AxioDB is an embedded NoSQL database for Node.js with MongoDB-style queries. It is a pure JavaScript alternative to SQLite with zero native dependencies, no node-gyp compilation, and no platform-specific binaries. Install with 'npm install axiodb' and you have a database — no mongod process, no server setup. Perfect for Electron apps, CLI tools, and local-first applications.

Is AxioDB a replacement for MongoDB?

No. AxioDB is embedded — it runs inside your app with no server. MongoDB is a client-server database for multi-user production systems. Use AxioDB for desktop apps, CLI tools, and local-first applications with 10K–500K documents. Use MongoDB when you need a shared, networked, multi-user database.

Does AxioDB work with Electron?

Yes — Electron is the primary use case AxioDB was built for. Zero native dependencies means no electron-rebuild, no platform-specific .node files, no node-gyp compilation. Just npm install axiodb and it works on Windows, Mac, and Linux without any rebuild step.

What is the difference between AxioDB and better-sqlite3?

better-sqlite3 uses C native bindings and requires compilation via node-gyp. AxioDB is pure JavaScript — it installs in any Node.js environment without compilation or platform-specific builds. AxioDB also uses NoSQL/JSON document queries instead of SQL strings, includes built-in caching and Worker Threads, and works out of the box in Electron without electron-rebuild.

What is the difference between AxioDB and lowdb?

lowdb stores everything in a single JSON file and becomes slow above 1,000–5,000 records due to full-file reads on every operation. AxioDB uses file-per-document tree storage with InMemoryCache, Worker Threads, and auto-indexing — optimized for 10,000–500,000 documents with O(1) lookups by ID and fast filtered queries.

What is the difference between AxioDB and nedb?

NeDB is abandoned (no active maintenance since 2016) and keeps the entire database in memory. AxioDB is actively maintained, uses file-based storage, supports TypeScript, ACID transactions with savepoints and WAL, Worker Threads, custom field indexing, and AxioDBCloud remote access.

Should I switch from LowDB to AxioDB?

Yes, if your project has grown beyond prototypes. LowDB has no concurrency safety (concurrent writes corrupt data), no ACID transactions (crash = data loss), no built-in caching, and the entire database is loaded into memory. AxioDB provides file-per-document storage, ACID transactions, InMemoryCache, Worker Threads, and is actively maintained.

Is NeDB still safe to use?

No. NeDB has been abandoned since 2016 with no security patches or bug fixes. Users report data loss and file corruption. For new projects, use AxioDB which provides the same MongoDB-like API with active maintenance, ACID transactions, TypeScript support, and modern features like Worker Threads and built-in GUI.

Why not use better-sqlite3 for Electron apps?

better-sqlite3 requires native C compilation via node-gyp and electron-rebuild for every Electron update. This causes platform-specific build failures and NODE_MODULE_VERSION mismatch errors. AxioDB is pure JavaScript — zero native dependencies means no compilation, no electron-rebuild, and no platform-specific binaries. Install with npm install axiodb and it works everywhere.

What is the best embedded database for Electron apps in 2026?

AxioDB is the best choice for Electron apps in 2026. It has zero native dependencies (no electron-rebuild), ACID transactions, built-in InMemoryCache, Worker Threads for multi-core processing, a built-in web GUI dashboard, and TypeScript support. It handles 10K-500K documents with O(1) lookups by ID and fast indexed queries.

How many documents can AxioDB handle?

AxioDB is optimized for 10,000–500,000 documents per collection. For 1M+ documents, migrate to PostgreSQL or MongoDB. AxioDB's InMemoryCache and Worker Threads keep performance fast within this range — documentId lookups take ~1ms and indexed queries take ~2ms even at 100,000 documents.

Does AxioDB support TypeScript?

Yes. Full TypeScript type definitions are included out of the box with the axiodb npm package. No @types/axiodb needed.

Does AxioDB work in the browser?

No. AxioDB requires Node.js (v20+) and uses the filesystem for storage. It is a server-side and desktop embedded database. It does not run in browsers.

