Other platforms · Database engine
Apache Cassandra
Wide-column
Distributed engine; self-managed or hosted offerings
When to consider it
A candidate for large partitioned datasets with predictable key-based access and distributed writes. Query-driven modeling is essential to making its wide-column approach useful.
What to check
Do not expect relational joins, foreign keys, or general cross-partition transactions. Plan partition sizes, consistency settings, repairs, compaction, and node operations.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
ClickHouse
Analytics
Self-managed columnar engine or ClickHouse Cloud
When to consider it
Useful for large event aggregations and analytical serving workloads with sustained ingestion. Its columnar approach can fit queries that scan many records but only some fields.
What to check
Ordering, partitioning, ingestion batches, updates, and retention affect behavior. It should not casually replace a database designed around transactional application updates.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
CockroachDB
Relational / Distributed SQL
Distributed SQL engine; self-managed and managed options
When to consider it
Consider it when a relational workload needs distributed transactions and regional placement beyond one conventional primary. Test representative contention and locality along with the query model.
What to check
SQL compatibility, transaction retries, coordination latency, survival settings, and licensing need evaluation. Multiple regions are not automatically the right answer for global readers.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
Couchbase
Document / Key-value
Couchbase Server or managed Capella service
When to consider it
Consider Couchbase for document and key-value access with SQL-like document queries, especially when the wider mobile synchronization ecosystem is relevant. Validate the exact components needed.
What to check
Query indexes, service sizing, consistency, and synchronization are architectural choices. SQL-like syntax does not make document modeling equivalent to a relational schema.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Embedded engine
DuckDB
Analytics
Embedded analytical engine on a local machine or within an application
When to consider it
Useful for SQL analysis over files and local datasets without operating a warehouse service. It suits exploratory work and analytical processing that fits the surrounding machine.
What to check
Account for memory, storage, and concurrency. An embedded analytical engine is not automatically a shared, always-on application database.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
Elasticsearch
Search
Distributed search engine; self-managed and Elastic Cloud options
When to consider it
Useful for relevance-ranked retrieval, filtering, and aggregation over indexed data. Evaluate it when search and analysis requirements justify a dedicated indexing system.
What to check
Mappings, analyzers, shards, ingestion, and reindexing need ownership. Results may lag the source; identify the authoritative record store.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
IBM Db2
Relational
IBM database family; platform-specific and managed offerings
When to consider it
An important option for existing IBM estates and enterprise applications certified for Db2. Identify the actual Db2 product and platform before comparing migration or operating options.
What to check
Db2 Database, Db2 for z/OS, and other family members are not one interchangeable deployment. Review platform support, licensing, SQL behavior, tooling, and application dependencies.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
InfluxDB
Time series
Time-series database; distinct versions and deployment products
When to consider it
Consider InfluxDB when metrics, telemetry, and time-oriented ingestion dominate. Match the chosen version and product to the query language, retention, and operating model you need.
What to check
InfluxDB generations and products differ. Verify query capabilities, clustering, retention, migration, and supported deployment before applying advice from another version.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
MariaDB
Relational
Self-managed server; managed offerings also available
When to consider it
An established relational engine worth considering where MariaDB tooling, application support, or existing operating knowledge fit the project. Evaluate it as its own product.
What to check
MySQL heritage does not guarantee identical features or upgrade behavior. Check SQL compatibility, storage engines, replication, extensions, and the exact release path.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
MongoDB
Document
Self-managed database or MongoDB Atlas managed service
When to consider it
A candidate when documents align with the records commonly read and changed together. MongoDB Atlas supplies a managed deployment option; that hosting choice is separate from the document model.
What to check
Define schema validation and document boundaries. Cross-document workflows, transactions, sharding, and secondary indexes still require deliberate design.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
Neo4j
Graph
Property graph engine; self-managed or Neo4j Aura
When to consider it
A candidate when multi-hop relationship traversal is a central query rather than an occasional report. Evaluate the property graph model and Cypher against realistic connected data.
What to check
Highly connected nodes and unrestricted traversals can change query costs. Compare bounded relational joins before adding graph synchronization and another operating surface.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
PostgreSQL
Relational
Self-managed engine; many managed hosting services
When to consider it
A strong general-purpose candidate for related records, constraints, joins, and transactions. It can also support flexible JSON attributes without automatically introducing a separate document database.
What to check
Choose isolation, indexes, extensions, and replication deliberately. A familiar engine still needs query tuning, a tested recovery process, and a deployment that fits its write requirements.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
Redis
Cache / Key-value
Memory-oriented engine; self-managed and managed offerings
When to consider it
Useful for fast access to data structures, frequently reused records, and cache patterns. It can support more than caching, but the role and durability expectations must be explicit.
What to check
Eviction, persistence settings, replication, failover, and version-specific licensing matter. Do not infer durability from memory speed or a replica count.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
SAP HANA
Relational / Analytics
In-memory relational platform; on-premises and cloud offerings
When to consider it
Relevant to SAP application landscapes and workloads combining transactions and analysis on an in-memory relational system. Application certification and the selected deployment should drive the evaluation.
What to check
Memory sizing, persistence, recovery, licensing, and SAP integration requirements are material. HANA and HANA Cloud have deployment-specific capabilities and responsibilities.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Analytics platform
Snowflake
Analytics
Managed data platform on supported public clouds
When to consider it
A warehouse and data-platform candidate for shared analytics, data engineering, and workloads that benefit from independently managed compute resources. Compare it with cloud-native warehouses using your actual query mix.
What to check
Cloud, region, edition, warehouse sizing, and data movement influence cost and capabilities. Keep transactional application requirements separate from the analytics evaluation.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Embedded engine
SQLite
Relational
Embedded library; local database file
When to consider it
Useful for local applications, device storage, and workloads that can share one host and serialize writes. It avoids running a separate database server.
What to check
Do not directly share its file across networked application servers. Evaluate writer concurrency, file ownership, backup consistency, and the limits of the surrounding host.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database extension
TimescaleDB
Time series / Relational
PostgreSQL extension; self-managed or compatible managed hosting
When to consider it
A candidate for timestamped records that need time-window queries, retention management, and joins with relational data. It extends PostgreSQL rather than introducing a wholly separate query engine.
What to check
Validate extension and hosting compatibility, partition intervals, retention policies, and ingestion behavior. Plain PostgreSQL may suffice for a smaller workload.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
Typesense
Search
Search engine; self-managed or Typesense Cloud
When to consider it
A candidate for application search that needs ranked text retrieval, typo tolerance, and filters over structured collections. Compare the relevant features with your existing database search.
What to check
Check indexing needs, data size, filtering, and update behavior. Keep a tested path to rebuild the search collection from its authoritative source.
Official documentation ↗Other platforms · Database engine
Valkey
Cache / Key-value
Open-source memory-oriented engine; self-managed or hosted
When to consider it
An option for memory-oriented key access and cache workloads when its data structures and client compatibility fit the application. Several clouds provide managed Valkey offerings.
What to check
Check commands, modules, persistence, and cluster behavior for the selected version. Compatibility with a Redis client does not imply every Redis feature is available.
Official documentation ↗