Apache CouchDB vs SurrealDB
Both are alternatives to MongoDB Atlas. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as SurrealDB vs Apache CouchDB — same comparison, one verdict.
Apache CouchDB
Apache-2.0 documents, built around offline sync.
CouchDB is a document database under the Apache Software Foundation with a distinguishing feature nothing else here matches: replication designed for intermittent connectivity, so devices can work offline and reconcile later. If you are building something that must function on a phone in a field with no signal, CouchDB with PouchDB in the client solves a problem MongoDB does not attempt. Apache-2.0 with foundation governance, so the licence question is settled permanently. It is slower and less fashionable than the alternatives, and for its particular job it has no real competitor.
SurrealDB
Documents, graph and relational in one engine — but check the licence.
SurrealDB is a Rust multi-model database combining document, graph and relational access through a single SQL-like language, with real-time queries and permissions built in. It is genuinely interesting engineering and around 32.8k stars. One correction that matters and that most listings get wrong: the core is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an open-source licence. BSL restricts offering it as a competing service and converts to Apache-2.0 after a set period. For internal use that is usually fine; for anyone building a product on top, read it first.
Side by side
| Apache CouchDB | SurrealDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 96 | 68 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSL 1.1 (source-available, converts to Apache-2.0 over time) |
| Pricing | Free and open source. Managed hosting available from several providers. | Free to self-host under BSL terms. Managed cloud is paid. |
Apache CouchDB edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Apache CouchDB
Strengths
- +Apache Software Foundation governance — the licence is settled
- +Best offline-first replication of any database in this comparison
- +Pairs with PouchDB for genuinely offline-capable applications
- +Simple HTTP and JSON interface with no driver required
Trade-offs
- −Slower than MongoDB or Postgres for general workloads
- −Query capability is weaker; map-reduce views take adjusting to
- −Smaller community and less momentum
- −Wrong choice unless offline sync is genuinely your problem
SurrealDB
Strengths
- +Document, graph and relational in a single engine — genuinely rare
- +Real-time queries and row-level permissions built in
- +Rust, fast, and can embed directly in an application
- +Converts to Apache-2.0 on a published schedule
Trade-offs
- −BSL 1.1 is NOT open source, despite how it is usually listed
- −Young relative to Postgres or MongoDB
- −Smaller ecosystem and fewer battle-tested deployments
- −Multi-model flexibility is also more ways to model something badly
More MongoDB Atlas head-to-heads
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-08-07. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.