Top RethinkDB Alternatives for Realtime App Development

RethinkDB, an innovative open-source database, revolutionized how developers build realtime applications by pushing JSON data directly to clients. This approach solved the common problems of slow, unscalable, and cumbersome polling methods. However, as with any technology, developers often seek alternatives that might better suit specific project requirements, offer different feature sets, or provide more robust community support. If you're looking for a powerful RethinkDB alternative, this guide will help you navigate the best options available.

Best RethinkDB Alternatives

While RethinkDB offered a unique realtime data push, several other robust database solutions can serve as excellent alternatives, providing different strengths from traditional relational models to flexible NoSQL options. Here are some of the top contenders:

SQLite

SQLite is a self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration, transactional SQL database engine. It's an excellent open-source RethinkDB alternative for projects requiring a lightweight, embeddable database, particularly for mobile or desktop applications. SQLite is highly versatile, running on Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iPhone platforms, and offers features like cross-platform compatibility, in-memory capabilities, and being an in-process file-based relational database.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system known for its strong reputation for reliability, feature robustness, and performance. As a Free and Open Source alternative available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD, it's a solid choice for complex data needs and can be leveraged for backend data storage, offering a robust relational database foundation that can support various application architectures.

MySQL Community Edition

MySQL Community Edition is a widely used open-source relational database management system, utilizing InnoDB technology for transaction safety. It's a highly popular RethinkDB alternative for web applications and offers strong performance and scalability across Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD platforms. Its relational database features make it a reliable backend for many systems.

MongoDB

MongoDB is a leading document database providing the scalability and flexibility needed for modern applications. As an open-source NoSQL database, it's a fantastic RethinkDB alternative for projects requiring flexible data schemas and horizontal scaling. It's available on Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, and BSD platforms, making it highly versatile for various deployment environments.

MariaDB

MariaDB is an open-source relational database management system, a community-developed fork of MySQL, ensuring compatibility while offering enhanced features and performance. As a Free and Open Source database for Windows, Linux, and BSD, it stands as a strong RethinkDB alternative for those seeking a robust, actively developed relational database.

Redis

Redis, an open-source, networked, in-memory, key-value data store, is often referred to as a data structure server. It's an excellent RethinkDB alternative for caching, real-time analytics, and high-speed data access. Available on Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and Self-Hosted options, Redis excels in scenarios requiring very fast read/write operations due to its in-memory nature.

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is a comprehensive relational database management system that supports a wide range of transaction processing, business intelligence, and analytics applications. While Freemium and primarily for Windows and Linux, it's a powerful RethinkDB alternative for enterprises seeking a feature-rich, robust relational database solution with strong support and extensive tooling.

Apache Cassandra

Apache Cassandra is a leading open-source NoSQL platform known for its continuous availability, high scalability, and strong performance, particularly for large datasets. It's an excellent RethinkDB alternative for distributed systems requiring high availability and linear scalability. Available on Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD, Cassandra offers persistent storage for applications with massive data requirements.

CouchDB

Apache CouchDB is a distributed, fault-tolerant, and schema-free document-oriented database accessible via a RESTful HTTP / JSON API. As a Free and Open Source RethinkDB alternative for Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and BSD, it's ideal for web applications needing flexible data structures and easy data replication, offering a NoSQL database solution with built-in REST API support.

Firebird

Firebird is a relational database offering many ANSI SQL-92 features, running on Linux, Windows, and various Unix platforms. This Free and Open Source database provides excellent concurrency for concurrent user access and is a viable RethinkDB alternative for applications requiring a robust and embeddable relational database solution.

Choosing the best database among these RethinkDB alternatives depends heavily on your specific project requirements, including data structure, scalability needs, preferred programming languages, and deployment environment. Each option offers unique benefits, so explore their documentation and community support to find the perfect fit for your next realtime application.