Once, not so long ago, every aspect of business was managed using hand-written hard copies—but the world has changed. With so many businesses online, vast amounts of data are generated every day. Thankfully, storage space is no longer limited to dusty filing rooms, but all that data still needs to be securely stored and managed in a database. ?️
That’s where MongoDB and the multitude of MongoDB alternatives come in.
MongoDB Atlas is a secure database management system that stores data in documents, rather than static columns and rows. This type of database is flexible, scalable, and quickly accessed from anywhere because the data platform is distributed across three different clouds—AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.
Sounds great, right? But if MongoDB doesn’t offer you the toolset you need or your budget doesn’t stretch to it, there are plenty of other options out there.
Let’s clarify what to look for in a MongoDB alternative, and then identify some possible contenders that might suit your business better. As a bonus, we’ll also share another tool that simplifies software development processes—because process improvement is always the way to go. ✨
10 Best MongoDB Alternatives for Software Teams in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in a MongoDB Alternative?
So you’ve decided you’d like to research some alternatives to MongoDB. Where should you start?
Your specific data warehouse and software project management needs will depend on your business, but these are some of the features and functionality to look out for:
- Great value for money—and if you can find high-quality, free database software, that’s even better
- Excellent data security to make sure all your business and customer information is safe ?
- Scalability so your system can easily cope with bigger and more complex datasets as your business grows
- A cloud-based data center to ensure high availability at all times ?️
- Storage in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) documents, so it’s easy to read and maintain while also being efficient for APIs and web applications
- Either a relational database like Oracle’s MySQL (structured query language), which has a tabular design, or a non-relational database (NoSQL database), which has a document-based design—although some MongoDB alternatives can handle both
- Software development project management tools that streamline your workflows
- AI tools to take care of repetitive processes and ease your workload
- Critical path software that manages tasks, timelines, and dependencies for you
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best MongoDB Alternatives to Use
Now that you have an idea of some of the features and functionality you may need in a database management system, it’s time to explore some MongoDB alternatives. Each of these options offers some great features as well as some limitations, and it’s worth paying attention to both sides of the coin when you make your choice. ⚖️
1. Redis
Redis is a popular, open-source, NoSQL database. Its in-memory data structure supports a range of data types, including hashes, sorted sets, strings, lists, and more, and the flexible data model can deal with just about any use case. #️⃣
This high-performance alternative to MongoDB gives you fast data access, allowing you to build real-time applications with high throughput and low latency. It also offers linear scalability so you can use as many resources as you like.
Redis best features
- Use C, C++, or Rust to build custom extensions that support extra functionality
- Efficiently query your data structures and data models
- Use a range of Redis tools to detect fraud as it happens
- Rest easy knowing that Redis’s automatic failover system keeps your data safe even if the primary server fails
Redis limitations
- Data consumption is high because Redis uses denormalization to improve read performance
- Data is stored in RAM so storage capacity can be limited by RAM availability
Redis pricing
- Free
Redis ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (120+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (60+ reviews)
2. MarkLogic
This MongoDB alternative connects and manages data and metadata, and helps you interpret its meaning, giving you insights you can use. It uses agile principles to speed up data integration and simplifies your architecture, so your developers are working from a single data service.
MarkLogic’s elastic, multi-model database also allows you to manage different kinds of data—for example, document, key-value, relational, time-series, or geospatial types—from multiple databases.
MarkLogic best features
- Use the MarkLogic no-code metadata engine to give context to your enterprise data ?
- Access and manage your data fast and scale as you need to
- Continuously refine your data models and classification strategies with analysis and review tools
- Keep your data safe with advanced, government-grade security features, including advanced encryption and role-based access control
MarkLogic limitations
- The user interface could do with an upgrade to make it more interactive
- Some users feel they’d like more flexibility in how the data is organized and viewed
MarkLogic pricing
- Contact for pricing
MarkLogic ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 5/5 (2 reviews)
3. Cassandra
Apache Cassandra is an open-source, NoSQL, distributed database that handles big data and offers excellent fault tolerance. Its low latency, high availability, and linear scalability make it one of the best alternatives to MongoDB.
The fault-tolerant system replicates data across multiple data centers, keeping it safe from outages and eliminating downtime. And because each node in the replication cluster operates individually, bottlenecks also become a thing of the past.?
