If you need an embedded database for a commercial desktop app or on-prem appliance, you should look at SQLite, RocksDB, or LevelDB. Or, you need to buy a commercial license from MongoDB. Assuming you are in Scenario A (standard SaaS/web app) and are safe to use Community Edition, what are you missing versus the paid Enterprise edition? You need to know this before you scale.
However, "free" does not mean "public domain." MongoDB uses a specific license called the . For most internal business applications and standard SaaS products, this license does not affect you. But for database-as-a-service providers (like AWS or Azure), it changes everything. A Brief History: The AGPL, the Cloud Wars, and the SSPL To understand why people are confused, you need a quick history lesson. is mongodb community edition free for commercial use
Let’s say you build a backup software. You decide to use MongoDB as the internal storage engine for your backup catalog. You ship your software to clients (Docker container or binary) that includes a full MongoDB binary inside it. If you need an embedded database for a
You can download it, install it on your own servers (or a VM), and build a multi-million dollar business on top of it without paying MongoDB, Inc. a single cent. You do not need a commercial license to sell a product that uses MongoDB as its backend. You need to know this before you scale
MongoDB got tired of this. They created the Server Side Public License (SSPL) . The SSPL explicitly closes the cloud loophole. It states: If you offer MongoDB as a service to third parties, you must open source all the management software, APIs, and infrastructure code you use to host it.