • The free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • The free Community licence caps a customer at 60 cores and forces you to stay on the latest major version
  • The Professional licence is limited to a single database, a 5 node cluster, 40 cores and 240 GB RAM
  • Sharding across nodes, ETL to OLAP, Elasticsearch and Kafka, and data archival are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise and AI licence pricing is contact us only with no published rate

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

RavenDB

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • 3 cores
    • 6GB RAM
    • Community support
  • Professional$499/year
    • Production use
    • Professional support
    • Advanced features

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 RavenDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want auto-indexing.
RavenDB review

Questions people ask

Is MongoDB or RavenDB better?
Neither clearly leads. MongoDB starts at Free and RavenDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MongoDB or RavenDB?
MongoDB starts at Free and RavenDB at Free.
Does MongoDB or RavenDB run on more platforms?
MongoDB runs on Cloud (Atlas), Self-hosted, Multi-cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure). RavenDB 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 RavenDB is typically brought in for.
What can MongoDB do that RavenDB cannot?
MongoDB covers Document model, Distributed architecture, ACID transactions, Real-time analytics. RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Full-text Search, Graph Queries. Both handle Node.js, Python, Java, .NET.

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
RavenDB: Is RavenDB free or open source?

RavenDB is open source under the AGPLv3 license and available on GitHub. It also offers a free developer license with enterprise-level features limited to 9 cores, 36GB max RAM, 3 nodes, and non-commercial use.

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
RavenDB: Can I use RavenDB commercially for free?

RavenDB offers a free Community License that permits commercial deployment with unlimited databases and sizes, subject to a 60-core maximum per customer and requirement to run the latest major version.

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
RavenDB: What commercial licensing options does RavenDB offer?

RavenDB offers Professional, Enterprise, and AI tiers for commercial use. Pricing for these tiers requires contacting their sales team at [email protected].

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
RavenDB: Does RavenDB offer a cloud hosting option?

RavenDB Cloud provides a fully managed cloud database with maintenance, failover, and backups included. Pricing is available at cloud.ravendb.net/pricing.

Source
RavenDB: Is there a refund window if I purchase RavenDB?

RavenDB offers a 30-day refund window for purchased licenses.

Source
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