Cassandra best features
- Quickly and easily deploy Cassandra across multiple servers
- Get fast access to your data with built-in caching
- Take advantage of the flexible schema design to customize the system as your apps evolve
- Choose between asynchronous and synchronous replication for your updates
Cassandra limitations
- Cassandra doesn’t offer all the usual SQL database features
- Because there’s so much data involved, transaction speed and memory management are sometimes affected
Cassandra pricing
- Free
Cassandra ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.1/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.2/5 (30+ reviews)
4. Firestore
Firestore is a fully managed, NoSQL document database. It offers live synchronization and an offline mode, making it ideal for developing real-time web or mobile apps.
The query engine helps you run ACID transactions (a transaction with Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability) against your data, giving you a lot of flexibility in how you structure that data.
Firestore best features
- Customize the data validation rules and security to meet your business needs
- Easily scale the serverless database as you grow
- If you’re a new customer, you’ll get $300 in free credits to spend
- Integrate with other tools like Firebase, Cloud Functions, and BigQuery
Firestore limitations
- Some users report that data changes are not always immediately reflected
- This MongoDB alternative operates on a pay-as-you-go pricing system, which is quite complex and can add up if you don’t keep an eye on it
Firestore pricing
- Contact for pricing
Firestore ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (10 reviews)
5. RethinkDB
This alternative to MongoDB is an open-source database that prioritizes building real-time apps. Its state-of-the-art storage engine, distributed architecture, and optimized buffer cache make it a high-performance database.
Take advantage of RethinkDB’s secondary indexing to quickly retrieve data. Run aggregation functions on massive data sets across multiple servers. And easily scale to multiple machines as your business grows.
Although the company that started RethinkDB shut down in 2016, the software is now part of the Linux Foundation and is developed by the community. ?
RethinkDB best features
- Get going quickly with the intuitive and easy-to-use platform
- Get instant updates whenever data changes, as it’s pushed to applications in real-time
- Query JSON documents using your choice of query languages, including Java, Python, and Ruby
- Use the web-based admin console to monitor and manage the database system
RethinkDB limitations
- Because it’s no longer run by a business, RethinkDB doesn’t receive regular upgrades and updates
- There aren’t many recent reviews, making it difficult to judge the system’s current effectiveness
RethinkDB pricing
- Free
RethinkDB ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (15+ reviews)
- Capterra: No reviews yet
6. PostGreSQL
PostGreSQL is a well-established, relational database. Development began at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1986 as part of the POSTGRES project, and the platform is now free and open source.
Designed for developers and data administrators, this MongoDB alternative helps to manage both structured and semi-structured data in a fault-tolerant environment. It integrates with several ETL (extract, transform, load) tools like Panoply, Switch, and Blendo to move data to and from the PostGreSQL system.
PostGreSQL best features
- Use the wide range of SQL features for transactions, queries, and ACID compliance ✅
- Easily build out extensions to tailor the database to your needs
- Rest assured that data integrity is always being enforced through triggers, constraints, and foreign keys
- Run PostGreSQL on most major operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Linux, OpenBSD, and MacOS
PostGreSQL limitations
- Installing and configuring the PostGreSQL system is quite complicated, so you’ll most likely need some expert skills
- Because of their different structures, it’s not easy to migrate from a NoSQL database to PostgreSQL
PostGreSQL pricing
- Free
PostGreSQL ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (600+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (400+ reviews)
7. DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed, serverless, non-relational database that delivers high performance at speed. Your data is always safe because it’s encrypted whether it’s at rest or moving, and it’s continuously backed up so it’s easy to restore if you need to.
Because of its superb request handling capability—and its price point—this alternative to MongoDB is well suited to large-scale, globally distributed data applications. ?
DynamoDB best features
- Get fast access to data with in-memory caching
- Monitor traffic and your analytics to extract insights that help you finetune your applications
- Choose between the On-Demand Capacity and Provisioned Capacity pricing models, and automatically scale up or down depending on fluctuations in your business needs
- Integrate with other AWS tools, like Amazon Redshift or Amazon S3, as well as Panoply
DynamoDB limitations
- There’s a steep learning curve if you’re not very familiar with using SQL
- As it’s an AWS product, you have to be on the AWS platform to use it
DynamoDB pricing
- Contact for pricing or use the AWS Pricing Calculator
DynamoDB ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (580+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (19+ reviews)
8. ArangoDB
This MongoDB alternative is an open-source, NoSQL, graph database. The flexible data model supports data integration across documents, graphs, and key values on a single engine. This means you can work seamlessly with different data types, reducing the number of database technologies your business needs to manage.
ArangoDB offers high availability and a full-text search engine for efficient document searches. Excellent security features keep your data safe at all times. ?
