Facts read 28 Sep 2026 – 21 Oct 2026
Relational databases organize structured data for applications, with deployment and operating choices that can vary across products. Compare deployment model and managed service to consider how each fits your operational approach. Backup retention, high availability, read replicas, and maximum connections offer further criteria for continuity and capacity; JSON data support may also factor into application needs. SQLite, RaimaDB, and MySQL are among the entries, along with Aiven for PostgreSQL and Amazon RDS. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing let you consider cost alongside these technical and deployment details. Weigh the listed characteristics against the data and operations your application requires.
| Name | In a line | Record score | Price from | Try it free | Runs on | Facts read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 SQLite | SQLite suits developers needing an embedded database, particularly for device-local data with low writer concurrency and less than a terabyte of content. | 6.6 | $2,000 one-time | Free plan | Android, iPhone & iPad, Web, Windows | 19 Oct 2026 |
| 02 Azure SQL Database | Azure SQL Database suits teams building modern applications, mission-critical workloads, or AI-ready architectures. | 6.0 | Free plan | Free plan | Android, iPhone & iPad, Web, Windows | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 03 Aiven for PostgreSQL | The free tier is positioned for learning and prototypes, while Developer suits test and personal projects. | 5.8 | $5 a month | Free plan | Web, API, Self-hosted | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 04 HSQLDB | HSQLDB suits developers and organizations looking for a self-hosted Java relational database with embedded or server deployment. | 5.8 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, API | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 05 IBM Db2 | 5.8 | $630 a month | Free plan | Web, Windows, Linux, API | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| 06 MySQL | 5.7 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, API | 28 Sep 2026 | |
| 07 Matisse | 5.6 | $245 one-time | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux | 11 Oct 2026 | |
| 08 InterSystems IRIS | InterSystems IRIS is positioned for teams building data-intensive, mission-critical applications that need database, integration, and analytics capabilities. | 5.2 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 1 Oct 2026 |
| 09 Google Cloud SQL | Cloud SQL suits organizations needing managed MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server databases in the cloud. | 5.1 | $0.04 usage-based | Free trial | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 29 Sep 2026 |
| 10 Microsoft SQL Server | SQL Server suits organizations and developers that need a database engine, data integration, or data virtualization. | 5.1 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Linux, API, Self-hosted | 11 Oct 2026 |
SQLite suits developers needing an embedded database, particularly for device-local data with low writer concurrency and less than a terabyte of content.
Azure SQL Database suits teams building modern applications, mission-critical workloads, or AI-ready architectures.
AndroidiPhone & iPadWeb+4The free tier is positioned for learning and prototypes, while Developer suits test and personal projects.
WebAPISelf-hostedHSQLDB suits developers and organizations looking for a self-hosted Java relational database with embedded or server deployment.
WindowsMacLinux+2InterSystems IRIS is positioned for teams building data-intensive, mission-critical applications that need database, integration, and analytics capabilities.
Cloud SQL suits organizations needing managed MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server databases in the cloud.
SQL Server suits organizations and developers that need a database engine, data integration, or data virtualization.
Neon suits developers and teams building relational database-backed projects that need managed cloud hosting, branching, or programmatic administration.
Amazon RDS suits teams that want a managed relational database with multiple engine choices.
Firebird suits developers and administrators needing a self-hosted relational database with SQL, monitoring, security, backup, and multiple deployment architectures.
RaimaDB suits teams building embedded, edge, IoT, or real-time systems that need transactional storage.
H2 suits developers who need a Java SQL database with embedded or server operation and standard SQL and JDBC support.
Zen suits developers and organizations building embedded or distributed applications that need local data processing and database access.
It suits developers and organizations seeking a self-hosted relational database for applications, analytics, transaction data, or embedded deployments.
PostgreSQL is suited to developers building applications and administrators focused on data integrity and fault-tolerant environments.
ALTIBASE may suit teams seeking a Linux-based database with in-memory, on-disk, or hybrid deployment and replication options.
AWS identifies enterprise applications, multi-tenant SaaS, and globally distributed applications as Aurora workloads.
