whichdb
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GUN vs PouchDB

GUN: Decentralised, offline-first graph database that syncs peer-to-peer in JavaScript. PouchDB: JavaScript database for browsers and Node that speaks the CouchDB replication protocol.

key differences

  • GUN is primarily a graph database; PouchDB is document.
  • Horizontal scaling is manual in GUN and none in PouchDB.
  • Transactions: GUN offers none ACID; PouchDB offers limited.
  • Only GUN has pub/sub, encryption at rest.
  • Only PouchDB has secondary indexes, json, change data capture, in-memory.

choose gun for

  • +Decentralised chat and social experiments
  • +Hackathon and prototype realtime apps
  • +Offline-capable apps without a central server

best at · Local-first, Pub/Sub

choose pouchdb for

  • +Offline-capable web apps with a CouchDB backend
  • +Field data collection that syncs when back online
  • +Electron desktop apps needing replication

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

GUNDecentralised, offline-first graph database that syncs peer-to-peer in JavaScript.
PouchDBJavaScript database for browsers and Node that speaks the CouchDB replication protocol.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Document
Also supports
Key-Value
–
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Mark Nadal and contributors
Apache Software Foundation (PouchDB community)
First release
2014
2012
Latest version
0.2020.1241 (Jul 1, 2025)
9.0.0 (Jun 21, 2024)
License
Open source (permissive)Zlib, MIT or Apache-2.0 (choice)
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
26.6
23.2
Rank
#111
#130
GitHub stars
19.2K
17.6K
Stack Overflow questions
146
1.5K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
Manual
None
Multi-region
Active active
None
ACID
None
Limited
Consistency
Eventual
Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Distributed, Multi primary, 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
GUN chain API
Mango (CouchDB find), MapReduce views
Client languages
JavaScript
JavaScript
Best for
Local-first, Pub/Sub
Local-first, Mobile/offline, Embedded
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

GUN vs PouchDB: FAQ

What is the difference between GUN and PouchDB?

GUN: Decentralised, offline-first graph database that syncs peer-to-peer in JavaScript. PouchDB: JavaScript database for browsers and Node that speaks the CouchDB replication protocol. GUN is primarily a graph database; PouchDB is document. Horizontal scaling is manual in GUN and none in PouchDB. Transactions: GUN offers none ACID; PouchDB offers limited.

When should I choose GUN over PouchDB?

Choose GUN for decentralised chat and social experiments; hackathon and prototype realtime apps; and offline-capable apps without a central server. Choose PouchDB for offline-capable web apps with a CouchDB backend, field data collection that syncs when back online and electron desktop apps needing replication.

Is GUN or PouchDB more popular?

GUN ranks #111 on the WhichDB Score (26.6/100) and PouchDB ranks #130 (23.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are GUN and PouchDB open source?

Yes. GUN is open source. License: Zlib, MIT or Apache-2.0 (choice). Yes. PouchDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.