Cloudant vs CouchDB: What are the differences?

Cloudant and CouchDB are both NoSQL databases that are designed to provide horizontal scalability, high availability, and seamless replication. While both databases share many similarities, there are several key differences between Cloudant and CouchDB.

1. Storage: One of the main differences between Cloudant and CouchDB is the underlying storage mechanism. Cloudant uses a hybrid storage engine that combines the power of both a key-value store and a document-oriented database. This allows Cloudant to provide high-performance querying and indexing capabilities. On the other hand, CouchDB uses a single-file storage model, where each document is stored as an individual file. This can lead to some performance limitations, especially when dealing with large databases.

2. Deployment Options: Another difference between Cloudant and CouchDB is the deployment options they offer. Cloudant is a managed database service that is hosted in the cloud and fully managed by IBM. This means that users don't have to worry about server management, backups, or infrastructure scaling, as all of these aspects are taken care of by the Cloudant team. CouchDB, on the other hand, can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud, giving users more flexibility and control over their database deployment.

3. Replication Protocol: Cloudant and CouchDB both support replication, which allows data to be synchronized across multiple instances of the database. However, there is a difference in the replication protocol used by these databases. CouchDB uses a protocol called "Merkle Tree" replication, which ensures that only the changes between the source and target databases are transmitted over the network. This can result in faster replication and reduced bandwidth usage. Cloudant, on the other hand, uses a custom replication protocol that is optimized for their hybrid storage engine. While it still provides efficient replication, it may not be as lightweight as CouchDB's approach.

4. Integration with IBM Services: Cloudant is part of the IBM Cloud ecosystem and offers seamless integration with other IBM services, such as Watson, Analytics Engine, and Cloud Functions. This allows developers to leverage these services directly from their Cloudant databases and build more powerful applications. CouchDB, on the other hand, is a standalone database and does not provide the same level of integration with IBM services.

5. Backup and Restore: Cloudant offers automated and incremental backup and restore capabilities, allowing users to easily recover their data in case of any unforeseen events. Cloudant also provides point-in-time recovery, which allows users to restore their databases to a specific point in time. CouchDB, on the other hand, does not provide built-in backup and restore functionality. Users have to rely on manual backup strategies and third-party tools to backup and restore their CouchDB databases.

6. Data Centers Availability: Cloudant provides global data centers availability, which ensures that users' databases are replicated across multiple geographical locations. This allows for better data availability and disaster recovery in case of any regional outages or failures. CouchDB, on the other hand, does not offer the same level of global data center availability as Cloudant.

In Summary, Cloudant and CouchDB have several key differences, including storage mechanism, deployment options, replication protocol, integration with IBM services, backup and restore capabilities, and data center availability.