ArangoDB best features
- Work with the unified SQL-like query language, AQL, across all the integrated data models
- Use the graph capabilities to analyze and manage complex, interconnected data from different entities
- Use Docker to easily deliver Arango apps to different platforms
- Extract insights from different kinds of data to add value to your business
ArangoDB limitations
- You’ll need to learn the AQL language but if you know SQL, it shouldn’t take too long
- Some users feel that the access management isn’t as granular as they’d like it to be
ArangoDB pricing
- Choose between On-Demand or the pre-paid Committed package, which offers discounts
ArangoDB ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4/5 (1 review)
9. OrientDB
OrientDB is an open-source, distributed, graph database with document and object-oriented functionality. It’s ideal for modeling complex data relationships across different types of data, all on one platform.
Now supported by SAP, this NoSQL alternative to MongoDB is a high-performance and easily scalable option.
OrientDB best features
- Use SQL-like queries to retrieve and manage data
- Offer advanced search functionality using OrientDB’s full-text search capabilities
- Ensure data integrity with ACID transactions
- Easily scale your database as your traffic and datasets grow ?
OrientDB limitations
- It can take some time to come to grips with its True Graph engine
- Some users have experienced compatibility issues with other tools
OrientDB pricing
- Free
OrientDB ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.9/5 (50+ reviews)
- Capterra: No reviews yet
10. CouchDB
Apache CouchDB is designed to manage all sizes of databases, from small to massive. The Couch Replication Protocol allows your data to be used offline and to transfer easily between globally distributed server clusters, web browsers, and mobile phones. ?
Offering reliability and high performance, this document-oriented MongoDB alternative supports secure data storage and fast and efficient data retrieval. It uses the JSON data format and HTTP protocol, ensuring compatibility with other software that also uses them.
CouchDB best features
- Easily handle large volumes of loosely structured data
- Store your data on your own servers or with your choice of cloud providers so you can access it from anywhere
- Save bandwidth and efficiently synchronize your data by only transferring changes made since the last replication
- Rest easy knowing that sessions and authentication are always maximizing the security of your data
CouchDB limitations
- Some users feel that the user interface isn’t friendly or intuitive enough
- You can’t do a full-stack search, which may be frustrating
CouchDB pricing
- Free
CouchDB ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.9/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4/5 (3 reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseOther Software Development Tools
While they’re critical, application development and data storage aren’t the only elements of software development. You also need excellent project management software—preferably free—to plan and manage your entire project.
Which brings us to ClickUp.
ClickUp
ClickUp isn’t a direct alternative to MongoDB—instead, it takes care of everything else. ClickUp is a one-stop-shop productivity platform with exceptional project management functionality. Ideal for managing software teams, it streamlines agile workflows and enhances collaboration across the board.
Hit the ground running with the ClickUp Ultimate Software Development Template Guide. This walks you through every aspect of your software development process, from building your roadmap to bug tracking and management. ?️
Create tasks automatically, then track and manage them using your choice of several different formats, including Gantt, Board, or List views. Keep your team on track with a visual roadmap that clearly shows priorities and dependencies, and remind everyone of deadlines with automated notifications.
AI writing tools speed up the creation of any type of document, like project briefs, timelines, or emails to your team. They also summarize meeting notes, automatically identify action items, and help you generate names for the software features you’re creating. ?
ClickUp best features
- Use ClickUp Whiteboards and ClickUp Mind Maps to brainstorm and start your planning process
- Pick from a multitude of customizable ClickUp templates that save you hours of thinking and formatting time
- Store all your project documentation directly on the platform, so everything’s in one place
- Communicate with your team via shared documents, comments added to tasks, or real-time chats
- Get complete oversight of your project with a customizable project dashboard that highlights progress plus any red flags, so you can quickly shift gears if need be
- Depending on your use cases, integrate with a host of software development tools, like ClickUp API, GitHub, Sentry, and Figma
ClickUp limitations
- Because there are so many features, there can be a bit of a learning curve for new users
- The mobile app isn’t quite yet up to the level of the desktop version
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp AI is available on all paid plans for $5 per Workspace
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (3,900+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseFind Your Perfect Database Service and Project Management Combo
Managing a successful software project takes a combination of exceptional project management, strong database support, and nerves of steel. Pick your database from a range of MongoDB alternatives—or use MongoDB itself. But don’t even think of managing your project without adding ClickUp to your software mix. ?
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity tool that streamlines every part of your project, from brainstorming and planning to execution, monitoring, and successful completion. ?
Sign up for free with ClickUp today and enjoy all the support you need to accomplish your software development goals with ease.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
