RethinkDB review
A capable self-hosted JSON database for realtime apps, with no managed cloud or transactions.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
RethinkDB is an open-source, distributed document database for developers building realtime web and mobile applications. It stores schemaless JSON documents and uses the chainable ReQL query language for queries, joins, aggregation, indexing, and data manipulation. Its strongest fit is a team that wants to run its own database infrastructure while pushing changing query results to applications through realtime changefeeds.
The standout capability is the changefeed model, which can push query updates as data changes rather than requiring applications to repeatedly check for updates. That feature sits alongside distributed sharding and replication, automatic failover, secondary, compound, geospatial, and computed indexes, plus web-based administration and cluster management. Hot backup and restore utilities add operational coverage, while built-in TLS network encryption and user permissions support protected deployments. RethinkDB can run on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with an API and documented third-party PaaS deployment options. Integrations include Elasticsearch, RabbitMQ, and Ruby on Rails.
RethinkDB is free and open source, with no paid plan structure to evaluate. Its published feature set covers the core needs of realtime JSON applications, including clustering, backups, queries, and encryption, but it is a narrower choice for teams requiring transactions, vector search, or a vendor-managed cloud service. The documentation recommends a 16 MB document limit for memory-performance reasons, despite stating there is no hard limit on document size. Choose RethinkDB when self-hosting and realtime updates are central requirements; choose an alternative when managed cloud operations, transactions, or vector search are necessary.
RethinkDB pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Realtime changefeeds push updated query results to applications
- Sharding, replication, failover, and high availability are built in
- Free, open-source deployment with TLS and user permissions
- Where it doesn't
- No managed-cloud offering
- Transactions and vector search are not available
- Documented integrations are limited to Elasticsearch, RabbitMQ, and Rails
RethinkDB fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update