NoSQL
Definition
A type of database that organizes data into some data structure other than the two-dimensional tables seen in relational databases. Also called non-relational databases, NoSQL databases can be document-based (like MongoDB), column-based (like Apache Cassandra), graph-based (like Neo4j), or key-value (like DynamoDB). Other flavors of NoSQL databases do exist, including hybrids, but these are the most commonly-used.
| Database Type | Use Cases | Cloud Examples | Self-hosted Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key-Value | ECommerce, recommendation engines, high-traffic | DynamoDB, CosmosDB, BigTable | Redis |
| Column | Business intelligence, data warehousing | Keyspaces, CosmosDB | Apache Cassandra |
| Graph | Recommendation engines, fraud detection, social networks | Neptune | Neo4j |
| Document | Content management systems, user profiles, product information | DocumentDB, CosmosDB, Firestore | MongoDB |