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Databases · head to head

NATS vs RavenDB

NATS logo

NATS

Databases

High-performance messaging system for cloud-native applications

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: NATS core NATS has no persistence at all, so messages are lost if no subscriber is listening; RavenDB the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • They diverge on capability: NATS covers Very low latency, RavenDB covers ACID Transactions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NATS and RavenDB actually diverge.

Attributes where NATS and RavenDB differ
AttributeNATSRavenDB
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, KubernetesLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
FoundedUnknown2010

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

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 NATS

  • Very low latency
  • JetStream
  • Single binary
  • Request-reply

Only in RavenDB

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

What people use each for

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

NATS

  • Service-to-service messaging where latency is the binding constraintnot RavenDB
  • Edge and IoT messaging where a lightweight broker mattersnot RavenDB
  • Replacing a heavier broker when the workload does not need its guaranteesnot RavenDB

RavenDB

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

Where each one falls short

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

NATS

  • Core NATS has no persistence at all, so messages are lost if no subscriber is listening
  • JetStream adds the durability but also the operational complexity NATS is chosen to avoid
  • A much smaller ecosystem than Kafka or RabbitMQ, with fewer connectors and integrations
  • Fewer people know it, so hiring and existing organisational knowledge favour the alternatives

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

NATS

Free
  • NATSFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

RavenDB

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

Which should you pick?

Choose NATS if

  • You need very low latency.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want jetstream.
NATS 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 NATS or RavenDB better?
Neither clearly leads. NATS 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, NATS or RavenDB?
NATS starts at Free and RavenDB at Free.
Does NATS or RavenDB run on more platforms?
NATS runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes. RavenDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
Can I use NATS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NATS best used for?
NATS is most often used for service-to-service messaging where latency is the binding constraint, edge and iot messaging where a lightweight broker matters, replacing a heavier broker when the workload does not need its guarantees. Of those, service-to-service messaging where latency is the binding constraint and edge and iot messaging where a lightweight broker matters are not what RavenDB is typically brought in for.
What can NATS do that RavenDB cannot?
NATS covers Very low latency, JetStream, Single binary, Request-reply. RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Full-text Search, Graph Queries.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NATS: Is NATS free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-graduated. Synadia sells a managed service.

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
NATS: Does NATS persist messages?

Core NATS does not — it is fire-and-forget. JetStream adds persistence, streaming and replay when you need them.

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
NATS: NATS or Kafka?

NATS is far lighter and lower latency, and much simpler to run. Kafka is the answer when you need a durable replayable log and a large connector ecosystem.

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
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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