Comparison

Apache CouchDB vs ArangoDB

On the evidence we track, Apache CouchDB leads this comparison with a composite score of 54/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
Apache CouchDB54
ArangoDB49
Score
Vioscale score
Apache CouchDB54 / 100low · 35%
ArangoDB49 / 100low · 42%
Pricing
Free tier
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB
Model
Apache CouchDBcommercial
ArangoDBcommercial
Price level
Apache CouchDBfree
ArangoDBlow
Transparent
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB
Reliability
Status page
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB
Adoption
Dependent repos
Apache CouchDB0
ArangoDB0
Github stars
Apache CouchDB6,942
ArangoDB14,266
Activity
Commits last 30d
Apache CouchDB26
ArangoDB100
License
Spdx
Apache CouchDBApache-2.0
ArangoDB
Language
Primary
Apache CouchDBErlang
ArangoDBC++

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for nosql databases. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
Data model
Apache CouchDBDocument
ArangoDBMulti-model
Query
Query language
Apache CouchDB-
ArangoDB-
Consistency
Consistency
Apache CouchDBEventual
ArangoDB-
Transactions
Transactions
Apache CouchDB-
ArangoDB-
Indexing
Secondary indexes
Apache CouchDBYes
ArangoDBYes
Scale
Partitioning / sharding
Apache CouchDBAutomatic
ArangoDBAutomatic
Multi-region
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB-
Replication
Replication topology
Apache CouchDBLeaderless
ArangoDB-
Deployment
Hosting
Apache CouchDBCloud + self-hosted
ArangoDBCloud + self-hosted
Schema
Schema
Apache CouchDB-
ArangoDB-
Features
TTL / auto-expiry
Apache CouchDB-
ArangoDB-
Change streams / CDC
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB-
Vector / search built-in
Apache CouchDB-
ArangoDB
Licensing
Licence class
Apache CouchDBPermissive OSS
ArangoDBSource-available (SSPL/BSL)

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Apache CouchDB

Leader

An open-source document database built for distributed deployments with native replication capabilities. It enables offline-first applications to maintain data synchronization across servers, mobile devices, and browsers without manual configuration.

Independently observed

ArangoDB

A multimodel database that unifies fragmented enterprise data into a graph-native foundation, serving as a context layer for AI agents, applications, and analytics workloads without requiring multiple specialized databases.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Apache CouchDB

Leader
Open sourceFree tier
as of verify ↗

ArangoDB

HybridFree tier

Free community edition with 100GB limit, Enterprise Edition available

  • Community EditionFree
  • Enterprise EditionContact sales
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB
iOS
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB
Android
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB
Self-hosted
Apache CouchDB
ArangoDB

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.