FoundationDB
Open-source distributed key-value store from Apple with ACID transactions across the whole cluster.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Linux, macOS, Self-hosted
Is FoundationDB free?
Yes, free and open source
- License:
- Apache-2.0
Checked on FoundationDB's site Nov 8, 2026
Switch from FoundationDB to
All 5
CockroachDBFree trial: 30 days with $400 credit
TiDBFree plan: TiDB Cloud Starter, $0/month base
PostgreSQLOpen source
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About FoundationDB
FoundationDB is a distributed database that stores data as an ordered key-value store and runs every operation inside ACID transactions, even when data is spread across many servers. Instead of offering a rich query language itself, it is meant as a foundation: teams build 'layers' on top of it for documents, records, queues or SQL-like access, which is why it calls itself multi-model. Apple maintains it as an open-source project under the Apache 2.0 licence, and it has a reputation for reliability thanks to a deterministic simulation framework used to test failure scenarios. Client and server packages are published for macOS and Linux, with language bindings for C, Python, Ruby, Java and Go. There is no official hosted service or company selling support, so it suits experienced infrastructure teams who want a strongly consistent storage core and are prepared to run, tune and build on it themselves.
Best for: Infrastructure teams building their own data layers on a strongly consistent distributed store.
Pros and cons
What works
- ACID transactions across a distributed cluster
- Free and open source under Apache 2.0
- Heavily tested with deterministic failure simulation
- Official bindings for C, Python, Ruby, Java and Go
Why people leave
- Low-level key-value API; queries and schemas need layers on top
- No official managed cloud service or vendor support plan
- Current Windows packages are not offered for recent versions
FoundationDB vs CockroachDB, TiDB and PostgreSQL
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | FoundationDB | CockroachDB | TiDB | PostgreSQL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Open source | Paid | Open source | Open source |
| Verified price | — | 30 days with $400 credit | — | — |
| Free plan | Free app | No | TiDB Cloud Starter, $0/month base | Free app |
| Open source | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Self-hosted | Web, Self-hosted | Web, Linux, Self-hosted | Linux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted |
Top FoundationDB alternatives
See all 5- 1CockroachDB69.4
Strongly consistent distributed SQL with a Postgres-compatible interface, no custom layers needed.
- 2TiDB68.8
Distributed SQL on a similar transactional key-value core, with MySQL compatibility and a managed cloud.
- 3PostgreSQL61.8
Mature relational database with rich SQL, enough for most apps that don't need multi-node writes.
- 4
Couchbase Server57.2Distributed document database with its own SQL-like query language and commercial support.
- 5
etcd50.0Strongly consistent transactional key-value store using Raft; suits smaller metadata workloads, not terabytes.
Why people left FoundationDB
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from FoundationDB, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
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Write a review of FoundationDB
FoundationDB: common questions
What is FoundationDB?
FoundationDB: Open-source distributed key-value store from Apple with ACID transactions across the whole cluster. Best for infrastructure teams building their own data layers on a strongly consistent distributed store. Available for Linux and macOS, and you can host it yourself.
Is FoundationDB free?
Yes. FoundationDB is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is FoundationDB open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at apple/foundationdb. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does FoundationDB run on?
FoundationDB is available for Linux, macOS and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to FoundationDB?
The highest-ranked FoundationDB alternatives right now are CockroachDB, TiDB and PostgreSQL. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
FoundationDB vs CockroachDB: what's the difference?
FoundationDB is free and open source; CockroachDB is a paid product. FoundationDB is open source and CockroachDB is not. Only FoundationDB runs on Linux and macOS. Only CockroachDB runs on Web.