What is MongoDB used for?

MongoDB: The source repository for MongoDB, a document-oriented NoSQL database server written in C++, with sharding support and official drivers for most languages. It is a good fit for application databases with flexible schemas, horizontally scaled data stores through sharding, and backends for web and mobile apps.

Is MongoDB open source?

Yes. MongoDB is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at mongodb/mongo and is written mainly in C++.

Yes. MongoDB is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available.

Can I self-host MongoDB?

Yes. MongoDB can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is MongoDB an alternative to?

MongoDB is an open-source alternative to Amazon DynamoDB, Azure Cosmos DB, Couchbase Capella and Google Cloud Firestore. Other open-source alternatives to Amazon DynamoDB include Apache CouchDB and RavenDB.

Is MongoDB actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to MongoDB was on 2 October 2026. The project has 29k stars on GitHub.

MongoDB: open-source alternative to Amazon DynamoDB

About MongoDB

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.

Key features

Document-oriented NoSQL database server
mongos router for sharded clusters
MongoDB Shell and Compass GUI
Official drivers for most languages
Docker image and Homebrew packages
RPM and Debian packaging scripts

Good fit for

→Application databases with flexible schemas
→Horizontally scaled data stores through sharding
→Backends for web and mobile apps

Built with: C++; MongoDB
Tags: mongodb; nosql; database; document-database; cpp; sharding; json; self-hosted

MongoDB: questions and answers

What is MongoDB used for?: MongoDB: The source repository for MongoDB, a document-oriented NoSQL database server written in C++, with sharding support and official drivers for most languages. It is a good fit for application databases with flexible schemas, horizontally scaled data stores through sharding, and backends for web and mobile apps.
Is MongoDB open source?: Yes. MongoDB is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at mongodb/mongo and is written mainly in C++.
Is MongoDB free?: Yes. MongoDB is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available.
Can I self-host MongoDB?: Yes. MongoDB can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is MongoDB an alternative to?: MongoDB is an open-source alternative to Amazon DynamoDB, Azure Cosmos DB, Couchbase Capella and Google Cloud Firestore. Other open-source alternatives to Amazon DynamoDB include Apache CouchDB and RavenDB.
Is MongoDB actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to MongoDB was on 2 October 2026. The project has 29k stars on GitHub.