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BASIS vs jBASE

BASIS: Keyed-file ISAM database plus SQL engine bundled with BASIS International's BBj Business BASIC platform. jBASE: MultiValue database that compiles Pick BASIC to native code, now part of Rocket's MV portfolio.

key differences

  • BASIS is primarily a relational database; jBASE is multivalue (Pick).
  • jBASE is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than BASIS (≤ 100 GB).
  • Transactions: BASIS offers full ACID; jBASE offers limited.
  • Only BASIS has joins, full-text search.
  • Only jBASE has triggers, encryption at rest.

choose basis for

  • +Back end for BBj/Business BASIC ERP and vertical business applications
  • +Exposing legacy keyed-file data to BI tools via ODBC/JDBC
  • +Modernising older BBx applications without a data migration

best at · OLTP

choose jbase for

  • +Core banking and finance packages built on jBASE
  • +Legacy Pick application hosting on modern servers
  • +Consolidating D3 systems onto a supported platform

best at · OLTP

BASISKeyed-file ISAM database plus SQL engine bundled with BASIS International's BBj Business BASIC platform.
jBASEMultiValue database that compiles Pick BASIC to native code, now part of Rocket's MV portfolio.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Multivalue (Pick)
Also supports
Key-Value
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
BASIS International Ltd.
Rocket Software (formerly Zumasys)
First release
1985
1991
Latest version
BBj 26.02 (2026)
6.2.2 (Dec 2025)
License
ProprietaryProprietary (BASIS licence)
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
Free tier
—
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
0.0
1.4
Rank
#693
#554
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
–
29
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Flexible
Architecture
Client server, Single node
Client server, Single node
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
–
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
SQL, BBj / Business BASIC file verbs
Pick BASIC (jBC), jQL
Client languages
BBj, Java, ODBC clients
C, C++, Java, C#
Best for
OLTP
OLTP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

BASIS vs jBASE: FAQ

What is the difference between BASIS and jBASE?

BASIS: Keyed-file ISAM database plus SQL engine bundled with BASIS International's BBj Business BASIC platform. jBASE: MultiValue database that compiles Pick BASIC to native code, now part of Rocket's MV portfolio. BASIS is primarily a relational database; jBASE is multivalue (Pick). jBASE is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than BASIS (≤ 100 GB). Transactions: BASIS offers full ACID; jBASE offers limited.

When should I choose BASIS over jBASE?

Choose BASIS for back end for BBj/Business BASIC ERP and vertical business applications; exposing legacy keyed-file data to BI tools via ODBC/JDBC; and modernising older BBx applications without a data migration. Choose jBASE for core banking and finance packages built on jBASE; legacy Pick application hosting on modern servers; and consolidating D3 systems onto a supported platform.

Is BASIS or jBASE more popular?

jBASE ranks #554 on the WhichDB Score (1.4/100) and BASIS ranks #693 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are BASIS and jBASE open source?

No. BASIS is proprietary, closed-source software. No. jBASE is proprietary, closed-source software.