SlateDB

What hackers pick instead

• SQLiteAn extensively tested, zero-maintenance embedded database that handles far more load than expected for many apps, though concurrent writes and growing server apps can outgrow it.847recommend
• PGliteReal Postgres compiled to WASM that runs embedded in apps and tests, avoiding Docker for quick isolated instances. Critics note it allows only one writer connection.49recommend
• DuckDB WASMLets people run SQL queries directly in the browser against local data such as Parquet files, without a backend server. Critics note the WebAssembly build lacks some features of the native version and the download is heavy.11recommend
• StoolapPeople recommend Stoolap as a pure Rust embedded SQL database with good documentation, a substantial test suite and full ACID compliance, though it is very new and critics doubt it is ready for production data.9recommend
• SlothDBFree, open-source embedded SQL database that people compare with DuckDB on speed benchmarks. Critics want more data and architecture explanation, and raise security concerns for embedded use.6recommend

Every quote

The 8 most detailed of 10 comments. Each links to the original.

1. they use SlateDB under the hood, which optimizes the requests that hit S3 behind the scenes

   Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Show HN: ZeroFS – A log-structured filesystem for S3”

2. SlateDB is great, but it's not purpose-built for streaming workloads.

   Mixed · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: PicoMQ – Durable Streams over HTTP, on object storage”

3. There's also some really great projects like SlateDB in this space

   Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Supertoast Tables”

4. It's built specifically to run on object storage

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Garage – An S3 object store so reliable you can run it outside datacenters”

5. super fascinating super cool user of slatedb

   Recommends · May 2026 · in “Object-Store Native Databases”

6. it was forcing an unnecessary primitive on streams

   Criticizes · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: PicoMQ – Durable Streams over HTTP, on object storage”

7. SlateDB, the lower layer, already does DST as well as fault injection though.

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Pricing Changes for GitHub Actions”

8. for Garage's particular use case I think SlateDB's "backed by object storage" would be an anti-feature

   Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Garage – An S3 object store so reliable you can run it outside datacenters”