whichdb
vs

Firebird vs InterBase

Firebird: Lightweight, MVCC relational database from the InterBase lineage, embeddable or client-server. InterBase: Embarcadero's small-footprint SQL database for servers and embedded apps, with built-in AES encryption.

key differences

  • Licensing: Firebird is open source (copyleft) (InterBase Public License / Initial Developer's Public License (MPL-style)); InterBase is proprietary (Proprietary (Embarcadero commercial license)).
  • Only Firebird has compression.
  • Only InterBase has change data capture.

choose firebird for

  • +Desktop and Delphi business applications
  • +Embedded databases in point-of-sale or ERP software
  • +Departmental client-server systems
  • +Migration target for InterBase deployments

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

FirebirdLightweight, MVCC relational database from the InterBase lineage, embeddable or client-server.
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
Firebird Project (Firebird Foundation)
Embarcadero Technologies (Idera)
First release
2000
1984
Latest version
5.0.4 (Apr 17, 2026)
15.1 (May 20, 2026)
License
Open source (copyleft)InterBase Public License / Initial Developer's Public License (MPL-style)
ProprietaryProprietary (Embarcadero commercial license)
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
32.8
18.3
Rank
#68
#180
GitHub stars
1.5K
–
Stack Overflow questions
3.8K
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
Client server, Embedded, Single node
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, PSQL
SQL
Client languages
Java, C#, .NET, Python, Delphi, PHP, JavaScript, Go
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

Firebird vs InterBase: FAQ

What is the difference between Firebird and InterBase?

Firebird: Lightweight, MVCC relational database from the InterBase lineage, embeddable or client-server. InterBase: Embarcadero's small-footprint SQL database for servers and embedded apps, with built-in AES encryption. Licensing: Firebird is open source (copyleft) (InterBase Public License / Initial Developer's Public License (MPL-style)); InterBase is proprietary (Proprietary (Embarcadero commercial license)). Only Firebird has compression. Only InterBase has change data capture.

When should I choose Firebird over InterBase?

Choose Firebird for desktop and Delphi business applications; embedded databases in point-of-sale or ERP software; and departmental client-server systems. 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 Firebird or InterBase more popular?

Firebird ranks #68 on the WhichDB Score (32.8/100) and InterBase ranks #180 (18.3/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Firebird and InterBase open source?

Yes. Firebird is open source. License: InterBase Public License / Initial Developer's Public License (MPL-style). No. InterBase is proprietary, closed-source software.