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ElevateDB vs NexusDB

ElevateDB: Royalty-free embedded and client/server SQL engine for Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus, .NET, ODBC and PHP apps. NexusDB: Commercial embedded and client/server SQL database for Delphi and C++Builder, successor to FlashFiler.

key differences

  • Only ElevateDB has triggers, compression, role-based access.
  • Only NexusDB has in-memory, 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 nexusdb for

  • +Desktop and line-of-business apps built with Delphi or C++Builder
  • +Migrating BDE/Paradox or FlashFiler applications
  • +Small client/server deployments in Windows shops

best at · OLTP, Embedded

ElevateDBRoyalty-free embedded and client/server SQL engine for Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus, .NET, ODBC and PHP apps.
NexusDBCommercial embedded and client/server SQL database for Delphi and C++Builder, successor to FlashFiler.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Elevate Software, Inc.
NexusDB Pty Ltd
First release
2007
2003
Latest version
2.40 Build 3 (Oct 27, 2025)
4.75.20 (Apr 14, 2026)
License
ProprietaryProprietary (per-developer, royalty-free distribution)
ProprietaryCommercial; free embedded edition
Free tier
—
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
0.0
3.6
Rank
#725
#431
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
–
–
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
Embedded, Client server
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++Builder, C#, PHP
Best for
OLTP, Embedded
OLTP, Embedded
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

ElevateDB vs NexusDB: FAQ

What is the difference between ElevateDB and NexusDB?

ElevateDB: Royalty-free embedded and client/server SQL engine for Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus, .NET, ODBC and PHP apps. NexusDB: Commercial embedded and client/server SQL database for Delphi and C++Builder, successor to FlashFiler. Only ElevateDB has triggers, compression, role-based access. Only NexusDB has in-memory, encryption at rest.

When should I choose ElevateDB over NexusDB?

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 NexusDB for desktop and line-of-business apps built with Delphi or C++Builder; migrating BDE/Paradox or FlashFiler applications; and small client/server deployments in Windows shops.

Is ElevateDB or NexusDB more popular?

NexusDB ranks #431 on the WhichDB Score (3.6/100) and ElevateDB ranks #725 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are ElevateDB and NexusDB open source?

No. ElevateDB is proprietary, closed-source software. No. NexusDB is proprietary, closed-source software. License: Commercial; free embedded edition.