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Best Database Software in 2026

Database software helps you store, organize, and query data, with different models and deployment choices to suit different workloads. Compared on database model, deployment options, SQL support, replication support, and vector search, the entries offer practical points to weigh against your needs. You can also check included storage, free-plan availability, and the paid-from price when considering capacity and cost. MySQL and SQLite are among the named options, alongside Amazon DynamoDB and PostgreSQL. Consider how you plan to work with your data and which listed capabilities matter for operating it.

  1. 1

    SQLite

    by SQLite
    Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+5

    SQLite provides an embedded database with broad SQL capabilities and a simple single-file format. Its one-writer-per-file limit is important when evaluating it for write-heavy workloads.

    9.2 Free plan Visit site
  2. 2

    Apache Cassandra

    by Apache Cassandra
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    Cassandra offers a distributed, self-managed database with multiple deployment options and tunable consistency.

    9.1 Open source Visit site
  3. 3

    TiDB Cloud

    by TiDB Cloud
    Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    TiDB Cloud pairs managed database hosting with a free Starter quota and support for transactional and analytical workloads.

    9.1 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    Apache IoTDB

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    Apache IoTDB provides a range of ingestion paths, query features and deployment options for IoT time-series data.

    9.0 Open source Visit site
  5. 5

    CrateDB

    by CrateDB
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
    8.8 Free plan Visit site
  6. 6

    HSQLDB

    by HSQLDB
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    HSQLDB offers a broad relational database feature set with free software and optional paid support. Check its storage limits and license terms against your deployment needs.

    8.8 Free plan · paid from $100/yr Visit site
  7. 7

    Aerospike Database

    by Aerospike Database
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    Aerospike Database offers multiple data models, storage choices, and replication modes in one engine. Check edition support and licensing notes for connectors and security features when assessing fit.

    8.8 Free plan Visit site
  8. 8

    Vespa

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    Vespa offers varied search and ranking methods alongside self-managed and cloud deployment paths.

    8.7 From $0.05 Visit site
  9. 9

    Apache HBase

    Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Apache HBase targets distributed data workloads where real-time access and strict consistency matter. It is free, but deployment, security configuration and ongoing operations rest with the operator.

    8.6 Free plan Visit site
  10. 10

    Chroma

    Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+5

    Choose Chroma if you need an open-source embedding database with multiple search methods and flexible deployment options.

    8.6 Free plan · paid from $250/mo Visit site
  11. 11

    ArcadeDB

    by ArcadeDB
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    ArcadeDB brings several data models and query options into one database, with a free full-featured Community offering. Paid subscriptions are for support, with coverage depending on the selected plan.

    8.5 Free plan · paid from $299/mo Visit site
  12. 12

    ClickHouse Cloud

    by ClickHouse Cloud
    Free trial Open source APILinuxMac+3

    ClickHouse Cloud provides managed analytics infrastructure with cloud flexibility, ingestion tools, SQL access, and automated operations.

    7.9 From $50/mo · 30-day trial Visit site
  13. 13

    MySQL

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2
    7.7 Free plan Visit site
  14. 14

    PostgreSQL

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

    PostgreSQL offers extensive data, transaction, recovery, and security capabilities without a license fee.

    7.7 Free plan Visit site
  15. 15

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    SQL Server offers database, integration, and virtualization capabilities, with editions for production, development, and learning uses.

    7.7 Free plan Visit site
  16. 16

    Azure SQL Database

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4

    Azure SQL Database pairs managed operations with development interfaces, APIs, and recovery capabilities. Review the free-tier limits and overage behavior before relying on the free offer.

    7.6 Free plan Visit site
  17. 17

    MariaDB Server

    by MariaDB Server
    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

    MariaDB Server is a free, self-hosted database with broad workload support, storage-engine options, and MySQL compatibility.

    7.6 Free plan Visit site
  18. 18

    Amazon DynamoDB

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5

    DynamoDB offers managed NoSQL storage with automatic scaling, multiple access patterns and recovery options.

    7.6 Free plan Visit site
  19. 19

    Firestore

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Firestore combines flexible document storage with search, transactions, real-time updates, and offline syncing. Check the database quota and server-side IAM requirements when assessing its fit.

    7.6 Free plan Visit site
  20. 20

    Amazon RDS

    Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

    Amazon RDS combines a broad engine selection with managed backups, scaling, and AWS security and monitoring integrations.

    7.5 Visit site
  21. 21

    SingleStore Helios

    by SingleStore Helios
    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    Helios brings varied data capabilities and ingestion options to a managed cloud database, with separate Shared, Standard, and Enterprise plans.

    7.5 Free plan · paid from $0.99 Visit site
  22. 22

    MarkLogic

    by MarkLogic
    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    MarkLogic combines multiple data models, search, and data curation in a platform with several deployment options.

    7.5 Free plan Visit site
  23. 23

    IBM Db2

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+2

    Choose IBM Db2 if you need a database for varied enterprise workloads, with query optimization, vector queries, and options for availability and security.

    7.5 Free plan · paid from $630/mo Visit site
  24. 24

    Teradata VantageCloud

    by Teradata VantageCloud
    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
    7.4 Free plan · pricing on request Visit site
  25. 25

    InfluxDB

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    InfluxDB 3 combines multiple ingestion and query options with self-managed, managed, and open-source deployment choices.

    7.4 Free plan · paid from $0.00 · 30-day trial Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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