CouchDB

About CouchDB

Apache CouchDB is an open-source document-oriented database that stores data as JSON documents and exposes an HTTP/JSON API. It runs as a single-node database behind an application server or as a clustered database spread across multiple servers or VMs, with the same API in both configurations. Data is stored using a crash-resistant, append-only structure, and a multi-node cluster replicates data redundantly across nodes for availability.

The database's distinguishing feature is the Couch Replication Protocol, which synchronizes data between server clusters, mobile phones, and web browsers, including over unreliable network connections. This replication model supports offline-first applications, and CouchDB is designed to interoperate with PouchDB, a companion database built for mobile and browser environments that can replicate data with CouchDB. Data retrieval is handled through a query language and an optional MapReduce interface.

CouchDB is aimed at developers building web and native applications that need JSON-native storage, binary data support, and multi-location data synchronization, ranging from single-server setups to globally distributed clusters. It can be deployed on self-managed servers, on hardware such as a Raspberry Pi, or with cloud providers, and includes Fauxton, a web-based administration UI. Management is supported through GitHub for issue tracking and pull requests, along with IRC, Slack, and mailing lists for community discussion and support.

Key features

• Multi-primary replication that syncs data across servers, mobile, and web browsers
• Native JSON document storage with support for binary data
• HTTP/JSON API compatible with proxies and load balancers
• Runs as a single-node database or scales to a multi-node cluster
• Enables offline-first applications with automatic data sync on reconnect
• Crash-resistant append-only storage with redundant multi-node data replication

Frequently asked questions