CouchDBvs
Cockroach Labs
Cockroach Labs: The cloud-native distributed SQL database
CouchDB
Seamless multi-master sync with Apache CouchDB
As of 30 August 2026, CouchDB is free to use. Apache CouchDB is an open-source document-oriented NoSQL database, implemented in Erlang. Softwr lists it under Databases. CouchDB is made by Apache Software Foundation, launched in 1999, available on Self-hosted, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Overview
What CouchDB does
Apache CouchDB is an open-source document-oriented NoSQL database, implemented in Erlang. CouchDB uses multiple formats and protocols to store, transfer, and process its data. It is best known for its multi-master replication feature that makes it easy to sync data between servers.
What people use it for
- Offline-first applications requiring seamless replication across mobile and server environments
- Multi-master deployments where data consistency eventually resolves across regions
- IoT and edge computing scenarios with intermittent connectivity
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about CouchDB.
- Append-only storage model may have performance implications for certain workloads with high update rates
- Requires network synchronisation for cluster data consistency; can introduce latency in multi-master scenarios
- No explicit support for complex joins; MapReduce queries may be inefficient compared to relational databases
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of CouchDB
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- CouchDBvsPostgreSQL
PostgreSQL: The world's most advanced open source relational database
- CouchDBvsAirtable
Airtable: Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs
- CouchDBvsAmazon Aurora
Amazon Aurora: MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
Capabilities
Features
Multi-master Replication
HTTP/JSON API
MapReduce Views
ACID Semantics
Offline-first
Conflict Resolution
Fauxton UI
PouchDB
Integration with PouchDB
Cloudant
Integration with Cloudant
Mango Queries
Integration with Mango Queries
Erlang
Integration with Erlang
Nano
Integration with Nano
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Apache CouchDB free to use?
Yes, Apache CouchDB is completely free to download and use. It is open source software licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
SourceCan I use CouchDB for commercial purposes?
Yes, the Apache License 2.0 permits commercial use. The license is permissive and does not restrict business applications.
SourceIs there a paid support or professional services option?
CouchDB's homepage mentions Professional Services as an available option, but no pricing details or specific service costs are listed. Contact the Apache CouchDB project for more information.
SourceWho handles hosting costs if I use CouchDB?
CouchDB is self-hosted, so you are responsible for your own infrastructure and hosting costs. The software itself is free.
SourceBehind it
Who makes CouchDB
- Company
- Apache Software Foundation
- Based in
- Wakefield, Massachusetts
Keep looking
Where to go from CouchDB
- CouchDB alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- CouchDB pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- CouchDB badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Databases softwareThe full category
- Best Databases softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Databases software for
Compare CouchDB with
- Airtable
- Cockroach Labs
- PostgreSQL
- Amazon Aurora
- RavenDB
- ArangoDB
- Couchbase
- Firebase Realtime Database
- DataGrip
- FaunaDB
- Neo4j
- OpenSearch
- Qdrant
- SingleStore
- TiDB
- Tinybird
- DynamoDB
- Firestore
Other Databases software
Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs
Free, then $20/month per editor11 researched notesMySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
Free plan12 researched notesStore and sync data in real-time across all clients
Free plan12 researched notesCross-platform database IDE from JetBrains for SQL and NoSQL databases
Free, then $8.25/mo12 researched notesDocument-relational database whose hosted service closed in 2025 and whose core is now unmaintained Apache 2.0 code.
Free plan14 researched notesOpen-source search and analytics suite forked from Elasticsearch
Open source9 researched notesHigh-performance vector database for similarity search and embedding-based retrieval
Free plan13 researched notesThe real-time distributed SQL database for data-intensive applications
Free, then $0.99/mo14 researched notesApache 2.0 distributed SQL database with MySQL wire compatibility and a separate columnar replica for analytical queries.
Free plan12 researched notesManaged ClickHouse with a workflow that turns SQL queries into hosted HTTP APIs
Free, then $25/mo12 researched notesAWS-only managed key-value and document database with fixed per-partition throughput limits and no ad hoc queries.
Free, then $0.625/million writes14 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for CouchDB, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on CouchDB
CouchDB alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
CouchDB pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare CouchDB
Put it head to head with anything we hold
CouchDB badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
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