15 Greatest Free Database Software program for Knowledge Administration in 2024

Whether or not you’re a marketer or software program developer, you’ve got in all probability heard of “database”.

A database is a element of any laptop system that shops and organizes information in a handy kind. The idea of database software program isn’t onerous to understand as all of us use databases persistently.

Think about an Excel spreadsheet: a set of information organized into columns and rows. A database operates equally however normally on a bigger scale throughout many interconnected computer systems and with extra advanced types of information.

However getting your palms on the most effective database software program might be difficult. Quite a few choices can be found, and deciding which is best for you is not straightforward. We’ve compiled a listing of the highest free database software program, together with their professionals and cons. 

You might want to contemplate a number of elements, particularly when deciding on database software program to develop purposes. The database software program presents sturdy information administration capabilities, together with environment friendly information parsing for streamlined data dealing with. This consists of asking the proper questions on a software program’s capabilities, guaranteeing whether or not to spend money on studying a brand new database and determining what you need to obtain along with your purposes.

In the event you do not need to pay, loads of free database options are divided into two most important teams: relational and non-relational. However, for those who haven’t selected the database software program (paid or free) you need to use, right here are some things to contemplate:

• Complexity: Sure database software program might be moderately advanced and require some technical information. However, some challenge administration software program simplifies managing project-related information.
• Safety: No one desires their information to fall into the incorrect palms. Selecting software program that makes use of cutting-edge information safety protocols is crucial.
• Integrations: Software program integrations enable customers to deal with information throughout many purposes, similar to CRM software program or messaging apps.
• Pricing: As we discover a few of the prime free database software program, some purposes may have premium plans that present extra options, storage capability, and extra. So select a database answer that provides the most effective worth for cash.

How did we choose and consider the most effective database software program?

At G2, we rank software program options utilizing a proprietary algorithm that considers buyer satisfaction and market presence based mostly on genuine person evaluations. Our market analysis analysts and writers spend weeks testing options towards a number of standards set for a software program class. We offer you unbiased software program evaluations; that is the G2 distinction! We didn’t settle for cost or alternate hyperlinks for product placements on this checklist. Please learn our G2 Analysis Scoring Methodology for extra particulars.

A relational database is an organized assortment of information parts linked collectively by predefined associations. These parts are organized in a collection of tables with rows and columns.

Relational database software program helps companies draw significant data through linked tables. Customers can simply comprehend the patterns and connections or how the tables are associated.

The checklist beneath incorporates real-user evaluations of the most effective free relational database options available on the market. To be included on this checklist, the developed purposes should be free and:

• Provide information storage
• Construction information in a relational mannequin by defining a desk with rows and columns
• Let customers accumulate, replace, ship, or delete information

*This checklist relies on G2 information collected in 2024. Some evaluations could have been edited for readability.

1. Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) permits customers to construct, handle, and increase databases within the cloud. It presents scalable capability whereas automating time-consuming administrative duties, together with {hardware} provisioning, setup, patches, and backups.

It frees companies to concentrate on companies and offers them with the wanted efficiency and safety. High operational options embody the Amazon RDS Administration Console, the AWS RDS Command-Line Interface, and easy API requires fast and simple setup. 

What customers like greatest: 

“What I like greatest about Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is its capacity to simplify the administration of relational databases with automated backups, scaling, and upkeep. This enables customers to concentrate on software growth with out worrying concerning the underlying database infrastructure. The seamless integration with different AWS companies and sturdy safety features additional improve its attraction.”

– Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) Overview, Cuong M. 

What customers dislike: 

“As a managed service, RDS could not provide the identical stage of customization and management as self-managed databases, which is usually a limitation for sure superior use circumstances.“

– Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) Overview, Nireeksha P. 

2. IBM Db2

IBM Db2 is a relational database administration system (RDBMS) that effectively shops, analyzes, and retrieves information. Firms of all sizes use Db2 for transactional and analytical processes because it presents steady information availability to maintain them operating easily. Db2 additionally helps NoSQL options, similar to XML, graph retailer, and JSON.

