10 Best Databases for Web Application Development in 2024

You’ve built a visually appealing web application and you think that’s all you need to survive in today’s digital landscape. While it’s true that a captivating UX/UI is imperative to engage customers, it’s also important to build a robust backend.

You can only expect your web application to keep the users engaged if it delivers a balance between user-friendliness and seamless processing.

You can only expect your web application to keep the users engaged if it delivers a balance between user-friendliness and seamless processing.

Get in touch with a professional web development company to know which database can cater to your web app’s objectives in terms of scalability and robustness.

In the meantime, here’s a list of the top 10 most popular web application databases you can choose to build a high-performance web app in 2023.

MySQL

MySQL has been a go-to choice for web developers for years, and it remains a strong contender in 2023. It is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) known for its reliability, performance, and ease of use. With a large community and continuous updates, MySQL supports both small-scale and large-scale web applications.

Pros

• MYSQL is known for its reliability and stability. It’s been used in enterprise-level applications for many years, and Microsoft provides regular updates and support.
• It can handle large amounts of data and scale as your web application grows. You can also use features like Azure SQL Database to easily scale up or down as needed.
• It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft technologies, like .NET and Azure, making it a good choice if your web app relies on these technologies.

Cons

• Licensing for Microsoft SQL Server can be expensive, especially for larger applications.
• Setting up and managing MYSQL can be complex, especially for beginners. It may require dedicated database administrators to optimize and maintain.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL, often referred to as Postgres, is another open-source RDBMS that has gained popularity due to its advanced features and robustness. It supports complex data types, and JSON data, and has a strong focus on data integrity. PostgreSQL’s extensibility and support for various programming languages make it a versatile choice for web development.

Pros

• PostgreSQL is an open-source database management system, which means it’s freely available and has a large community of users and developers contributing to its improvement.
• PostgreSQL offers advanced features such as support for JSON, arrays, store (key-value storage), full-text search, and geospatial data.
• It allows you to define your own data types, operators, and functions, giving you a high degree of control over your database schema.

Cons

• While PostgreSQL is highly customizable, optimizing its performance for specific use cases may require more effort and expertise.
• PostgreSQL has fewer GUI tools compared to some commercial databases like Microsoft SQL Server. You might need to rely more on command-line tools and third-party GUI applications.

MongoDB

MongoDB is a leading NoSQL database known for its flexibility in handling unstructured or semi-structured data. It is an excellent choice for web applications dealing with large volumes of data, such as social networks, e-commerce, and content management systems. MongoDB’s scalability and support for horizontal scaling are key advantages.

Pros:

• MongoDB is a NoSQL database, which means it is schema-less. This flexibility allows you to store and retrieve data without a rigid, predefined schema, making it well-suited for applications with evolving or unpredictable data structures.
• MongoDB can offer high read and write performance, especially for certain use cases. It uses a flexible data model and allows for sharding, which can improve query performance.
• Data is stored in BSON (Binary JSON) format, which is similar to JSON. This makes it easy to work with JavaScript-based web applications, as data can be manipulated directly in its native format.

Cons:

• MongoDB is not fully ACID-compliant by default. While it supports some ACID properties, you may need to take extra steps to ensure data consistency, which could be a concern for certain applications.
• MongoDB can be memory-intensive, and you may need to allocate sufficient memory to achieve optimal performance.

Redis

Redis is an in-memory data store that excels in providing high-speed data retrieval. It’s often used as a cache or as a backend for real-time applications. In 2023, Redis continues to be a top choice for web developers looking to optimize their application’s performance, especially when it comes to handling frequently accessed data.

Pros:

• Redis supports a variety of data structures like strings, lists, sets, and hashes. This makes it versatile for different use cases, from caching to real-time analytics.
• Redis is often used as a caching layer to reduce the load on primary databases. Its fast read speeds make it an excellent choice for caching frequently accessed data.
• Redis is often used as a caching layer to reduce the load on primary databases. Its fast read speeds make it an excellent choice for caching frequently accessed data.

Cons:

• Redis is primarily a key-value store, which means it’s not suitable for complex queries. You can’t perform operations like joins or aggregations that are common in relational databases.
• Since Redis stores data in memory, the size of your dataset is limited by the available RAM. Extremely large datasets may require significant memory resources.

Cassandra

Apache Cassandra is a distributed NoSQL database designed for scalability and fault tolerance. It’s an ideal choice for web applications with massive datasets that need to be distributed across multiple servers or even data centers. Cassandra’s architecture ensures high availability and can handle large volumes of writes and reads.

Pros:

• Cassandra is built with fault tolerance in mind. Data is replicated across multiple nodes, and even if some nodes fail, the system can continue to operate without significant downtime.
• There is no single point of failure in a Cassandra cluster due to its distributed architecture. This enhances the overall reliability of your application.
• Cassandra excels at write-heavy workloads, making it suitable for applications with a significant amount of data ingestion.

Cons:

• Setting up and managing a Cassandra cluster can be complex, especially for those new to distributed databases. Proper configuration and maintenance are crucial.
• Cassandra does not support joins between tables, so you may need to handle complex relationships between data entities in your application code.

