OceanBase Database
en.oceanbase.com
What it is
OceanBase Database is a distributed database for transactional, analytical, and AI workloads in one system. Built-in compatibility with Oracle and MySQL is intended to simplify migration. Deployment choices include the open-source Community Edition, self-hosted Enterprise, and fully managed OceanBase Cloud across cloud providers. Documentation describes high availability and disaster recovery at node, data-center, and region levels. Linux installation packages are listed for Alibaba Cloud Linux, CentOS, Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, and Anolis OS. Docker deployment can be used on Windows and macOS, though the documentation cautions that this method has not been validated at scale. A standalone instance can be used for learning; production environments require at least three servers. Community Edition is free and includes full kernel capabilities. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Security features include role and permission management, network whitelists, encrypted communication, transparent data encryption, and SQL auditing, but Community Edition does not support security audit.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- OceanBase is a distributed relational database designed for transactional, analytical and AI workloads.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Purpose
- OceanBase Database is a distributed database for transactional, analytical, and AI workloads.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Deployment
- OceanBase Community Edition is open source, OceanBase Enterprise is self-hosted, and OceanBase Cloud is fully managed across cloud providers.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Integrations
- Documented integrations include Kafka, Debezium, Flink, Canal, dbt, DataWorks, AWS Glue, Informatica, NiFi, SeaTunnel and Maxwell.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oceanbase.com
- Security
- The Trust Center lists role and permission management, network whitelists, encrypted communication, transparent data encryption, and SQL auditing.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Compliance
- The Trust Center says OceanBase completed the EU Cloud Code of Conduct adherence process and lists ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 27018, ISO 9001, and ISO 20000 certifications.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Support
- The Trust Center describes an L1–L2–L3 after-sales service system providing 24/7 service.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- License
- The current OceanBase GitHub repository states Apache License 2.0 for the database project.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Founded
- 2010Read 28 Sep 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- API limits
- OCP API documentation describes authentication by Basic or access-key/secret-key credentials and throttling that can return HTTP 429.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Availability
- The documentation says OceanBase supports high availability and disaster recovery at node, data center, and region levels.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Cloud availability
- OceanBase Cloud states an SLA commitment of at least 99.99%.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Cloud recovery targets
- OceanBase Cloud advertises zero-data-loss RPO and recovery time under eight seconds with three or more replicas.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Company founding
- OceanBase states that its database operation began in 2010.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oceanbase.com
- Company legal entity
- Beijing Aoxingbes Technology Co., Ltd. was established on June 8, 2020 as Ant Group’s wholly owned database company.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oceanbase.com
- Company profile
- LinkedIn lists OceanBase as privately held, founded in 2010, headquartered in Singapore and employing 501–1,000 people.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Compatibility
- The database provides MySQL and Oracle compatibility modes and supports migration from several other database systems through its migration tools.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Compression claim
- OceanBase says compression and native multitenancy can reduce storage costs by 70–90% and total cost by 30%.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Container deployment
- The quick start says Docker deployment can be used on non-Linux operating systems such as Windows and macOS, with a caution that this method has not been validated at scale.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Developer ecosystem
- The integration catalog lists Java, Python, Go, C and beta PHP connectivity plus Flyway and Liquibase.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oceanbase.com
- Documentation
- Official documentation covers deployment, migration, MySQL and Oracle compatibility, application development, drivers, ORMs, security, backup, monitoring and troubleshooting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oceanbase.com
- Drivers
- OceanBase Connector/J provides JDBC connections for Java applications and supports both OceanBase MySQL and Oracle modes.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Edition limitation
- OceanBase Database Community Edition does not support security audit, according to the audit documentation.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Elastic scaling
- OceanBase Cloud supports horizontal, vertical and tenant-level scaling without downtime.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Funding report
- The Straits Times reported on July 29, 2026 that OceanBase was seeking RMB2–3 billion in Series A funding; the report said the company had not confirmed the raise.Read 15 Oct 2026 · straitstimes.com
- High availability
- OceanBase documents multi-replica availability and disaster recovery from node level through five data centers across three regions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- JDBC driver
- OceanBase Connector/J is a Type-4 JDBC driver compatible with MySQL Connector/J and able to identify MySQL or Oracle mode connections.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Limit: confirmed software bug
- A GitHub issue records a reproducible OceanBase Community Edition 4.3.3 crash involving a vectorized LIKE expression that could disconnect clients.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: edition coverage
