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jBASE vs Reality

jBASE: MultiValue database that compiles Pick BASIC to native code, now part of Rocket's MV portfolio. Reality: The original commercial Pick MultiValue database (1973), still sold and updated by NEC Software Solutions.

key differences

  • Transactions: jBASE offers limited ACID; Reality offers full.
  • Only jBASE has triggers, encryption at rest.

choose jbase for

  • +Core banking and finance packages built on jBASE
  • +Legacy Pick application hosting on modern servers
  • +Consolidating D3 systems onto a supported platform

best at · OLTP

choose reality for

  • +Running established Pick-based public-sector and housing applications
  • +Line-of-business systems already written in DataBasic
  • +Migrating Pick applications between hardware platforms

best at · OLTP

jBASEMultiValue database that compiles Pick BASIC to native code, now part of Rocket's MV portfolio.
RealityThe original commercial Pick MultiValue database (1973), still sold and updated by NEC Software Solutions.
overview
Primary model
Multivalue (Pick)
Multivalue (Pick)
Also supports
–
Relational
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Rocket Software (formerly Zumasys)
NEC Software Solutions UK (formerly Northgate Public Services)
First release
1991
1973
Latest version
6.2.2 (Dec 2025)
V15.5 (Sep 2024)
License
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
ProprietaryProprietary
Free tier
—
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
1.4
0.0
Rank
#554
#799
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
29
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
Read replicas
None
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Flexible
Architecture
Client server, Single node
Single node, 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
Pick BASIC (jBC), jQL
DataBasic, ENGLISH, SQL
Client languages
C, C++, Java, C#
–
Best for
OLTP
OLTP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

jBASE vs Reality: FAQ

What is the difference between jBASE and Reality?

jBASE: MultiValue database that compiles Pick BASIC to native code, now part of Rocket's MV portfolio. Reality: The original commercial Pick MultiValue database (1973), still sold and updated by NEC Software Solutions. Transactions: jBASE offers limited ACID; Reality offers full. Only jBASE has triggers, encryption at rest.

When should I choose jBASE over Reality?

Choose jBASE for core banking and finance packages built on jBASE; legacy Pick application hosting on modern servers; and consolidating D3 systems onto a supported platform. Choose Reality for running established Pick-based public-sector and housing applications; line-of-business systems already written in DataBasic; and migrating Pick applications between hardware platforms.

Is jBASE or Reality more popular?

jBASE ranks #554 on the WhichDB Score (1.4/100) and Reality ranks #799 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are jBASE and Reality open source?

No. jBASE is proprietary, closed-source software. No. Reality is proprietary, closed-source software.