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Matisse review

#34 of 37 in Relational Databases

A specialized self-hosted database for applications that need object persistence and SQL.

6.1/10Editor score
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Matisse is a self-hosted post-relational database for developers and organizations building complex, real-time applications. Its central focus is object-oriented data: native object persistence and object-oriented data support sit alongside ANSI SQL, XML storage and processing, referential integrity, full-text search and server-side programming. The product is suited to teams whose applications need object persistence without giving up relational access, and to organizations working with structured, interconnected data across Windows, macOS or Linux.

Pricing is organized around a limited-feature Developer trial, Matisse Lite at $245, and Standard Edition at $1,570. Matisse Lite is an embedded version of the Matisse DBMS, while Standard Edition adds a deployment license. The published plans show a paid product rather than a free edition, so the most relevant choice depends on whether the database is embedded within an application or deployed as a licensed database system. Teams should also account for the operational responsibilities that come with self-hosted deployment.

Matisse’s strongest distinction is the combination of object persistence with database capabilities commonly needed in complex applications. Stored methods, procedures and triggers support server-side logic; dynamic schema evolution allows changes while the database remains online; and database and disk mirroring, data partitioning, linear SMP scalability, online backup and full transaction support address deployment and availability requirements. JDBC and ODBC connectivity, plus integrations with Visual Studio .NET, JBuilder, NetBeans, Forte for Java and Rational Rose, broaden development options. Choose Matisse when its object-oriented model and specialized feature set match the application. Choose another database when a broader general-purpose ecosystem or a cloud-first deployment model is the priority.

Matisse pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Native object persistence, XML storage and ANSI SQL support
    • Online schema evolution, mirroring, partitioning and backups
    • Supports Windows, macOS and Linux with JDBC and ODBC connectivity
  • Where it doesn't
    • Paid editions start at $245
    • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure management
    • Feature breadth is specialized rather than broadly general-purpose

Matisse fact sheet, pricing and score →

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