SQLite

SQLite is a lightweight and self-contained database engine often used in mobile and embedded applications. However, it can also be a great choice for smaller web applications or projects with a limited budget. Its simplicity and zero-configuration setup make it an attractive option for quick development.

Pros:

• SQLite is a serverless database engine, meaning it doesn’t require a separate server process. It operates as a self-contained library within your application, making it lightweight and easy to deploy.
• There is no complex setup or configuration required for SQLite. You can create a database file and start using it immediately.
• SQLite can be embedded directly into applications, making it a suitable choice for desktop or mobile applications where you want a local database without the need for a separate database server.

Cons:

• Since SQLite is serverless, it lacks the client-server model that some other databases offer. This can be a limitation for web applications that require concurrent access from multiple clients.
• SQLite is not designed for handling large-scale applications with extensive data storage and high traffic loads.

Amazon Aurora

Amazon Aurora is a cloud-native relational database service provided by AWS. It’s designed for high performance and scalability, making it an excellent choice for web applications hosted on the AWS infrastructure. Aurora offers compatibility with MySQL and PostgreSQL, making migration easier for developers.

Pros:

• Amazon Aurora is built for high performance, with low latency and high throughput, making it suitable for applications that require fast database access.
• Aurora is compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL, which means you can migrate existing applications without significant code changes.
• Aurora offers auto-scaling capabilities, allowing your database to automatically adjust its capacity based on workload, which can help handle traffic spikes and reduce costs during low-traffic periods.

Cons:

• While Aurora offers many benefits, it can be more expensive than traditional self-hosted databases, especially as your storage and compute capacity requirements increase.
• Using Amazon Aurora ties you to the AWS ecosystem, which can be a concern if you want to maintain flexibility or migrate to another cloud provider or on-premises infrastructure.

Microsoft SQL Server

For web applications running on the Microsoft technology stack, Microsoft SQL Server remains a strong choice. It’s a robust and feature-rich relational database system that integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, including Azure services. In 2023, it continues to be a top choice for Windows-based web applications.

Pros:

• Microsoft SQL Server is known for its reliability and stability. It’s widely used in enterprise-level applications and comes with strong support from Microsoft.
• SQL Server can handle large volumes of data and can scale both vertically and horizontally to accommodate growing application needs.
• SQL Server offers robust security features, including encryption, auditing, and access controls, which are essential for protecting sensitive data.

Cons:

• SQL Server can be resource-intensive in terms of hardware and memory requirements, potentially leading to higher hosting costs.
• SQL Server can be complex to set up and manage, especially for beginners. It may require dedicated database administrators for optimization and maintenance.

Neo4j

Neo4j is a graph database that specializes in managing and querying highly connected data. It’s the go-to choice for applications that rely heavily on relationships, such as social networks, recommendation engines, and fraud detection systems. Neo4j’s expressive query language, Cypher, simplifies working with graph data.

Pros:

• Neo4j is designed for graph data, making it an ideal choice for applications that have data with complex relationships, such as social networks, recommendation engines, and knowledge graphs.
• It excels at querying and traversing graph data, which can result in fast and efficient queries, especially when dealing with deep and complex relationships.
• It allows dynamic and flexible data modeling. You can add or modify relationships and properties without the need for rigid schema changes.

Cons:

• Neo4j can be memory-intensive, and the amount of RAM required increases with the size of the graph, potentially leading to higher hosting costs.
• Neo4j is not the best choice for all types of applications. It excels in applications with complex relationships but may not be suitable for more straightforward tabular data.

Firebase

Firebase, a Google Cloud product, is a real-time NoSQL database that offers backend-as-a-service (BaaS) capabilities. It’s designed for the rapid development of web and mobile applications, offering features like authentication, hosting, and cloud functions in addition to its database. Firebase is an excellent choice for startups and projects requiring rapid prototyping.

Pros:

• Firebase provides robust authentication services, including email/password, social media logins (Google, Facebook, etc.), and custom authentication. This simplifies user management and security implementation.
• Firebase Hosting allows you to deploy web applications quickly, with built-in SSL, CDN, and automatic scaling. It also supports continuous deployment from popular version control systems.
• Firebase offers real-time analytics, including user engagement tracking, conversion tracking, and crash reporting, enabling you to make data-driven decisions for your application.

Cons:

• Firebase Realtime Database has limitations in querying and indexing compared to more robust database systems.
• Firebase has a generous free tier, costs can add up as your application scales, especially if you have high data storage or bandwidth requirements.

Conclusion

Web applications have become an integral part of running a business in 2023. From startups to large enterprises, all businesses can benefit from launching dynamic and feature-packed web applications. However, this is only possible when these web solutions are backed by a robust database. A high-performance database will ensure a seamless user experience and data management, resulting in fewer roadblocks in the long run. Evaluate your project’s requirements, budget, and scalability needs, and choose the database that best aligns with your goals. Or, contact our professional web development team and we’ll assist you with choosing the best database for your business.