Alternatives / MongoDB
Looking for an open source MongoDB alternative? We compared 8 open source databases by data model, license, self-hosting, scalability, and pricing. They span distributed SQL, SQLite-compatible, reactive, graph, and embedded storage engines, so none is a drop-in document database.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| TiDB | Distributed SQL with horizontal scale | Apache-2.0 |
| Turso | SQLite-compatible databases at scale | MIT |
| Convex | Reactive TypeScript backend | FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0 |
| Instant | Real-time and offline apps | Apache-2.0 |
| OceanBase | Massive-scale distributed relational data | Apache-2.0 |
| Deep Lake (Activeloop) | AI data like images and embeddings | Apache-2.0 |
| Memgraph | In-memory graph analytics | BSL-1.1 + Enterprise |
| SlateDB | Embedded storage on object storage | Apache-2.0 |
We looked for open-source databases that cover use cases people choose MongoDB for: scalable application data, flexible schemas, and real-time apps. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. MongoDB is a document database under the Server Side Public License, which is not OSI-approved open source, but most alternatives here use different data models, so we explain what each is best at and where migration needs rework. See our methodology for the full criteria.
None of these is a MongoDB-compatible document database. TiDB and OceanBase are distributed SQL databases, Turso is SQLite-compatible, Convex and Instant are reactive backends, Memgraph is a graph database, Deep Lake stores AI data, and SlateDB is an embedded storage engine. Moving from MongoDB means remodeling data and rewriting queries.
TiDB and OceanBase suit large-scale transactional and analytical workloads with MySQL-compatible access. Turso suits multi-tenant and on-device apps built on SQLite. Convex and Instant give web and mobile apps real-time queries, auth, and sync. Memgraph fits graph workloads such as fraud detection, Deep Lake fits ML data, and SlateDB is a building block for cloud-native systems.
TiDB, OceanBase, Instant, SlateDB, and Deep Lake are Apache-2.0, and Turso and libSQL are MIT. Convex's backend is source available under the Functional Source License (FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0), and Memgraph is source available under the Business Source License 1.1 with a separate Enterprise License for some features.
Convex and Instant can be self-hosted despite also being managed platforms: Convex documents a self-hosting guide, and Instant's repository is open source under Apache-2.0. TiDB, OceanBase, Memgraph, Turso, Deep Lake, and SlateDB can run on your own infrastructure.
All eight projects were updated within days or weeks of this update, with Deep Lake's last commit in May 2026.
MongoDB is a document database whose server uses the Server Side Public License, so it is source available rather than open source, with a managed cloud service (Atlas) that drives much of its pricing. Teams look for open-source alternatives for permissive licenses, SQL compatibility, stronger consistency, real-time sync, or specialized workloads such as graphs and AI data, at the cost of changing the data model and application code.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TiDB | Distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Large-scale HTAP |
| Turso | SQLite-compatible | MIT | Yes | Multi-tenant and on-device apps |
| Convex | Reactive backend | FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0 | Yes | TypeScript web apps |
| Instant | Real-time backend | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Collaborative apps |
| OceanBase | Distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Petabyte scale |
| Deep Lake (Activeloop) | AI data database | Apache-2.0 | Yes | ML data and embeddings |
| Memgraph | Graph database | BSL-1.1 + Enterprise | Yes | Graph analytics |
| SlateDB | Embedded storage engine | Apache-2.0 | Embeddable | Cloud-native systems |
Want a scalable open-source database with SQL
TiDB offers horizontal scalability, strong consistency, MySQL compatibility, and combined transactional and analytical processing under Apache-2.0.
Want SQLite semantics at scale
Turso is a Rust SQLite-compatible database, MIT-licensed, built for multi-tenant and on-device applications with many databases.
Want a reactive backend with TypeScript
Convex provides reactive queries, built-in auth, and scheduled functions, with a self-hosting option under a source-available license.
Want real-time and offline-first collaboration
Instant offers a reactive database with auth, permissions, presence, and offline caching under Apache-2.0.
Need massive-scale distributed relational data
OceanBase supports OLTP, OLAP, and hybrid workloads with MySQL and Oracle protocol compatibility under Apache-2.0.
Want to store AI data and embeddings
Deep Lake stores and queries images, audio, and embeddings with versioning and streaming to ML frameworks.
Want a graph database
Memgraph is an in-memory graph database with Neo4j compatibility, but its license is source available.
Want to build on object storage
SlateDB is an embedded Rust storage engine that uses object storage such as S3 for durability.