whichdb
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NutsDB vs Pebble

NutsDB: Pure-Go embedded key-value store with Bitcask storage and Redis-like lists, sets and sorted sets. Pebble: Cockroach Labs' Go LSM engine, inspired by RocksDB and tuned for CockroachDB.

key differences

  • Pebble is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than NutsDB (≤ 100 GB).
  • Transactions: NutsDB offers full ACID; Pebble offers limited.
  • Only NutsDB has transactions, ttl / expiry, in-memory.
  • Only Pebble has compression, encryption at rest.

choose nutsdb for

  • +Embedded queues and leaderboards in Go services
  • +Local caches with TTL
  • +Replacing a sidecar Redis for single-process apps

best at · Embedded, Cache, Queue

choose pebble for

  • +Storage engine for Go databases
  • +Blockchain node state (Geth)
  • +Write-heavy embedded key-value stores in Go services

best at · Embedded, OLTP, Metadata

NutsDBPure-Go embedded key-value store with Bitcask storage and Redis-like lists, sets and sorted sets.
PebbleCockroach Labs' Go LSM engine, inspired by RocksDB and tuned for CockroachDB.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
–
–
Type
Embedded library
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
NutsDB contributors
Cockroach Labs
First release
2019
2020
Latest version
1.1.0 (Dec 17, 2025)
2.1.7 (Aug 24, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)BSD 3-Clause License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
3.6
5.6
Rank
#432
#379
GitHub stars
3.6K
6.1K
Stack Overflow questions
–
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
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
Go API
Go API
Client languages
Go
Go
Best for
Embedded, Cache, Queue
Embedded, OLTP, Metadata
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

NutsDB vs Pebble: FAQ

What is the difference between NutsDB and Pebble?

NutsDB: Pure-Go embedded key-value store with Bitcask storage and Redis-like lists, sets and sorted sets. Pebble: Cockroach Labs' Go LSM engine, inspired by RocksDB and tuned for CockroachDB. Pebble is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than NutsDB (≤ 100 GB). Transactions: NutsDB offers full ACID; Pebble offers limited. Only NutsDB has transactions, ttl / expiry, in-memory.

When should I choose NutsDB over Pebble?

Choose NutsDB for embedded queues and leaderboards in Go services; local caches with TTL; and replacing a sidecar Redis for single-process apps. Choose Pebble for storage engine for Go databases, blockchain node state (Geth) and write-heavy embedded key-value stores in Go services.

Is NutsDB or Pebble more popular?

Pebble ranks #379 on the WhichDB Score (5.6/100) and NutsDB ranks #432 (3.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are NutsDB and Pebble open source?

Yes. NutsDB is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Pebble is open source. License: BSD 3-Clause License.