AxioDBCloud is AxioDB's own TCP remote-access layer on port 27019 — a protocol and client, not a hosted service. You run the server yourself with new AxioDB({ TCP: true }) or the Docker image, then connect from other processes using the exact same API as embedded AxioDB, with zero code changes. There is no account to create and Nexoral hosts no database for you. Limits: 1,000 total concurrent connections, 100 per IP. Optional shared-RBAC authentication (TCPAuth) and optional TLS.

How do I replace SQLite with AxioDB in a Node.js project?

Install with 'npm install axiodb' and map concepts directly: a SQLite table becomes a collection, a row becomes a JSON document, INTEGER PRIMARY KEY becomes the auto-generated documentId, CREATE INDEX becomes collection.newIndex('field'), and BEGIN/COMMIT/ROLLBACK become collection.beginTransaction()/.commit()/.rollback(). SQL strings become JavaScript objects: SELECT * FROM users WHERE age > 25 becomes users.query({ age: { $gt: 25 } }).exec(). There are no schemas and no migrations. What you give up: JOINs, foreign keys, SQL itself, ORMs like Prisma and Drizzle, and scale beyond roughly 500,000 documents per collection.

Does AxioDB need node-gyp, electron-rebuild, or a build step?

No. AxioDB is pure JavaScript with zero native dependencies — there is no C code, no .node binary, no node-gyp compilation, and no electron-rebuild step. Nothing has to match your OS, CPU architecture, or Node/Electron ABI version, so NODE_MODULE_VERSION mismatch errors are impossible. 'npm install axiodb' is the entire installation on every platform and every Node.js version 20 or newer.

How do I use AxioDB in an Electron app?

Create the AxioDB instance in Electron's main process only, storing data in the per-user data directory: new AxioDB({ RootName: 'AppData', CustomPath: app.getPath('userData'), GUI: false }). Never write inside the app bundle or app.asar — asar is read-only and app contents are replaced on update. Expose database operations to the renderer through ipcMain.handle plus contextBridge rather than enabling nodeIntegration. No electron-rebuild step and no packaging configuration for native modules is required.

Does AxioDB have an MCP server for AI agents?

Yes — 43 MCP tools covering databases, collections, documents, aggregation, indexes, dashboard stats, user/role management, and transactions. Important: the MCP server ships only in the Docker image theankansaha/axiodb, not in the npm package. Enable it with AXIODB_MCP=true and connect over Streamable HTTP at http://localhost:27020/mcp. Every tool except axiodb_login requires a sessionId from logging in, and destructive tools ask the human for confirmation through the MCP client first.

What ports does AxioDB use?

Port 27018 is the web Dashboard and its REST HTTP API, enabled with GUI: true. Port 27019 is the AxioDBCloud TCP server, enabled with TCP: true — it is a custom TCP protocol, not HTTP. Port 27020 is the MCP server, available only in the Docker image with AXIODB_MCP=true. Ports 27018 and 27019 are not configurable in code; remap them at the Docker layer. Only the MCP port can be changed, via AXIODB_MCP_PORT. By default the embedded library opens no ports at all.

Does AxioDB support MongoDB update operators like $inc and $set?

No. AxioDB updates are a flat shallow merge of your data object onto the existing document. Writing .UpdateOne({ $inc: { balance: -100 } }) does not increment anything — it literally stores a field named '$inc'. To change a numeric value, read the document, compute the new value in JavaScript, and write it back. Query operators are a separate thing and are fully supported: $gt, $gte, $lt, $lte, $eq, $ne, $in, $nin, $exists, $regex, $not, $type, $size, $all, $elemMatch, $or, $and, and $nor.

What are AxioDB's limitations?

AxioDB targets 10,000 to 500,000 documents per collection on a single node. It has no JOINs, no foreign keys, no SQL, no replication, no sharding, and no clustering. Transactions are scoped to one collection — there are no cross-collection transactions. Only one AxioDB instance may exist per process. Aggregation supports only $sum and $avg accumulators, and its $match stage accepts fewer operators than query() does. Queries that are not an exact match on an indexed field fall back to a full collection scan. It does not run in browsers.

