Best Key-Value Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: Amazon DynamoDB is ranked #1 of 30 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of RocksDB and Google Cloud Bigtable. The best-ranked option with a free plan is RocksDB. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Google Cloud Bigtable at $0.03/mo.
Key-value databases provide a way to store and retrieve data through keys and their associated values. Compare deployment models, clustering and multi-region support, as well as persistence modes and supported protocols. TTL support and maximum value size add further technical details, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide cost context. Amazon DynamoDB, Aerospike Database and Upstash Redis appear first in the ranking, followed by Infinispan and Google Cloud Bigtable. Review the 23 entries in order, focusing on the storage, deployment and scale characteristics relevant to your application.
30 key-value databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Amazon DynamoDB iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free Deployment model: cloudMaximum value size: 0.4 MBPersistence modes: disk
- 2 RocksDB iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free
- 3 Google Cloud Bigtable No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$0.03/mo Deployment model: cloudMaximum value size: 100 MBPersistence modes: both
- 4 Upstash Redis No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$0.20/mo Deployment model: cloudMaximum value size: 100 MBPersistence modes: both
- 5 Aerospike Database No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: hybridMaximum value size: 8 MBPersistence modes: both
- 6 Riak KV No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 7 VMware Workstation Pro No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: self_hosted
- 8 etcd No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 9 Infinispan No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 10 Redis Insight No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 11 RonDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 12 TiKV No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: disk
- 13 Cloudflare Workers KV No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1$5/mo Deployment model: cloudMaximum value size: 25 MBPersistence modes: both
- 14 Oracle Database No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Deployment model: hybrid
- 15 AntidoteDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: disk
- 16 Apache Accumulo No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 17 Apache Ignite No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 18 Apache Kvrocks No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: disk
- 19 EloqKV No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: hybridMaximum value size: 256 MBPersistence modes: both
- 20 FoundationDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 21 Hibari No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 22 Tarantool DB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 23 Valkey No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 24 Ristretto No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
- 25 SuperMassive No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment model: self_hostedPersistence modes: both
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which key-value database is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Amazon DynamoDB is ranked #1 of 30 with a score of 7.9. RocksDB is second and Google Cloud Bigtable third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Google Cloud Bigtable has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.03/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.