RethinkDB is an open-source scalable database that makes building modern, real-time apps relatively easy. It does this by utilizing a new database access model that pushes updated query results to applications in real time.

With RethinkDB, developers can get a scalable real-time Web app running with fewer engineering resources. In this case, real time means auto-refresh, like when apps automatically update without the user having to request it (this is similar to Google Docs or Twitter).

A few development teams are already using it for a variety of purposes, from genetic testing, to measuring snow depth at ski resorts, to instant messaging apps, to financial technology. Some RethinkDB users include NextGxDx, Lendio and Jive. Other open-source projects have been built with RethinkDB, like Shipyard, a Docker-management tool, and SageMathCloud, a cloud computing platform for computational mathematics.

A recent addition to RethinkDB is its Java client driver. It already supported application development for Python, Ruby and JavaScript. The Java client driver was requested from its community of developers, and it was released this past December.

This week, the team released a developer preview of RethinkDB for Windows, enabling Microsoft and .NET developers to build real-time experiences natively on their platform. Also this week, a team released BigchainDB, an open-source scalable blockchain database built on top of RethinkDB’s real-time technology. The open-source ecosystem enables developers to collaborate and combine resources in exciting ways.

Cofounder of RethinkDB, Michael Glukhovsky, said that RethinkDB enables small and large teams alike to build “engaging user experiences and deploy real-time architectures.”

“We build RethinkDB publicly on GitHub, and engage with a community of well over 100,000 developers worldwide to build it with us.”

Quick facts on RethinkDB:

  • Open-source database for building real-time Web applications
  • NoSQL database that stores schemaless JSON documents
  • Distributed database that is easy to scale
  • High availability database with automatic failover and robust fault tolerance

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