What customers like greatest: 

“IBM Db2 is a steady platform and built-in relational database administration system that leverages high-performance, virtualization, and vitality effectivity options. Additionally, it’s supported by totally different media.”

– IBM Db2 Overview, Sachin D.

What customers dislike: 

“It might be nice if we may have assist to have a local UI device to view information and execute queries. The question efficiency is perhaps gradual typically for long-running processes.”

– IBM Db2 Overview, Vignesh V.

3. MariaDB

MariaDB relieves companies of proprietary databases’ prices, limitations, and intricacy, permitting them to concentrate on what issues most: constructing artistic, customer-facing apps. MariaDB employs pluggable, purpose-built storage engines to accommodate workloads that historically wanted a variety of specialist databases.

MariaDB offers unmatched operational agility with out dropping vital company capabilities similar to real ACID compliance and full SQL.

What customers like greatest: 

“It is a dependable and open-source database system that does not fear the customers. I used this database over oracle due to its efficiency and availability. We will go away an impression on the shoppers through the use of the MariaDB database.”

– MariaDB Overview, Tabassum Ok.

What customers dislike: 

“It is not handy for a giant stream of information. Additional, it performs comparatively nicely when it comes to clustering and is continually up to date with new options and features.”

– MariaDB Overview, Satyam G.

A doc database (typically generally known as a document-oriented database or a doc retailer) shops information within the type of paperwork. It is a non-relational (often known as NoSQL) database well-suited for catalogs, person profiles, and content material administration programs, the place every doc is exclusive and adjustments over time.

Doc database software program makes it a lot simpler for programmers to save lots of and question information in a database as a result of they make use of the identical document-model format as their codebase. Versatile indexing, sturdy advert hoc searches, and analytics over collections of paperwork are all doable with doc databases.

The checklist beneath incorporates actual person evaluations from the most effective free doc database options available on the market. Along with being a free software, to be included on this checklist, you could additionally:

• Provide information storage
• Construction information in a doc mannequin
• Let customers retrieve information

*This checklist relies on G2 information collected in 2024. Some evaluations could have been edited for readability.

1. Couchbase

Couchbase is a feature-rich database administration system for small and midsize organizations and large companies in varied industries, together with banking, motels, vitality, data expertise (IT), retail, telecommunications, and manufacturing. 

Couchbase is a multi-model NoSQL database designed completely for mission-critical purposes.It’s a document-oriented distributed database that mixes two common NoSQL applied sciences: Membase and CouchDB.

What customers like greatest: 

“Straightforward to get began. We will question over the DB utilizing N1QL, which is similar to SQL, so it does not want further information to get began. The UI could be very clear and simple to grasp. Indexing is simple to implement; we will see all of the accessible indices, and whereas operating the queries, we will see which index was picked up. Cherished this selection.”

– Couchbase Overview, Amit P.

What customers dislike: 

“Including approved customers was a bit difficult. Nevertheless, my group figured it out after some poking round.”

– Couchbase Overview, Nico P.

2. ArangoDB

ArangoDB is a extremely scalable, multi-model database that excels in dealing with advanced, interconnected information constructions. As a doc database, it is optimized for storing and querying information in a versatile JSON-like format, making it preferrred for purposes that require speedy growth and environment friendly information administration.

What customers like greatest: 

“The combination of the doc, search, and graph fashions has made our selections simpler. We will restrict our stack to make use of Arango and never have an explosion of vendor programs for every goal.”

– ArangoDB Overview, Kevin B.

What customers dislike: 

“Creating Property graphs is simple. Nevertheless, there isn’t any direct method to create an RDF/OWL graph. RDF triples are helpful in machine studying.”

– ArangoDB Overview, Amardeep Singh S.

3. MarkLogic 

MarkLogic is an enterprise-grade NoSQL doc database famend for its capacity to deal with large volumes of numerous information, together with XML, JSON, and RDF. It presents a novel mix of database, search, and software server functionalities inside a single platform.

