Best Mobile Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: Espresso is ranked #1 of 26 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Firebase Cloud Messaging and Firestore. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Firebase Cloud Messaging. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Hive at $5/mo.
When an app needs to store data on mobile devices, compare database options by how they handle offline use, synchronization, and conflicts. The ranking begins with Ditto, Firestore, and ObjectBox, followed by RxDB and Drift. Mobile platform support and SDK languages can help you assess development fit, while monthly sync limits provide another capacity detail to check. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Couchbase Lite, Isar, and Parse Platform are also among the entries to consider against these criteria.
26 mobile 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 Espresso iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free Offline mode: YesData synchronization: noneMobile platforms: Android, iOS
- 2 Firebase Cloud Messaging iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free Offline mode: YesData synchronization: bidirectionalMobile platforms: iOS and Android
- 3 Firestore iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free
- 4 Ditto iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free Offline mode: YesData synchronization: bidirectionalMobile platforms: iOS, Android
- 5 Hive iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8$5/mo Offline mode: YesData synchronization: noneMobile platforms: iOS and Android
- 6 Isar iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free Offline mode: YesMobile platforms: iOS, Android
- 7 ObjectBox iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free
- 8 RxDB iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8$99/mo
- 9 LiteDB iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free
- 10 TBase iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free Mobile platforms: iOS, Android
- 11 Drift iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3 Offline mode: YesData synchronization: bidirectionalMobile platforms: Android, iOS
- 12 Parse Platform iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3 Offline mode: YesData synchronization: bidirectionalMobile platforms: iOS, Android, Flutter/Dart
- 13 Couchbase Lite iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0
- 14 FMDB iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8 Offline mode: YesData synchronization: noneMobile platforms: iOS
- 15 SQLite.swift iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8Free Offline mode: YesData synchronization: noneMobile platforms: iOS
- 16 WatermelonDB iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8 Offline mode: YesData synchronization: bidirectionalMobile platforms: iOS, Android
- 17 GRDB.swift iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.7 Offline mode: YesMobile platforms: iOS
- 18 Mimer SQL Mobile Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.7 Offline mode: YesMobile platforms: Android, Linux, Nucleus, OSE, Windows Mobile
- 19 CloudKit iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6 Offline mode: NoData synchronization: bidirectionalMobile platforms: iOS, iPadOS
- 20 Realm iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6Free Mobile platforms: iOS, Android, Xamarin
- 21 Sparksee iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6
- 22 SQLDelight iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 23 AWS Amplify DataStore No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Offline mode: YesData synchronization: bidirectionalMobile platforms: iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter
- 24 PouchDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Offline mode: YesData synchronization: bidirectional
- 25 GUN No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1
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 mobile database is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Espresso is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 7.9. Firebase Cloud Messaging is second and Firestore third.
How many of these have a free plan?
13 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Hive has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/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.