vs

iBoxDB vs ObjectBox

iBoxDB: Embedded transactional table-style document database for Java and .NET, including Android and Unity. ObjectBox: Fast on-device object database with built-in HNSW vector search and an optional commercial sync server.

key differences

  • iBoxDB is primarily a document database; ObjectBox is object.
  • Only iBoxDB has json.
  • Only ObjectBox has vector search, in-memory, offline sync.

choose iboxdb for

  • +Local storage for Unity or Godot games
  • +Offline-capable Android and Xamarin apps
  • +Embedded storage inside Java or .NET services

best at · Embedded, Mobile/offline, OLTP

choose objectbox for

  • +Offline-first Android and Flutter apps
  • +On-device AI features needing local vector search
  • +IoT gateways and embedded Linux devices
  • +Replacing Realm after the Device Sync shutdown

best at · Embedded, Mobile/offline, IoT

overview
Primary model
Document
Object
Also supports
Key-Value
Vector
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
iBoxDB
ObjectBox Ltd.
First release
2014
2017
Latest version
4.1.1 (.NET) (Aug 17, 2026)
Java 5.4.2 (May 6, 2026)
License
ProprietaryProprietary (free download; license terms not published)
ProprietaryFree closed-source core; Apache-2.0 language bindings
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
0.0
12.4
Rank
#754
#269
GitHub stars
–
4.6K
Stack Overflow questions
–
416
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
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
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
SQL-like select syntax, LINQ (.NET)
ObjectBox Query Builder API
Client languages
Java, C#
Java, Kotlin, Dart, Swift, C, C++, Go, Python
Best for
Embedded, Mobile/offline, OLTP
Embedded, Mobile/offline, IoT, Vector search

iBoxDB vs ObjectBox: FAQ

What is the difference between iBoxDB and ObjectBox?

iBoxDB: Embedded transactional table-style document database for Java and .NET, including Android and Unity. ObjectBox: Fast on-device object database with built-in HNSW vector search and an optional commercial sync server. iBoxDB is primarily a document database; ObjectBox is object. Only iBoxDB has json. Only ObjectBox has vector search, in-memory, offline sync.

When should I choose iBoxDB over ObjectBox?

Choose iBoxDB for local storage for Unity or Godot games; offline-capable Android and Xamarin apps; and embedded storage inside Java or .NET services. Choose ObjectBox for offline-first Android and Flutter apps; on-device AI features needing local vector search; and IoT gateways and embedded Linux devices.

Is iBoxDB or ObjectBox more popular?

ObjectBox ranks #269 on the WhichDB Score (12.4/100) and iBoxDB ranks #754 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are iBoxDB and ObjectBox open source?

No. iBoxDB is proprietary, closed-source software. No. ObjectBox is proprietary, closed-source software. License: Free closed-source core; Apache-2.0 language bindings.