What customers like greatest: 

“MarkLogic is a database platform managing giant dataflows and totally different datatypes. It additionally shops varied structured and unstructured queries together with varied dataflows that may be managed below a single system. It helps customers for sooner indexing and search from giant datasets and permits customers to deal with rising quantities of information. MarkLogic is compliant with atomicity, isolation, sturdiness, and consistency. MarkLogic might be built-in with varied third-party instruments and offers confidentiality, integrity, and auditing.”

– MarkLogic Overview, Harshit L. 

What customers dislike: 

“The license price is extraordinarily excessive and so is the quantity of house required to retailer information.” 

– MarkLogic Overview, Abdalla H. 

A graph database represents and shops information utilizing graph constructions for semantic queries, similar to nodes, edges, and properties. A graph is an important component within the system and connects the info objects to a set of nodes and edges, the place the sides point out the nodes’ relationships.

These relationships immediately join saved information and, in lots of circumstances, retrieve it in a single operation. As a result of relationships are preserved indefinitely within the database, querying them is fast. Graph databases can simply show interconnections, which is useful for extensively interconnected data.

The checklist beneath incorporates actual person evaluations of the most effective free graph database options available on the market. To be included on this checklist, not solely do it’s a must to be a free software, but in addition:

• Provide information storage
• Retailer and construction information in a topographical schema
• Let customers retrieve information utilizing a querying language

*This checklist relies on G2 information collected in 2024. Some evaluations could have been edited for readability.

1. Neo4j 

Neo4j is an open-source graph database that helps companies make data-driven selections because it reveals the relationships between folks, processes, and programs. Neo4j maintains interconnected information by default, making information simpler to understand. Firms also can use the property graph mannequin to develop machine studying and AI fashions.

What customers like greatest: 

“Neo4j is essentially the most interactive and simple to make use of or question device I’ve ever labored with. The ciphers are so user-friendly that somebody with no information of programming or question languages can get began at any second, which provides us an edge in explaining the BI evaluation and parameters to our clients. Visualizations make it easier to debug and resolve the problems approach sooner than different DBs. And their integration with most cloud companies permits a easy integration in our purposes.“

– Neo4j Overview, Gariba G. 

What customers dislike: 

“I didn’t discover quite a lot of sources to assist once I obtained caught. Additionally, the setup course of was a bit tedious, particularly with solely the documentation to go off, however I managed to determine the drivers points.”

– Neo4j Overview, Ian J. 

2. ArangoDB

ArangoDB is a flexible, multi-model database that seamlessly integrates graph, doc, and key-value information fashions inside a single platform. This unified method empowers builders to effectively handle and question advanced datasets. It shops and queries paperwork, graphs, and key-value information utilizing a single, declarative question language (AQL). Ensures information integrity and consistency throughout a number of operations.

What customers like greatest: 

“I like that it is extremely versatile with its multi-model method; you might have the facility of a doc retailer with graph search, which primarily permits you to do no matter you do with each doc shops and with SQL databases, plus rather more due to the graph traversal. The AQL language could be very intuitive and so fast to be taught. Velocity is nice, too. It’s straightforward to make use of for prototyping, and it offers you with a great DevOps device for cluster set up on Kubernetes.”

– ArangoDB Overview, Delio D. 

What customers dislike: 

“It was a little bit of a studying curve on how information is shared over the nodes within the cluster, which is crucial to know to get good efficiency when executing queries. Whereas it is seldom you need to change the identify of a set, that’s doable when working with a single standalone server, nevertheless it’s not doable in a cluster setup.

It is not possible to set most well-liked service hours for upkeep (upgrades) for the clusters of their cloud service, so until we provoke upgrades manually, they will begin throughout our primetime.”

– ArangoDB Overview, Johan S. 

3. Dgraph

Dgraph is a graph database system with a single schema growth mannequin. Customers can use the device to develop a schema, deploy it, and obtain quick database and API entry with out writing any code.

Dgraph permits customers to decide on between GraphQL and DQL, so anybody with no prior information of graph databases to get began.

