whichdb
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LiveStore vs Zero (Rocicorp)

LiveStore: Event-sourced local-first data layer: reactive SQLite on the client, rebuilt from a synced event log. Zero (Rocicorp): Query-driven sync engine: clients run ZQL locally against a Postgres-backed cache for instant UIs.

key differences

  • Zero (Rocicorp) is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than LiveStore (≤ 100 GB).
  • Horizontal scaling is none in LiveStore and manual in Zero (Rocicorp).
  • Only LiveStore has secondary indexes, json, offline sync, runs in webassembly.
  • LiveStore can run embedded in your application process.

choose livestore for

  • +Local-first productivity and note-taking apps
  • +Apps that benefit from an auditable event history
  • +Offline-capable Expo apps

best at · Local-first, Event sourcing, Mobile/offline

choose rocicorp-zero for

  • +Highly interactive SaaS web apps (issue trackers, editors, dashboards)
  • +Adding instant UI updates over an existing Postgres schema
  • +Replacing Replicache in existing apps

best at · Local-first, OLTP

LiveStoreEvent-sourced local-first data layer: reactive SQLite on the client, rebuilt from a synced event log.
Zero (Rocicorp)Query-driven sync engine: clients run ZQL locally against a Postgres-backed cache for instant UIs.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
Event Store
–
Type
Embedded library
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Johannes Schickling and LiveStore contributors
Rocicorp
First release
2025
2024
Latest version
0.5.0 (Oct 15, 2026)
1.11.3 (Oct 23, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
15.5
20.8
Rank
#212
#149
GitHub stars
3.7K
3.4K
Stack Overflow questions
–
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
Manual
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Causal, Eventual
Causal
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Embedded
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
SQL (SQLite), LiveStore query builder
ZQL
Client languages
TypeScript
TypeScript
Best for
Local-first, Event sourcing, Mobile/offline
Local-first, OLTP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

LiveStore vs Zero (Rocicorp): FAQ

What is the difference between LiveStore and Zero (Rocicorp)?

LiveStore: Event-sourced local-first data layer: reactive SQLite on the client, rebuilt from a synced event log. Zero (Rocicorp): Query-driven sync engine: clients run ZQL locally against a Postgres-backed cache for instant UIs. Zero (Rocicorp) is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than LiveStore (≤ 100 GB). Horizontal scaling is none in LiveStore and manual in Zero (Rocicorp). Only LiveStore has secondary indexes, json, offline sync, runs in webassembly.

When should I choose LiveStore over Zero (Rocicorp)?

Choose LiveStore for local-first productivity and note-taking apps; apps that benefit from an auditable event history; and offline-capable Expo apps. Choose Zero (Rocicorp) for highly interactive SaaS web apps (issue trackers, editors, dashboards); adding instant UI updates over an existing Postgres schema; and replacing Replicache in existing apps.

Is LiveStore or Zero (Rocicorp) more popular?

Zero (Rocicorp) ranks #149 on the WhichDB Score (20.8/100) and LiveStore ranks #212 (15.5/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are LiveStore and Zero (Rocicorp) open source?

Yes. LiveStore is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Zero (Rocicorp) is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.