RethinkDB
Ranked 3 of 3 document databases by recommenders
People recommend RethinkDB as a document store that didn't lose data. Its company shut down, so critics warn that the engine is no longer officially maintained.
People recommend RethinkDB as a document store that didn't lose data. Its company shut down, so critics warn that the engine is no longer officially maintained.
7 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 71%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Seen as superior, data-safe document store
“RethinkDB was a great document store that didn't eat your data.”
Comment from 10 Dec 2025 in “Show HN: Gemini Pro 3 imagines the HN front page 10 years from now” “RethinkDB, a superior product was shut down”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “Ideas are cheap, execution is cheaper” Fans wish it had succeeded
“I wish that RethinkDB had seen more attention and success”
Comment from 15 Apr 2026 in “Do You Even Need a Database?” “falling in love with a dead database (RIP RethinkDB)”
Comment from 8 Jun 2026 in “Ask HN: What are tools you have made for yourself since the advent of AI”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Stranded without active maintenance
“now defunct RethinkDB mean if the primary company went under you're stuck with a dead DB engine”
Comment from 2 Dec 2025 in “Gel Joins Vercel” “projects I thought would really become essential to my work but slowly faded away”
Comment from 16 Oct 2026 in “Thank You, Deno”
Other document databases people recommend
The two most recommended other document databases, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MongoDB | 52 | 139 | 27% | 12 | 10 yrs6 owners | — |
| Firebase Firestore | 6 | 7 | 46% | 4 | — | — |
| RethinkDBThis page | 5 | 2 | 71% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
All 7 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“projects I thought would really become essential to my work but slowly faded away”
“falling in love with a dead database (RIP RethinkDB)”
“I wish that RethinkDB had seen more attention and success”
“RethinkDB, a superior product was shut down”
“Unofficially it's still pretty great.”
“RethinkDB was a great document store that didn't eat your data.”
“now defunct RethinkDB mean if the primary company went under you're stuck with a dead DB engine”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.