Following is a handpicked list of Top Free database, with popular features and download links. This comparison list contains open-source tools that may have freemium features.
1) MySQL
MySQL is an open-source relational database which runs on a number of different platforms such as Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, etc.
Platform: Linux, Windows, and Mac.
Languages: C, Java, SQL, C++, Perl, Python, Tcl, and PHP.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- The tool provides Scalability and Flexibility
- The tool has web and data warehouse strengths
- It provides high Performance
- It has Robust Transactional Support
Verdict: MySQL can be used for packaged software, and business-critical systems and high-volume websites.
Link: https://www.mysql.com/
2) Scylla
Scylla is a column-oriented NoSQL database for high scalability and high performance use cases. It is compatible with both Apache Cassandra CQL and Amazon DynamoDB’s JSON API.
Platform: Linux (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Centos, Debian), Docker, AWS AMI
Languages: C++, C#, Go, Java, Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby, Rust
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- Integrates seamlessly with Cassandra and DynamoDB ecosystems
- Scales horizontally and vertically to take full advantage of modern multicore NUMA architectures
- Provides low millisecond latency and high throughput
- Automatic sharding and load balancing to allow seamless scale-up and scale-out
- Security features to protect valuable data
- Incremental Compaction and Workload Prioritization allow for highly efficient hardware utilization and lower total-cost-of-ownership (TCO)
- Open source, enterprise and database-as-a-service options
Verdict: When scaling to terabytes and petabytes of data, Scylla provides the best performance and price.
3) PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL is an enterprise-class open source database management system. It supports both SQL for relational and JSON for non-relational queries. It is backed by an experienced community of developers who have made a tremendous contribution to make it highly reliable Database management software.
Platform: Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Languages: PL/Tcl, PL/pgSQL, PL/Python, and PL/Perl.
Cloud Version: No.
Features:
- Compatible with various platforms using all major languages and middleware
- Standby server and high availability
- The tool has mature server-side programming Functionality
- Log-based and trigger-based replication SSL.
- It offers a most sophisticated locking mechanism.
- Support for multi-version concurrency control
- It provides support for client-server network architecture
- The tool is Object-oriented and ANSI-SQL2008 compatible
- PostgreSQL allows linking with other data stores like NoSQL, which act as a federated hub for polyglot databases.
Verdict: PostgreSQL enables you to create custom data types and range of query methods. You can run a store procedure in different programming languages.
Link: https://www.postgresql.org/
4) MongoDB
MongoDB is a document-oriented NoSQL database used for high volume data storage. It is a database which came into light around the mid-2000s. It falls under the category of a NoSQL database.
Platform: Cross-platform
Languages: C#, C, Java, C++, Perl, Scala, Ruby, etc.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- Fully Automated scale provision, and manage complex, highly available, multi-node clusters with easily with API calls.
- This tool allows you to create globally distributed clusters.
- Easy to restore data when needed.
- It offers visualization, monitor, and alert on more than 80 metrics which track your cluster's health or integrate with third-party monitoring solutions.
- The tool has a powerful query language
- It uses rich JSON documents to store tables in a relational database.
- It provides MongoDB Atlas, which is a global cloud database.
Verdict: MongoDB allows you to validate the document. It is not suitable for those applications having complex transactions.
Link: https://www.mongodb.com/
5) OrientDB
OrientDB is an open-source NoSQL multi-model database which helps organizations to unlock the power of graph databases without deploying multiple systems to handle other data types. This helps you to increase performance and security while supporting scalability.
Platform: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Solaris, and HP-UX
Languages: Java, PHP, Nodejs, .NET, Python, C, JavaScript, Ruby, Scala, Elixir, Android, Perl.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- Unified Multi-Model API – for quicker deployment
- TinkerPop 3 for the state of fast and effective upgrades.
- The tool focused on Scalability and performance.
- Offers enhanced query planner.
Verdict: OrientDB has the ability to do multi-master replication, shared data using clusters, and automate distributed queries and transactions.
Link: https://orientdb.com/
6) MariaDB
MariaDB is a fork of the MySQL database management system. It is created by its original developers. This DBMS tool provides data processing capabilities for both small and enterprise tasks.
Platform: Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Languages: C#, Java, C++, Python, etc.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- It operates under GPL, BSD or LGPL licenses.
- It comes with many storage engines, including the high-performance ones that can be integrated with other relational database management systems.
- It provides the Galera cluster technology.
- MariaDB can run on different operating systems, and it supports numerous programming languages.
Verdict: MariaDB is an alternate software to MySQL. It provides high scalability through easy integration.
Link: https://mariadb.org/
7) SQLite
SQLite is an open-source, embedded, relational database management system, designed circa 2000. It is a database, with zero configuration, no requirements of a server or installation. Despite its simplicity, it is laden with popular features of database management systems.
Platform: Blackberry, Symbian, Maemo, Android, MeeGo, WebOS, NetBSD, FreeBSD, illumos, Solaris 10, Windows, and Tizen.
Languages: C, C#, C++, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, etc.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- SQLite is very lightweight compared to other database management systems like SQL Server, or Oracle.
- It has an in-memory library that you can call and use directly without installation or configuration.
- You do not require any dedicated server to store database. The database is stored in the hard disk of a computer.
Verdict: SQLite is a C programming language library which
offers self-contained, reliable and full-featured SQL database engine.
Link: https://www.sqlite.org/index.html
8) Cassandra
Cassandra is a free tool which is designed to manage a large amount of data across a wide range of servers. The tool offers support for replicating across multiple datacenters.
Platform: Cross-platform
Languages: SQL, Go, C++, Python, and Node JS
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- Data is copied to numerous nodes to provide a fault-tolerance system.
