ObjectBox vs Realm: What are the differences?

Introduction:

ObjectBox and Realm are both popular mobile database solutions for developers. While they have some similarities, there are key differences between the two.

1. Data Model Flexibility: ObjectBox offers a highly flexible data model, allowing developers to easily create and modify their data structures without needing to make any changes to existing data. Realm, on the other hand, enforces a stricter data model and requires developers to explicitly handle schema migrations when making changes to the data structure.

2. Performance: ObjectBox is optimized for performance, offering faster read and write operations compared to Realm. This is achieved through its unique architecture and indexing mechanism, which allows for efficient data retrieval. Realm, although still performant, may face some performance limitations when handling complex queries or large data sets.

3. Relationship Handling: ObjectBox provides built-in support for object relationships, including one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many relationships. This makes it easier for developers to handle related data and perform advanced operations. In contrast, Realm does not have native support for relationships and requires developers to manually handle them by implementing additional logic.

4. Platform Support: ObjectBox supports a wide range of platforms including Android, iOS, and Linux, making it suitable for cross-platform development. On the other hand, Realm provides support for various platforms including Android, iOS, Xamarin, and React Native, offering a slightly wider range of options for developers.

5. Community Support and Adoption: Realm has been in the market for a longer time and has gained significant community support and adoption. This means that developers can find more resources, tutorials, and forums related to Realm, making it easier to find solutions to common problems. ObjectBox, being a relatively newer solution, may have a smaller community and fewer online resources.

6. Licensing Model: ObjectBox offers a more flexible licensing model, including a free Community Edition along with commercial options for larger projects. Realm also provides a free version, but its commercial licensing may be more suitable for enterprise-scale applications.

In Summary, ObjectBox and Realm have key differences in terms of data model flexibility, performance, relationship handling, platform support, community support, and licensing model.