whichdb
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GUN vs TinyBase

GUN: Decentralised, offline-first graph database that syncs peer-to-peer in JavaScript. TinyBase: Tiny reactive in-memory store for tables and values, with persisters and CRDT sync.

key differences

  • GUN is primarily a graph database; TinyBase is key-value.
  • Horizontal scaling is manual in GUN and none in TinyBase.
  • Transactions: GUN offers none ACID; TinyBase offers limited.
  • Only GUN has pub/sub, encryption at rest.
  • Only TinyBase has transactions, joins, secondary indexes, 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 tinybase for

  • +Reactive client state with persistence
  • +Local-first apps syncing via WebSockets or Durable Objects
  • +Offline-capable dashboards and small tools

best at · Local-first, Embedded, Cache

GUNDecentralised, offline-first graph database that syncs peer-to-peer in JavaScript.
TinyBaseTiny reactive in-memory store for tables and values, with persisters and CRDT sync.
overview
Primary model
Graph
Key-Value
Also supports
Key-Value
Relational
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Mark Nadal and contributors
James Pearce (tinyplex)
First release
2014
2022
Latest version
0.2020.1241 (Jul 1, 2025)
10.0.1 (Sep 24, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Zlib, MIT or Apache-2.0 (choice)
Open source (permissive)MIT License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
26.6
18.4
Rank
#111
#179
GitHub stars
19.2K
5.2K
Stack Overflow questions
146
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
Manual
None
Multi-region
Active active
Active active
ACID
None
Limited
Consistency
Eventual
Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Flexible
Architecture
Distributed, Multi primary, Embedded
In memory, 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
TinyQL
Client languages
JavaScript
TypeScript, JavaScript
Best for
Local-first, Pub/Sub
Local-first, Embedded, Cache
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

GUN vs TinyBase: FAQ

What is the difference between GUN and TinyBase?

GUN: Decentralised, offline-first graph database that syncs peer-to-peer in JavaScript. TinyBase: Tiny reactive in-memory store for tables and values, with persisters and CRDT sync. GUN is primarily a graph database; TinyBase is key-value. Horizontal scaling is manual in GUN and none in TinyBase. Transactions: GUN offers none ACID; TinyBase offers limited.

When should I choose GUN over TinyBase?

Choose GUN for decentralised chat and social experiments; hackathon and prototype realtime apps; and offline-capable apps without a central server. Choose TinyBase for reactive client state with persistence; local-first apps syncing via WebSockets or Durable Objects; and offline-capable dashboards and small tools.

Is GUN or TinyBase more popular?

GUN ranks #111 on the WhichDB Score (26.6/100) and TinyBase ranks #179 (18.4/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are GUN and TinyBase open source?

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