- A G2 reviewer reports that the Community Edition offers only MySQL-mode tenants while Oracle mode requires Enterprise.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Limit: Gartner reviewers
- Gartner feedback cites distributed-systems expertise requirements, migration effort between major versions, smaller global community and limited online resizing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Limit: pricing flexibility
- G2 reviews request serverless billing and more varied payment models.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- News: AI portfolio
- OceanBase announced its AI Database portfolio, including LakeBase, DataStudio and DataPilot, on June 29, 2026.Read 15 Oct 2026 · prnewswire.com
- Operating systems
- Installation packages are listed for Linux distributions including Alibaba Cloud Linux, CentOS, Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, and Anolis OS.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Ownership change
- A 2024 South China Morning Post report said Ant Group exchanged shares so OceanBase gained 35 corporate shareholders, including Alibaba affiliates and investment firms.Read 15 Oct 2026 · scmp.com
- Praise: compatibility and analytics
- G2 reviewers repeatedly mention seamless MySQL compatibility, HTAP analytics, compression and high availability.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Praise: Gartner reviewers
- Gartner Peer Insights reviewers commonly praise consistency, availability, scalability, integration and vendor support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Praise: scalability
- G2 reviewers repeatedly praise linear scale-out, transparent distribution and reduced need for application-level sharding.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Praise: support
- G2 reviewers repeatedly describe onboarding support and documentation as strong.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Production requirements
- The documentation says production environments require at least three servers, while a standalone instance can be deployed for learning.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Public API
- OceanBase Cloud Platform exposes JSON REST APIs using GET, POST, PUT and DELETE for cluster, tenant, proxy, monitoring, backup and operations management.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Rating on G2
- 5.0 out of 5 from 41 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Rating on Gartner Peer Insights
- 4.7 out of 5 from 107 ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Rating on GetApp
- 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Security controls
- Official security documentation lists authentication, role access control, TLS, transparent data encryption, monitoring alerts and AuditTrail.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Security limitation
- Community Edition does not support security auditing, label security or storage encryption.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Self-hosting
- Community and Enterprise editions can be deployed on customer infrastructure using OceanBase Deployer, Docker or Kubernetes ob-operator.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Storage formats
- Tables can use row, columnar or hybrid storage, and online DDL is supported without locking downtime.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Supported operating systems
- Documented platforms include Alibaba Cloud Linux, Anolis, RHEL, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, SUSE, KylinOS and UOS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oceanbase.com
- System requirements
- Production guidance calls for at least three servers, four CPU cores and 16 GB RAM per server, with SSD storage, at least 20 GB disk and gigabit networking.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.oceanbase.com
- Unified workload engine
- The cloud service runs OLTP, OLAP and AI workloads on one distributed engine.Read 15 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
- Workloads
- The product overview describes support for transactional, analytical, and AI workloads in one database.Read 2 Oct 2026 · en.oceanbase.com
Plans and prices
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Combines transactional, analytical, and AI workloads
- Built-in Oracle and MySQL compatibility
- Supports disaster recovery across node, data-center, and region levels
- Free Community Edition includes full kernel capabilities
Limits
- Production environments require at least three servers
- Docker on Windows and macOS is not validated at scale
- Community Edition does not support security audit
Who it suits
It suits teams that need a distributed database for transactional, analytical, and AI workloads, especially where Oracle or MySQL compatibility matters. Community Edition also supports learning with a standalone instance.
OceanBase Database in depth
Read the full write-up
OceanBase Database is a distributed database built for transactional, analytical and AI workloads. It is best suited to teams consolidating those workloads or migrating applications compatible with Oracle or MySQL. Its open-source edition costs nothing, but production requires at least three servers and Community Edition omits security auditing.
Overview
OceanBase combines several workload types in one horizontally scalable database, with multi-region deployment and compatibility modes for Oracle and MySQL. That makes it a candidate for teams aiming to migrate existing applications or consolidate systems without giving up distributed deployment. Compatibility can ease a transition, but it does not eliminate the operational demands of running a distributed database.
Deployment choices range from open-source Community Edition to self-hosted Enterprise and fully managed OceanBase Cloud across cloud providers. A standalone instance is suitable for learning; production requires at least three servers. That distinction makes OceanBase less suitable for a small production installation with minimal infrastructure.
Key features
Workloads and migration
Support for transactional, analytical and AI workloads in one database is the central reason to consider OceanBase: teams may be able to serve varied needs on a shared platform. Built-in Oracle and MySQL compatibility can simplify migration projects. Java applications can connect through OceanBase Connector/J using JDBC in either OceanBase MySQL or Oracle mode.
