whichdb
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ElevateDB vs InterBase

ElevateDB: Royalty-free embedded and client/server SQL engine for Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus, .NET, ODBC and PHP apps. InterBase: Embarcadero's small-footprint SQL database for servers and embedded apps, with built-in AES encryption.

key differences

  • Only ElevateDB has full-text search, compression.
  • Only InterBase has change data capture, encryption at rest.

choose elevatedb for

  • +Packaged Delphi or C++Builder business applications (POS, practice management, pharmacy)
  • +Replacing BDE/Paradox or DBISAM back ends
  • +Desktop apps that need to grow from single-user to client/server without code changes

best at · OLTP, Embedded

choose interbase for

  • +Embedded database for Delphi/C++Builder desktop and mobile apps
  • +Encrypted local storage on devices that sync with a central server
  • +Long-lived line-of-business systems already built on InterBase

best at · OLTP, Embedded, Mobile/offline

ElevateDBRoyalty-free embedded and client/server SQL engine for Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus, .NET, ODBC and PHP apps.
InterBaseEmbarcadero's small-footprint SQL database for servers and embedded apps, with built-in AES encryption.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Elevate Software, Inc.
Embarcadero Technologies (Idera)
First release
2007
1984
Latest version
2.40 Build 3 (Oct 27, 2025)
15.1 (May 20, 2026)
License
ProprietaryProprietary (per-developer, royalty-free distribution)
ProprietaryProprietary (Embarcadero commercial license)
Free tier
—
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
0.0
18.3
Rank
#725
#180
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
–
367
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded, Client server
Client server, Embedded, 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 (SQL:2003 subset), SQL/PSM
SQL
Client languages
Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus/Free Pascal, C#, PHP, ODBC
Delphi, C++, C#, Java, Python, PHP
Best for
OLTP, Embedded
OLTP, Embedded, Mobile/offline
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

ElevateDB vs InterBase: FAQ

What is the difference between ElevateDB and InterBase?

ElevateDB: Royalty-free embedded and client/server SQL engine for Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus, .NET, ODBC and PHP apps. InterBase: Embarcadero's small-footprint SQL database for servers and embedded apps, with built-in AES encryption. Only ElevateDB has full-text search, compression. Only InterBase has change data capture, encryption at rest.

When should I choose ElevateDB over InterBase?

Choose ElevateDB for packaged Delphi or C++Builder business applications (POS, practice management, pharmacy); replacing BDE/Paradox or DBISAM back ends; and desktop apps that need to grow from single-user to client/server without code changes. Choose InterBase for embedded database for Delphi/C++Builder desktop and mobile apps; encrypted local storage on devices that sync with a central server; and long-lived line-of-business systems already built on InterBase.

Is ElevateDB or InterBase more popular?

InterBase ranks #180 on the WhichDB Score (18.3/100) and ElevateDB ranks #725 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are ElevateDB and InterBase open source?

No. ElevateDB is proprietary, closed-source software. No. InterBase is proprietary, closed-source software.