DocumentDB at a glance

• Open-source project released under the MIT licence
• Project maintained by the Linux Foundation
• Document database built on PostgreSQL
• Native BSON document storage
• MongoDB protocol compatibility through DocumentDB Gateway (which replaces the proxy originally known as FerretDB)
• Support for single-field, compound, multikey, text and geospatial indexes
• Connect using mongosh and leading MongoDB protocol-compatible drivers

Document flexibility backed by PostgreSQL reliability

DocumentDB combines the developer-friendly model of a document database with PostgreSQL’s proven ecosystem.

Applications can work with BSON documents and query their data using the MongoDB Query Language. DocumentDB translates these queries into operations that PostgreSQL executes to store and process the data.

This architecture provides:

• A flexible data model designed for modern applications
• Advanced indexing and search capabilities
• The maturity and portability of PostgreSQL
• A fully open-source solution with no dependency on proprietary licensing

A smoother transition for MongoDB applications

DocumentDB provides a MongoDB protocol-compatible interface. Applications can continue using the same protocol, many of their existing drivers and familiar tools. The changes required will, however, depend on the commands and features each application uses.

Compatibility covers a broad range of commands, queries and aggregation operations. It should nevertheless be validated against the specific features used by each application.

Compatibility note

Compatibility with the MongoDB protocol does not mean that every MongoDB feature and behaviour is reproduced identically.

Some administrative commands, advanced options or combinations of operators may not be supported or may behave differently. Feature coverage also continues to evolve between DocumentDB releases.

We therefore recommend testing your application’s critical queries, indexes and workflows before carrying out any production migration.

Join the testing programme

Clever Cloud is currently preparing to make DocumentDB on PostgreSQL available through its platform. Our teams are testing its operation, compatibility and platform integration across a range of applications and workloads.

Would you like to test DocumentDB with your application and share your feedback with us? Apply to join the testing programme by completing the form below.