What customers like greatest: 

“We have now opted for the Dgraph Cloud platform for our enterprise as it’s extremely scalable with low latency. It is wonderful for necessities which have real-time transactional workloads because it synchronizes buyer information successfully. Knowledge retrieval is hassle-free & we will carry out arbitrary depth joins with out worrying about our cluster limitations.”

– Dgraph Overview, Varshini S.

What customers dislike: 

“Dgraph requires excessive RAM to retailer a graph in comparison with different choices. The managed providing does not present all of the performance doable utilizing its Kubernetes cluster. The administration needs to be executed by your self or the DevOps group of the group.”

– Dgraph Overview, Aditya G.

An object-oriented database (OOD) is a system that operates with subtle information objects, similar to these present in object-oriented programming (OOP) languages. An object-oriented database is structured round objects moderately than actions and information moderately than logic.

Object-oriented databases deal with information as entire objects. As an alternative of a number of tables, all data is introduced in a single, immediately accessible object package deal.

An entity is represented as an object in OOP that’s maintained in reminiscence. Members of objects embody fields, attributes, and strategies. Objects have a life cycle that contains an object’s creation, use, and disposal. A number of main OOP languages can be found as we speak, together with C++, Java, C#, Ruby, Python, JavaScript, and Perl.

The checklist beneath incorporates actual person evaluations of the most effective free object-oriented database options available on the market. To be included on this checklist, it’s a must to be a free software and:

• Provide information storage
• Retailer and construction information in object-based information fashions
• Let customers create, retailer, and replace object information fashions

*This checklist relies on G2 information collected in 2024. Some evaluations could have been edited for readability.

1. IBM Db2

IBM Db2 is a scalable object-oriented database administration system (OODBMS) designed to deal with advanced information constructions and relationships. As an OODBMS, Db2 presents a versatile and intuitive method to storing and managing information, making it well-suited for purposes that require superior information modeling and querying capabilities.

What customers like greatest: 

“That is nice for storing and organizing our consumer’s information and offers the corporate the pliability to make use of information and tables as we modernize our software program platform. I exploit Run SQL scripts essentially the most to entry information to check my packages with totally different information units. The DB2 database is ideal for the monetary and demographic information that’s the spine of our system. The system could be very safe, which is ideal for all of the delicate information we have now.”

– IBM Db2 Overview, Chris D.

What customers dislike: 

“There are some things that may be improved. Firstly, the combination choices usually are not available. The UI might be improved to help the training curve of recent customers.”

– IBM Db2 Overview, Punit S.

2. InterSystems IRIS

InterSystems IRIS is a high-performance information administration platform that offers IT specialists the instruments to develop machine studying and information connectivity purposes. The software program additionally helps database administration for SQL and NoSQL databases. It is primarily designed for organizations that need bespoke apps to deal with incoming information rapidly and carry out real-time information analytics.

What customers like greatest: 

“It is quick, allows you to work with many applied sciences, not simply healthcare-related ones, and integrates many cool options into your tasks by default. With out doing any further work, you’re going to get a hint log that permits you to search and redo processes fixing errors. It features a quick and versatile database with a tree construction that can be used with common SQL.”

– InterSystems IRIS Overview, Jaime L.

What customers dislike: 

“I feel the most important draw back to InterSystems Iris (and is definitely small compared to what it may very well be) is that if you wish to add customized performance, you’ll have to be taught the InterSystems Particular programming language (at the very least a bit) to get it constructed out. It follows fairly commonplace programming guidelines and syntax, although, so it will not take lengthy to get transferring with it.”

– InterSystems IRIS Overview, Victoria C.

3. InterSystems Chaché

InterSystems Caché is a full-featured database system with all of the performance required to run mission-critical purposes, together with journaling, backup and restoration, and system administration instruments, for healthcare, banking and monetary companies, authorities, and different industries.

What customers like greatest: 

“It is a swift and safe database and may talk with relational entry, internet pages, and object entry.”

– InterSystems Caché Overview, Eike Scudellari F.

