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Dexie.js vs IndexedDB

Dexie.js: The most popular IndexedDB wrapper, with live queries and an optional Dexie Cloud sync service. IndexedDB: The browser's built-in transactional object store, and the storage layer under most web local-first libraries.

key differences

  • Dexie.js is primarily a document database; IndexedDB is key-value.
  • Only Dexie.js has json, role-based access, offline sync.

choose dexie for

  • +Offline-capable progressive web apps
  • +Client-side caches of API data
  • +Collaborative web apps via Dexie Cloud

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

choose indexeddb for

  • +Offline caches for progressive web apps
  • +Storage backend for local-first JavaScript libraries
  • +Persisting large client-side datasets and files

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

Dexie.jsThe most popular IndexedDB wrapper, with live queries and an optional Dexie Cloud sync service.
IndexedDBThe browser's built-in transactional object store, and the storage layer under most web local-first libraries.
overview
Primary model
Document
Key-Value
Also supports
Key-Value
Document
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
David Fahlander / Awarica AB
W3C Web Applications Working Group (implemented by browser vendors)
First release
2014
2011
Latest version
4.4.7 (Oct 19, 2026)
–
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)W3C Royalty-Free standard (browser implementations vary)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
25.8
31.3
Rank
#117
#78
GitHub stars
14.7K
264
Stack Overflow questions
374
2.4K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong, Eventual
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Embedded
Embedded
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
Dexie query API
IndexedDB API (key ranges and cursors)
Client languages
JavaScript, TypeScript
JavaScript
Best for
Local-first, Mobile/offline, Embedded
Embedded, Local-first, Mobile/offline, Cache
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Dexie.js vs IndexedDB: FAQ

What is the difference between Dexie.js and IndexedDB?

Dexie.js: The most popular IndexedDB wrapper, with live queries and an optional Dexie Cloud sync service. IndexedDB: The browser's built-in transactional object store, and the storage layer under most web local-first libraries. Dexie.js is primarily a document database; IndexedDB is key-value. Only Dexie.js has json, role-based access, offline sync.

When should I choose Dexie.js over IndexedDB?

Choose Dexie.js for offline-capable progressive web apps, client-side caches of API data and collaborative web apps via Dexie Cloud. Choose IndexedDB for offline caches for progressive web apps; storage backend for local-first JavaScript libraries; and persisting large client-side datasets and files.

Is Dexie.js or IndexedDB more popular?

IndexedDB ranks #78 on the WhichDB Score (31.3/100) and Dexie.js ranks #117 (25.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Dexie.js and IndexedDB open source?

Yes. Dexie.js is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. IndexedDB is open source. License: W3C Royalty-Free standard (browser implementations vary).