# apache/couchdb

Seamless multi-primary syncing database with an intuitive HTTP/JSON API, designed for reliability

Repository: https://github.com/apache/couchdb
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/couchdb
Homepage: https://couchdb.apache.org/
Language: Erlang
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: content, network-server, http, cloud, erlang, javascript, couchdb, big-data, network-client, database
Last push: 2026-08-25T19:47:23+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 6314, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 6942, forks 1076 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:51.640156+00:00)

## What it is
Apache CouchDB is an open-source NoSQL document database written in Erlang that stores data as JSON documents and exposes an intuitive HTTP/JSON API. Its defining feature is seamless multi-primary (master-master) replication, enabling offline-first apps and clustered deployments that scale from servers to mobile devices.

## Use cases
- sync data between multiple servers with multi-master replication
- build offline-first mobile and web apps that sync when back online
- store and query JSON documents over a simple HTTP REST API
- run a clustered database across many nodes for reliability
- self-host a document database on my own servers or cloud provider
- store binary attachments alongside JSON documents
- query documents with MapReduce views

## When to choose
- you need multi-primary replication or offline-first sync out of the box
- you want a database that speaks HTTP/JSON natively with no driver layer
- you need a self-hosted, Apache-licensed document store with proven reliability
- you want to scale from a single node to a cluster without changing your data model

## When to avoid
- you need complex ad-hoc joins or relational constraints - use a SQL database
- you require heavy analytical or aggregation workloads - use a columnar or OLAP engine
- you depend on an ecosystem of ORMs and tooling built around SQL or MongoDB
- you need strict ACID transactions across multiple documents

## Facets
- artifact type: service
- maturity: stable
- function: database, http-server, search-engine, serialization
- domain: databases, backend, web-development, self-hosted, microservices
- platform: windows, cross-platform, self-hosted, cloud
- tags: document-database, multi-master-replication, offline-first, -api, mapreduce, erlang, nosql, apache-project, linux, macos, web-server, docker

## Member repositories
- apache/couchdb (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:51.640156+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:41:13.898773+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/apache/couchdb (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:51.640156+00:00, sha 8f3268426ea9)
  - homepage: https://couchdb.apache.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:37:06.509727+00:00, sha eee1d140d5ee)
  - site_page: https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/COUCHDB/Current+Releases (fetched 2026-08-29T08:37:06.512458+00:00, sha 44a7da75c74f)
  - site_page: https://www.apache.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:37:06.514392+00:00, sha 478d57b94d9f)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.