Best Document Databases in 2026
Updated
A document database can suit applications that organize data as records with flexible structures, but format support and operating model matter. Compared on deployment model, document formats, managed cloud, maximum document size, and transaction support, the entries also include vector search, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing. MarkLogic, RavenDB, and Firestore are among the options to weigh against the documents and workflows your stack handles. Consider whether you need a managed service or another deployment model, and how document limits, transactions, or search capabilities fit your use case.
Document Databases, one module each.A lit port is something its maker publishes; 19 of 19 with a known API signal have a public API.
- 01 Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.4Free
- 02 MarkLogic API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.4Free
- 03 RavenDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.4Free
- 04 DocumentDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 05 eXist-db API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 06 Firestore API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 07 JayDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 08 Oracle Autonomous AI Lakehouse API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 09 restdb.io API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3$19/mo
- 10 UnQLite API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3$1,250/mo
- 11 Apache AsterixDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 12 Apache CouchDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 13 BaseX API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 14 JasDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 15 LiteDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 16 RethinkDB API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 17 Amazon DocumentDB API yesFREE noDOCS 6.8
- 18 Couchbase Lite API yesDOCS 6.7
- 19 MongoDB Ops Manager API yesDOCS 6.7
- 20 Azure DocumentDB FREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 21 SurrealDB FREE yesDOCS 5.9$0.19/mo
- 22 Percona Server for MongoDB FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 23 PouchDB FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 24 Couchbase Capella FREE yesDOCS 5.7$0.15/mo
- 25 TinyDB DOCS 5.5
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Managed cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | cloud | Yes | |
| 2 | MarkLogic | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | both | Yes | |
| 3 | RavenDB | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | both | Yes | |
| 4 | DocumentDB | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | both | |||
| 5 | eXist-db | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | self_hosted | ||
| 6 | Firestore | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | cloud | Yes | |
| 7 | JayDB | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 0.05 /mo | both | Yes |
| 8 | Oracle Autonomous AI Lakehouse | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | cloud | Yes | |
| 9 | restdb.io | 7.3 | Free plan | $19/mo | Yes | 19 /mo | cloud | Yes |
| 10 | UnQLite | 7.3 | Free plan | $1,250/mo | Yes | self_hosted | ||
| 11 | Apache AsterixDB | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | self_hosted | |||
| 12 | Apache CouchDB | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | self_hosted | ||
| 13 | BaseX | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | self_hosted | ||
| 14 | JasDB | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | self_hosted | |||
| 15 | LiteDB | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | self_hosted | ||
| 16 | RethinkDB | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | both | ||
| 17 | Amazon DocumentDB | 6.8 | No | No | cloud | Yes | ||
| 18 | Couchbase Lite | 6.7 | Yes | cloud | Yes | |||
| 19 | MongoDB Ops Manager | 6.7 | Yes | 8 /mo | cloud | Yes | ||
| 20 | Azure DocumentDB | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | both | Yes | |
| 21 | SurrealDB | 5.9 | Free plan | $0.19/mo | Yes | both | Yes | |
| 22 | Percona Server for MongoDB | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | both | ||
| 23 | PouchDB | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | self_hosted | ||
| 24 | Couchbase Capella | 5.7 | Free plan | $0.15/mo | Yes | cloud | Yes | |
| 25 | TinyDB | 5.5 | self_hosted | No |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.