Best Mobile Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: Espresso is ranked #1 of 26 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Hive and RxDB. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Hive. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Hive at $5/mo.
Mobile databases support applications that need to store data on mobile devices, and may provide synchronization across devices. Compare offline mode, data synchronization, and conflict resolution to assess how each handles connectivity and changes to data. Mobile platforms and SDK languages help you consider development fit; monthly sync limits, free plans, and paid-from prices add capacity and cost details. Ditto, Firestore, and ObjectBox lead the ranked entries, followed by RxDB and Drift, with Isar, Couchbase Lite, and Hive also among the first options. Use the listed criteria to weigh platform coverage, development stack, and data-handling needs for your app.
26 mobile databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EspressoWeb · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | HiveWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $5/mo | 6.8 | |
| 3 | RxDBWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $99/mo | 6.8 | |
| 4 | DittoWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 5 | ObjectBoxWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 6 | Firebase Cloud MessagingWeb · Android · iPhone · API · Extension | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 7 | FirestoreWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 8 | TBaseWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 9 | IsarWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | LiteDBWindows · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 11 | DriftWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 12 | Parse PlatformWeb · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 13 | RealmWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | SparkseeWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | WatermelonDBWeb · Windows · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | Couchbase LiteWeb · Windows · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | FMDBMac · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | Mimer SQL MobileWindows · Linux · Android | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | SQLDelightWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 5.3 | |
| 20 | SQLite.swiftMac · Linux · iPhone | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 5.3 | |
| 21 | AWS Amplify DataStoreWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 22 | GRDB.swiftMac · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 23 | PouchDBWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 24 | GUNWeb · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | EMBALinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which mobile database is ranked first on Freedom251?
Espresso is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 6.8. Hive is second and RxDB third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Hive has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.