LiteDB vs PouchDB

LiteDB is a free, open-source, serverless .NET NoSQL document database distributed as a single DLL. It stores data in one file and supports ACID transactions, with WAL mode for recovery from write failures. Queries can use SQL-like commands or LINQ, and query EXPLAIN plans are available. LiteDB maps POCO classes to BsonDocument and offers a fluent API for custom mapping. Its intended uses include mobile apps, desktop and local applications, application file formats, web applications, and per-user data stores. FileStorage can keep files and streams in the database, though each root BSON document has a documented 16 MB limit. LiteDB describes itself as thread-safe, with cross-collection transactions, no reader locks, and per-collection writer locks. Password-protected datafile encryption uses salted AES; the documentation specifies ECB mode and says changing or removing a password requires rebuilding the file. LiteDB is free for everyone, including commercial use, under the MIT License. It is installable through NuGet, and the project links to LiteDB.Studio as an administration tool.

PouchDB is a free, open-source JavaScript database for browser and Node.js applications. It keeps documents locally so applications can continue working offline, then synchronizes data bidirectionally with CouchDB-compatible servers when online. The same API is used in browsers and Node.js. Browser storage uses IndexedDB by default, while the documented Node.js adapter uses Node’s native SQLite module with Node.js versions later than 22.5.0. Supported server integrations include CouchDB 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x, Cloudant, and PouchDB Server. PouchDB is framework-agnostic and can work with Angular, React, Ember, Backbone, or another framework. It also runs with Cordova/PhoneGap, NW.js, Electron, and Chrome apps. Documents must be serializable as JSON, and attachments can be base64-encoded strings or Blob objects. Direct synchronization with a non-CouchDB database requires a backend that speaks the CouchDB replication protocol. Platforms listed are Android, API, extension, iOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows. The project lists GitHub Discussions, Slack, and Stack Overflow for discussion.