Open Source DocumentDB 1.0 Reaches General Availability
DocumentDB 1.0 is the first generally available release of the open source, MIT-licensed document database built on PostgreSQL, with compatibility for the MongoDB wire protocol. Most MongoDB drivers, tools, and queries work without changes. By Renato Losio
Microsoft announced the open source DocumentDB 1.0 release on the general availability milestone. DocumentDB is a PostgreSQL-based document database that offers MongoDB wire protocol compatibility. Most MongoDB drivers, tools, and queries work without modification. The 1.0 release supports PostgreSQL 15–18 via container images and Linux packages for PostgreSQL 17 and 18. It includes a Kubernetes operator and focuses on security, stability, and fixes for indexing, aggregation, and geospatial queries.
Microsoft initiated the open source project in early 2025, aiming to provide developers with a NoSQL datastore built on PostgreSQL. The project became part of the Linux Foundation shortly after, with support from major database organizations like AWS, Cockroach Labs, Google, Snowflake, and Yugabyte.
A recent InfoQ article explains DocumentDB's permissive MIT license, which allows commercial use, modification, and distribution without disclosing proprietary code. Unlike MongoDB's SSPL, this license contrasts with MongoDB's commercial restrictions. Despite the project's disambiguation page clarifying the distinction between DocumentDB, Azure DocumentDB, and Azure Cosmos DB, confusion persists in the community, particularly regarding the name choice.
Hacker News user marifjeren expressed frustration, suggesting a name change. The open source landscape now offers multiple document database implementations, each providing developers with alternative deployment and infrastructure options while preserving MongoDB compatibility. Product manager Patty Chow at Microsoft explains that multiple implementations allow developers to maintain familiarity with MongoDB drivers and query patterns while exploring different storage and deployment approaches.
Some practitioners remain skeptical about the current level of MongoDB compatibility and express concerns about the DocumentDB-FerretDB relationship. FerretDB, a separate project using DocumentDB extensions, has been benchmarked against DocumentDB with varying results, but the findings are not conclusive. A GitHub issue has reported higher query latency in DocumentDB 1.0 compared to MongoDB 9.0.4, though verification of these results is pending.
The DocumentDB release notes provide upgrade paths and list known issues. The project plans to maintain separate long-term support and development tracks, with its versioning policy still under discussion.
Written by urgent.news from InfoQ's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