- There are no network bottlenecks as every node in the cluster is sperate.
- The tool supports for contracts and services from third parties.
- It allows you to choose between synchronous or asynchronous replication for the update.
Verdict: Cassandra is for those people who want scalability and high availability without decreasing performance.
Link: http://cassandra.apache.org/
9) Microsoft SQL
SQL Server is RDBMS developed by Microsoft. SQL Server supports ANSI SQL, which is the standard SQL (Structured Query Language) language. However, SQL Server comes with its implementation of the SQL language, T-SQL (Transact-SQL).
Platform: Docker Engine, Ubuntu, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Languages: C, C++, Java, and C#
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- It provides integration of structured and unstructured data with the power of SQL Server and Spark.
- The tool offers scalability, performance, and availability for mission-critical, intelligent applications, data warehouses, and data lakes.
- It offers advanced security features to protect your data.
- Access to rich, interactive Power BI reports, to make a faster and better decision.
Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/sql-server/sql-server-2019
10) CouchDB
CouchDB is open-source software that is based on the common standards to access your important data. It stores data on your server or with a leading service provider of your choice.
Platform: Cross-Platform
Languages: Java, Python, C++, Perl, C, JavaScript, PHP, etc..
Cloud Version: No
Features:
- It enables you to run a logical database server on any virtual machines.
- CouchDB tool works with external tools like load balancers, HTTP, and proxy servers.
- The too provides support of authentication and session.
- CouchDB cluster enables you to save data redundantly.
Verdict: CouchDB offers a scalable solution. It also provides flexibility for storing data.
Link: http://couchdb.apache.org/
11) Oracle
Oracle is self-repairing, self-securing, and self-driving designed to eliminate manual data management. It is an intelligent, secure, and highly available database in the cloud that helps you to grow your business.
Platform: Windows and Linux
Languages: C++, COBOL, C, Java, Visual Basic, and Pl/SQL.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- Oracle Cloud is optimized for high-performance database workloads, streaming workloads, and Hyperscale big data.
- You can easily migrate to the Cloud.
- It provides the services based on how you like to operate, in order to run Oracle cloud in your data center.
Verdict: Oracle database stores and retrieve information. Database server solves the problem related to information management.
Link: https://www.oracle.com/in/database/
12) DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB is a nonrelational database. This database system provides consistent latency and offers built-in security and in-memory caching. DynamoDB is a serverless database which scales automatically and backs up your data for protection.
Platform: Cross-platform
Languages: Go, Node.js, Java, .NET, C#, Ruby, Python, PHP, and Perl.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- Key-value and document data model support.
- DynamoDB offers secondary indexes which provide the flexibility to query on any attribute.
- Amazon DynamoDB Accelerator delivers fast read performance for your DynamoDB.
- DynamoDB integrates with AWS Lambda to provide triggers.
Verdict: DynamoDB is a document database and can be used for various purpose.
Link: https://aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/
13) Neo4j
Neo4j is an open-source NoSQL graph database, implemented in Java. It saves your data in graphs rather than in tables.
Platform: Cross-Platform
Languages: Java, Cypher Query Language, JavaScript, Java, etc.
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- It supports graph analytics and transactional applications.
- Continuous-time traversals for a relationship in the graph both in breadth and depth because of double linking on the storage level between node and relationship.
- Relationship in Neo4j is fast and allows you to materialize and use new relationships later to "shortcut" and speed up the domain data when the new requirement arises
- Memory caching for graphs that provide compact storage, resulting in efficient scale-up.
Verdict: Neo4j allows any organization to unlock its business value of connections, relationships in data, and influences through a new application.
Link: https://neo4j.com/
14) Firebirdsql
Firebird is an open-source SQL RDBMS that runs on, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and several Unix platforms.
Platform: Linux, Windows, HP-UX, macOS, Solaris, and AIX.
Languages: C/C++ and COBOL
Cloud Version: Yes
Features:
- Firebird allows you to build a custom version.
- It is a free to download, registration as well as deployment.
- The tool has enhanced multi-platform RDBMS.
- Provides a range of funding options from firebird memberships to sponsorship commitments.
Verdict: Firebird has development-friendly language support, stored procedures, and triggers.
Link: https://firebirdsql.org/
Summary
| Name | Link | Platform | DB Capacity Limit |
| MySQL | https://www.mysql.com/ | Windows, Linux, Mac. | No limitation |
| PostgreSQL | https://www.postgresql.org/ | Windows, Linux, and Mac | No limitation |
| mongodb | https://www.mongodb.com/ | Windows, Linux, Mac. | No limitation |
| OrientDB | https://orientdb.com/ | Windows, Linux, Mac. | No limitation |
| Mariadb | https://mariadb.org/ | Windows, Linux, Mac. | No limitation |
| SQLite | https://www.sqlite.org/index.html | Windows, Linux, Mac. | No limitation |
| Cassandra | http://cassandra.apache.org/ | Windows, Linux. | No limitation |
| Microsoft SQL | https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/sql-server/sql-server-2019 | Windows, Linux. | 1 GB RAM & 10 GB database. 1 CPU. |
| couchdb | http://couchdb.apache.org/ | Windows, Linux. | maximum size is 4 GB |
| oracle | https://www.oracle.com/in/database/ | Windows, Linux | 1 GB RAM 11 GB database. 1CPU. |
| DynamoDB | https://aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/ | Windows, Linux. | 25 GB, 25 write capacity units and 25 read capacity units for AWS Free Tier |
| Neo4j | https://neo4j.com/ | Windows, Linux, Mac. | free Startup License |
| firebirdsql | https://firebirdsql.org/ | Windows, Linux, and Mac. | Multi-CPU, 20 TB database. |