Availability and operations
OceanBase supports high availability and disaster recovery at node, data-center and region levels. Those capabilities suit deployments where resilience across infrastructure boundaries matters, though the production server minimum sets a meaningful floor for operating costs and complexity. OceanBase Cloud commits to an SLA of at least 99.99% and is the option for teams that prefer a managed service over operating the database themselves.
For data pipelines, OceanBase documents Kafka integration through Debezium MySQL Connector and Confluent JDBC Sink Connector. The Debezium path does not use an official OceanBase connector, a caveat for teams that require a vendor-maintained integration.
Security and compliance
The Trust Center describes role and permission management, network whitelists, encrypted communication, transparent data encryption and SQL auditing. OceanBase also lists ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 27018, ISO 9001 and ISO 20000 certifications, and completion of the EU Cloud Code of Conduct adherence process. Community Edition does not support security audit, so organizations that require SQL auditing should evaluate Enterprise or Cloud rather than assume the free edition covers that need.
Pricing
OceanBase uses a freemium model. OceanBase Community Edition costs nothing and is an open-source distributed database with full kernel capabilities. It is a strong starting point for learning, evaluation and teams comfortable operating open-source software; the security-audit gap and three-server production requirement are important qualifications.
OceanBase Enterprise has custom pricing and is a commercial self-hosted offering for mission-critical deployments. It fits organizations that need a self-managed commercial option, but custom pricing means buyers should assess cost directly. OceanBase Cloud is fully managed across cloud providers; no plan price is available to compare, so its stated 99.99% minimum SLA is the clearest published buying distinction.
Platforms
OceanBase lists API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows support. Installation packages cover Linux distributions including Alibaba Cloud Linux, CentOS, Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian and Anolis OS. Docker deployment can be used on Windows and macOS for setup outside Linux, but it has not been validated at scale; teams should not treat that route as a proven production platform. The production guidance calls for at least three servers, while standalone deployment is for learning.
Who it's for
OceanBase is a good fit for database teams with distributed infrastructure needs, mixed transactional, analytical and AI workloads, or applications that can benefit from Oracle or MySQL compatibility. Community Edition makes evaluation accessible without a license fee, while Enterprise targets mission-critical self-hosted deployments and Cloud suits teams seeking managed operations. It is a weaker fit for organizations that need a small single-server production database or require security audit support while staying on Community Edition.
Pros and cons
Pros
One database supports transactional, analytical and AI workloads, which can suit teams looking to consolidate varied database needs.
Oracle and MySQL compatibility, plus JDBC support in both modes, gives migration and Java application projects a practical starting point.
Open-source Community Edition costs nothing, and deployment spans self-hosted and managed cloud options.
High availability and disaster recovery extend across nodes, data centers and regions; OceanBase Cloud states a minimum 99.99% SLA.
Cons
Production requires at least three servers, which rules out a minimal standalone production footprint.
Community Edition does not support security audit, limiting its fit where SQL auditing is required.
Docker on Windows and macOS has not been validated at scale, so those deployment paths carry uncertainty for production use.
The documented Kafka integration relies on a Debezium MySQL connector that is not an official OceanBase connector.
Alternatives
Choose MySQL if its GPL-licensed Community Edition and replication and high-availability components better match a conventional SQL or NoSQL application. Choose Amazon RDS for a paid managed database route with a free tier that includes credits valid for up to 12 months, or 750 monthly hours for eligible legacy accounts. Google Cloud SQL is another managed option, with a Cloud SQL Enterprise plan at $0.04 a month, up to 96 vCPUs and a 99.95% SLA.
For teams focused on proxying rather than adopting a distributed database, PgDog offers free open-source software and an Enterprise option; TurbineProxy has a free Apache-2.0 option with no per-query fees; and ShardingSphere-Proxy is a free open-source binary with Docker and Helm deployment. Heimdall Database Proxy offers Standard and Enterprise Plus editions, while PgBouncer is free, self-hosted software for readers seeking a database proxy instead.
Browse Distributed SQL Databases for related database options or Database Proxy Software for proxy tools.
Verdict
Choose OceanBase if you need a distributed database spanning transactional, analytical and AI workloads, and value Oracle or MySQL compatibility alongside open-source and managed deployment paths. Its free Community Edition is a substantial entry point, but the three-server production minimum and missing security audit support make it a poor choice for small production footprints or audit-dependent teams unwilling to move to another edition.
Verdict
OceanBase sets out multiple deployment options and workload types, with a free open-source Community Edition and a managed cloud option. Production use has a stated three-server minimum, and Community Edition lacks security audit support.
Where Specifiction places it
- Database Proxy Software#2 of 319.1
- Distributed SQL Databases#3 of 259.1