Open-source IBM Cloudant alternatives

This repository holds the source of MongoDB, the document-oriented NoSQL database. It is written in C++ and contains the main server components: mongod, the database server, and mongos, the router used for sharded clusters. MongoDB stores flexible JSON-like documents rather than rows in fixed tables.

Most users install prebuilt packages rather than building from source. The README points to the community server download page, the mongodb-community-server Docker image and Homebrew taps, and also covers the MongoDB Shell, mongosh, and MongoDB Compass, a graphical client that can be installed with a packaged script. Client drivers exist for most programming languages, and RPM and Debian packages are produced by the build scripts. Documentation and a developer center help with learning.

The repository's license is listed as 'Other' on GitHub, so read the current license terms before building services on it. MongoDB can be run on your own infrastructure, and MongoDB Inc. also operates a managed cloud service. It is widely used as a general-purpose database for applications with evolving schemas.

Apache CouchDB is a database that stores JSON documents and is reached through an HTTP/JSON API. Its headline feature is multi-primary sync: the Couch Replication Protocol lets data flow between server clusters, mobile phones and web browsers, which supports offline-first applications that reconcile changes when connectivity returns.

It can run as a single-node database behind an application server or as a cluster, stores binary data alongside JSON, and offers a developer-friendly query language with optional MapReduce views. The protocol is implemented by a variety of projects and products across computing environments. CouchDB is written in Erlang, known for reliability, and the homepage presents the design as built for dependable operation.

Apache CouchDB is licensed under Apache-2.0 and runs on your own servers or with any cloud provider. Documentation, a technical overview and download packages are on the project site. It suits teams building apps that must keep working offline and sync later, or that want a simple, HTTP-native document store.

RavenDB is a NoSQL document database that is fully ACID and secure by default. Its makers, frustrated with the state of the database industry, aim to combine strong performance with ease of use so developers can concentrate on their application instead of managing data infrastructure. It is built on .NET.

Repository topics list full-text search, indexing, sharding, spatial queries, time series, vector search and IoT use, and the README links to documentation, articles, a book and a try-from-your-browser option. It describes itself as completely open source under AGPLv3 and mentions a free developer license, while GitHub reports the license as 'Other', so confirm the terms for production use.

RavenDB can be run on your own servers or consumed as a managed cloud service from the vendor, which also sells commercial licenses. It suits .NET teams that want a document store with transactions, indexing and search built in.