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Apache CouchDB vs Couchbase Server

Apache CouchDB: HTTP/JSON document database built around multi-master replication and offline-first sync. Couchbase Server: Memory-first distributed JSON database with SQL++, search, vector indexes and mobile sync.

key differences

  • Licensing: Apache CouchDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Couchbase Server is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (source); commercial Enterprise Edition).
  • Couchbase Server is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Apache CouchDB (≤ 10 TB).
  • Transactions: Apache CouchDB offers limited ACID; Couchbase Server offers full.
  • Only Apache CouchDB has materialized views.
  • Only Couchbase Server has transactions, joins, vector search, geospatial, triggers.

choose apache-couchdb for

  • +Offline-first web and mobile apps with PouchDB
  • +Field data collection in low-connectivity environments
  • +Multi-site replication between edge locations and a central hub
  • +Document stores where HTTP-native access is valuable

best at · OLTP, Mobile/offline, Local-first

choose couchbase for

  • +User profiles and session stores at high concurrency
  • +Travel, retail and gaming backends with strict latency SLAs
  • +Offline-first mobile and edge apps with Couchbase Lite
  • +Caching layer that also persists and can be queried

best at · OLTP, Cache, Sessions

Apache CouchDBHTTP/JSON document database built around multi-master replication and offline-first sync.
Couchbase ServerMemory-first distributed JSON database with SQL++, search, vector indexes and mobile sync.
overview
Primary model
Document
Document
Also supports
Search Engine
Key-Value, Search Engine, Vector, Spatial
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
Couchbase, Inc.
First release
2005
2010
Latest version
3.5.3 (Oct 12, 2026)
8.0.3 (Sep 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Source-availableBusiness Source License 1.1 (source); commercial Enterprise Edition
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
43.6
27.5
Rank
#41
#101
GitHub stars
7K
–
Stack Overflow questions
6.1K
4.1K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Active active
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Eventual
Strong, Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Flexible
Architecture
Distributed, Multi primary, Client server
Distributed, Multi primary, In memory
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
capabilities
Transactions
—
✓
Joins
—
✓
Secondary indexes
✓
✓
Full-text search
✓
✓
Vector search
—
✓
Geospatial
—
✓
JSON
✓
✓
Change data capture
✓
✓
Triggers
—
✓
Stored procedures
—
—
Materialized views
✓
—
TTL / expiry
—
✓
Pub/Sub
—
—
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
—
✓
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
✓
✓
Encryption at rest
—
✓
Role-based access
✓
✓
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
✓
✓
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
✓
✓
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
Mango (JSON query), JavaScript MapReduce views, Lucene query syntax (Nouveau)
SQL++ (N1QL), Full Text Search query DSL
Client languages
JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, Go, PHP, Ruby
C, C#, Go, Java, Kotlin, JavaScript, PHP, Python
Best for
OLTP, Mobile/offline, Local-first, Edge
OLTP, Cache, Sessions, Search
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache CouchDB vs Couchbase Server: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache CouchDB and Couchbase Server?

Apache CouchDB: HTTP/JSON document database built around multi-master replication and offline-first sync. Couchbase Server: Memory-first distributed JSON database with SQL++, search, vector indexes and mobile sync. Licensing: Apache CouchDB is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0); Couchbase Server is source-available (Business Source License 1.1 (source); commercial Enterprise Edition). Couchbase Server is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Apache CouchDB (≤ 10 TB). Transactions: Apache CouchDB offers limited ACID; Couchbase Server offers full.

When should I choose Apache CouchDB over Couchbase Server?

Choose Apache CouchDB for offline-first web and mobile apps with PouchDB; field data collection in low-connectivity environments; and multi-site replication between edge locations and a central hub. Choose Couchbase Server for user profiles and session stores at high concurrency; travel, retail and gaming backends with strict latency SLAs; and offline-first mobile and edge apps with Couchbase Lite.

Is Apache CouchDB or Couchbase Server more popular?

Apache CouchDB ranks #41 on the WhichDB Score (43.6/100) and Couchbase Server ranks #101 (27.5/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache CouchDB and Couchbase Server open source?

Yes. Apache CouchDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Not in the OSI sense. Couchbase Server is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: Business Source License 1.1 (source); commercial Enterprise Edition.