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It's a split decision.
InfluxDB is a time-series database for continuous, high-resolution operational data, with self-managed and hosted options. MongoDB is a document database platform for application data, with Atlas cloud services and self-managed software. Choose InfluxDB when fast time-series ingest, downsampling and cold-data routing are central to your architecture. Choose MongoDB when you want a document model, one query API, and services for search, vector search and stream processing. Both offer free options and self-hosting; their pricing and workload focus differ.
01Side by side
| InfluxDB | MongoDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Serverless metering; custom enterprise and dedicated plans | Hourly Atlas clusters; Flex and dedicated tiers |
| Free tier | Core is free forever; no HA or enterprise security | M0 is free forever; 512 MB storage |
| Self-hosting | Run on-premises, at the edge, or in cloud | Self-managed Community Edition and Enterprise Advanced |
| API and SDKs | Client libraries for Python, JavaScript, Go, C#, Java | Document model with a single query API |
| Integrations | Grafana, lakes, warehouses, AI/ML pipelines | Integrates with 100+ technologies |
| Deployment model | On-premises, edge, cloud, AWS-managed option | Atlas across clouds or self-managed |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Limits and scaling | Built for millions of series and high-speed ingest | M0 allows up to 100 operations per second |
InfluxDB Choose InfluxDB if
- Choose InfluxDB if time-series ingest is your primary workload.
- Choose InfluxDB if edge-to-cloud continuity matters to your pipeline.
- Choose InfluxDB if you need cold-data streaming to lakes or warehouses.
MongoDB Choose MongoDB if
- Choose MongoDB if your application data fits a document model.
- Choose MongoDB if you need Atlas Search or Vector Search.
- Choose MongoDB if you want cloud or self-managed deployment options.
02Pricing at real usage
InfluxDB 3 Core is free forever for local development and prototyping, but has no high availability or enterprise security. Cloud Serverless includes $250 in free credit, then charges $0.0025 per MB written, $0.012 per 100 query executions, $0.002 per GB-hour stored and $0.09 per GB transferred out. Dedicated and Enterprise plans use custom pricing; the pricing page lists no standard monthly subscription price.
MongoDB Atlas Free (M0) is free forever, with 512 MB storage, 32 MB sort memory and up to 100 operations per second. Flex starts at $0.011 per hour, includes 5 GB storage, and the pricing page lists usage costs of $8–$30 per month. Dedicated clusters start at $56.94 per month, with hourly rates varying by cluster size. Atlas bills clusters hourly, with monthly invoices. Compare expected writes, queries, storage and transfer for InfluxDB, and cluster size and runtime for MongoDB.
03API, SDKs and integration
InfluxDB is built for time-series data: its stated capabilities include high-speed ingest, real-time analytics, compression, downsampling and cold-data eviction. InfluxData lists client libraries for Python, JavaScript, Go, C# and Java, along with integrations for Grafana, data lakes, warehouses and AI/ML pipelines. The homepage links developers to its developer resources, but does not specify a CLI or protocol in the listed details.
MongoDB uses a document model and a single query API for application data. Its platform includes database, search, vector search, stream processing, analytics and graph capabilities. MongoDB lists integrations with 100+ technologies and links to documentation, Community Forums and University learning resources. Its homepage also lists Compass, a GUI for working with MongoDB data. The product details here do not identify specific SDK languages or a CLI, so check the current documentation for your language and deployment before choosing an integration path.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
InfluxDB 3 Core is open source and free to run on Linux, Mac and Docker. InfluxDB also supports on-premises and edge deployments, as well as cloud hosting. Its cold-data eviction can stream data to lakes, warehouses and AI/ML pipelines, which offers an integration path beyond the database. The vendor does not specify export formats in these product details.
MongoDB offers Community Edition for local development and self-managed software for teams running their own infrastructure; Enterprise Advanced adds a commercial license and support. MongoDB's homepage does not identify the Community Edition license in its product details. Atlas runs across clouds, but the vendor does not specify data export terms here. Before committing, check export formats, migration tooling, and any costs tied to moving data or workloads. MongoDB lists Relational Migrator for moving applications to MongoDB, not as an export tool.
Questions people ask
Who is MongoDB's biggest competitor?
There is no single competitor for every MongoDB workload. InfluxDB competes for time-series data pipelines, while MongoDB targets document-centric applications and includes search, analytics and stream-processing services. The right comparison depends on whether the workload is continuous operational time series or application data.
Is InfluxDB SQL or NoSQL?
InfluxData describes InfluxDB as a time-series database built for continuous, high-resolution operational data. The product details here do not classify it as SQL or NoSQL, so check the documentation for the query language and interface supported by the InfluxDB version you plan to deploy.
Is MongoDB still relevant in 2026?
MongoDB is actively presenting Atlas and MongoDB 9.0, alongside services for search, vector search, stream processing and AI applications. Whether it fits a project depends on its document model and operational needs; feature announcements alone do not determine performance or suitability for a specific workload.
Does NASA use MongoDB?
MongoDB's product pages do not identify NASA as a customer, so we cannot confirm that claim from the vendor's published product information. If this affects a procurement decision, ask MongoDB for a verifiable customer reference and confirm the deployment and workload involved.