What customers dislike: 

“The Studio editor is a bit outdated, and I really feel a scarcity of normal data on the open internet.”

– InterSystems Caché Overview, Andy C.

A key-value database, typically generally known as a key-value retailer, is a non-relational database that shops information utilizing a easy key-value method. It shops, retrieves, and maintains associative arrays as a dictionary. Dictionaries comprise objects or information with many various fields that retailer information.

Keys and values might be something, from fundamental to stylish compound objects. Key-value databases are extremely partitionable and allow horizontal scaling that different forms of databases can not.

When must you select a key-value database?

• When your software manages many small steady reads and writes, a key-value database might be unstable. It offers fast in-memory entry.
• When preserving important information, similar to consumer data, storing web sites with the URL as the important thing and the webpage as the worth, and storing shopping-cart contents, product classes, and e-commerce product particulars.
• For packages that do not should be up to date steadily or deal with subtle queries

The checklist beneath incorporates actual person evaluations of the most effective free key-value database options available on the market. To be included on this checklist, software program have to be free and:

• Provide information storage
• Retailer and construction information as a singular worth mapped to a key
• Let customers retrieve information

*This checklist relies on G2 information collected in 2024. Some evaluations could have been edited for readability.

1. ScyllaDB

ScyllaDB is an open-source distributed NoSQL database. It was created to work with Apache Cassandra whereas delivering a lot better throughputs and diminished latencies. It helps the identical protocols and file codecs as Cassandra however is a very rewritten implementation with the C++20 language.

What customers like greatest: 

“We have now been using ScyllaDB for a very long time now. It’s a dependable and extremely accessible NoSQL DB because of its replication. Making certain that the info stays there even after a number of nodes fail.

Our in-house group obtained an awesome assist from ScyllaDB assist whereas implementing the DB because of its supportability with CQL. Greatest instance of information consistency, reliability and efficiency.”

– ScyllaDB Overview, Chanchala B.

What customers dislike: 

“The setup and configuration complexity of ScyllaDB, which might be troublesome for novices. Moreover, the documentation typically lacks readability for superior options.”

– ScyllaDB Overview, Riya V. 

2. Couchbase

Couchbase is a distributed, NoSQL database that excels at storing and retrieving information in a key-value format. As a key-value database, Couchbase is optimized for quick information entry and excessive throughput, making it preferrred for purposes that require speedy efficiency and scalability.

What customers like greatest: 

“It is fairly quick, indexing and all might be executed with only one line and it makes the queries execute 100 occasions sooner. And the most effective factor I discover is the documentation. Many occasions I come throughout a brand new use case and am unable to implement it. Then I search for that within the documentation and discover all of the solutions to all of the use circumstances I had. Would not carry out nicely when information will increase, quite a lot of occasions I get ambiguous timeout exceptions. Couchbase UI can be very straightforward to make use of.”

– Couchbase Overview, Amit P.

What customers dislike: 

“I used to be utilizing it with Spring Webflux that’s reactive, so whereas processing information, the load on couchbase goes very excessive and operations begin failing. Would like to see some inbuilt assist on this to deal with visitors correctly.”

– Couchbase Overview, Amit P.

3. Aerospike 

Aerospike is a cloud-based, on-premise NoSQL database platform that allows e-commerce, retail, on-line gaming, telecoms, and promoting firms to simplify multi-site clustering, cross datacenter replication, and cargo balancing, amongst different processes, on a single platform. It protects information with encryption, authentication, role-based entry controls, and web site whitelisting.

What customers like greatest: 

“Aerospike helps retailer information as cached and the database with full XDR performance. It is a superb database by combining the facility of Redis and SQL compliant queries.”

– Aerospike Overview, Imran Ok.

What customers dislike: 

“Aerospike might be difficult to measurement the cluster, though assist is helpful.”

– Aerospike Overview, Ido B.

A superb database serves as the inspiration for a large number of enterprise purposes. Find out how database administration can assist your information administration technique.

This text was initially revealed in 2023. It has been up to date with new data.