Desktop app · Windows · macOS · Linux

AxioDB Control

A simple desktop way to connect to AxioDB, browse your collections, run queries, and manage documents. Follow the three steps below to get started.

Download the app Quick start

One important thing to know

AxioDB Control is the client application. It connects to an AxioDB server that is already running. The server must expose the HTTP Control API on port 27018.

Quick start

Get connected in three steps

Start with the normal path. You can find platform details and alternate commands further down this page.

Install AxioDB Control

Download the installer for your computer from GitHub Releases. Open the downloaded file and follow the installer steps.

Windows

NSIS installer (.exe)

macOS

App bundle (.zip)

Linux

.deb or AppImage

Start the HTTP server

Choose the mode you need. The HTTP server always uses port 27018; there is noPort option inAxioDB.

GUI + HTTP API

typescript

1import { AxioDB } from "axiodb";
2
3// Starts the web GUI and the HTTP API on port 27018.
4const db = new AxioDB({ GUI: true });
5
6// Use db.createDB(), db.getDB(), or another database operation here.
7// AxioDB waits for its startup work before handling that operation.

HTTP API only

typescript

1import { AxioDB } from "axiodb";
2
3// Starts the HTTP API on port 27018 without serving the web GUI.
4const db = new AxioDB({ GUI: false, HTTP: true });

GUI: true enables both the browser dashboard and the HTTP API.

HTTP: true, GUI: false enables the HTTP API for another client or application without serving the dashboard.

The server listens on 0.0.0.0:27018, so another machine can reach it using the server's IP address if the network firewall allows it. The built-in authentication still protects API actions.

Add the server in the app

Open AxioDB Control, create a connection, and enter:

Host

localhost (or server IP)

Port

27018

admin / admin first time

Click Test connection, then select the database you want to work with.

After you connect

What can you do?

The main workspace is designed around the tasks you do most often.

Browse your data

Open databases and collections, then view documents in an easy card layout.

Run queries

Filter documents with JSON queries and inspect the results without using a terminal.

Edit documents

Copy, edit, or delete documents directly from the document viewer.

Create backups

Export a database as a .tar.gz archive from the database menu.

See connection health

The app checks the server regularly and shows connection status and latency while you work.

Keep your server safe

Do not expose port 27018 to the public internet without proper network protection. Use authentication, a firewall, and a private network or VPN for remote connections.

Need a different setup?

Keep the beginner path above as your reference. These sections cover less common setups and implementation details.

Install with a command

Use these commands when you prefer a terminal or are setting up a machine remotely.

Linux / macOS

bash

1curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nexoral/AxioDB/main/cli/Scripts/install.sh | CHOICE=2 bash

Windows PowerShell

powershell

1$env:CHOICE=2; irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nexoral/AxioDB/main/cli/Scripts/install.ps1 | iex

Configure with environment variables

This Docker example starts both the web GUI and HTTP API. The AxioDB Docker runner reads these environment variables.

bash

1docker run -d -p 27018:27018 \
2  -e AXIODB_GUI=true -e AXIODB_HTTP=true \
3  theankansaha/axiodb

For HTTP-only Docker mode, use AXIODB_GUI=false with AXIODB_HTTP=true for instead. When using the built-in HTTP server directly from Node.js, set GUI and HTTP in theAxioDB options object. The default seeded login is admin/admin; change it immediately after the first login.

Supported versions and local settings

Supported desktop systems

Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora, and Arch), Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2019+, and macOS 12 Monterey or later. Linux supports x86_64 and arm64; Windows supports x86_64; macOS supports Intel and Apple Silicon.

Where connection profiles are saved

AxioDB Control stores connection profiles and preferences in Electron's local user-data directory. They are kept on the computer running the GUI and are not stored in your AxioDB database.

Troubleshooting HTTP Control API reference AxioDB installation Electron source

Prefer the terminal? See the AxioDB CLI guide.

See also: Installation · Docker · Security