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Getting Started

Install DocumentDB first

Start with Docker for the fastest setup, or choose Linux packages for persistent servers.

Quick run with Docker

Docker
docker run -dt --name documentdb \
  -p 10260:10260 \
  ghcr.io/documentdb/documentdb/documentdb-local:latest \
  --username <YOUR_USERNAME> \
  --password <YOUR_PASSWORD>

Install from Linux packages

Use the package finder to generate the exact apt/rpm command for your distro, architecture, and PostgreSQL version.

Docker guideOpen package finderLinux packages docs

Introduction to DocumentDB

DocumentDB is an open-source document database platform built on PostgreSQL. It offers developers a fully permissive, open-source platform for document data stores.

What is DocumentDB?

DocumentDB provides a NoSQL datastore implemented using PostgreSQL, giving developers complete visibility into the architecture and implementation of the engine. It's designed to offer:

  • Full compatibility with MongoDB wire protocol through the pg_documentdb_api layer
  • Native BSON document support via the pg_documentdb_core PostgreSQL extension
  • Advanced indexing capabilities including single field, multi-key, compound, text, and geospatial indexes
  • Vector search functionality powered by the pg_vector PostgreSQL extension
  • Enterprise-grade security with SCRAM authentication
  • Full PostgreSQL compatibility for advanced SQL operations

Key Features

  • PostgreSQL Foundation: Built on the powerful PostgreSQL engine, allowing you to leverage both document and relational capabilities
  • Open Source: Released under the MIT license with no restrictions on usage, modification, or distribution
  • Document Database Standard: First implementation towards creating an open standard for document databases, similar to ANSI SQL for relational databases
  • Cloud Ready: Supports multi-cloud deployments across major cloud providers with native integration in Azure Cosmos DB
  • Developer Friendly: Rich ecosystem of tools and extensions, including VS Code integration and MongoDB compatibility

Architecture Components

DocumentDB consists of two primary components:

  1. pg_documentdb_core: A custom PostgreSQL extension that provides:

    • Native BSON data type support in PostgreSQL
    • Field-level indexing at any nesting depth
    • Multi-key, compound, text, and geospatial indexing
    • Vector search capabilities for AI/ML applications
    • SCRAM authentication mechanism

  2. pg_documentdb_api: The data plane implementing:

    • CRUD operations with MongoDB compatibility
    • Advanced query functionality
    • Index management and optimization
    • Protocol translation layer for MongoDB wire protocol

Common Use Cases

  • Modern Web Applications: Store and query JSON documents with MongoDB compatibility
  • AI/ML Applications: Leverage vector search for similarity matching and embeddings
  • Hybrid Data Models: Combine document and relational data in the same database
  • Migration Path: Easy transition from existing MongoDB workloads
  • Local Development: Full-featured local instance for development and testing

Getting Started Options

Choose the getting started guide that best fits your needs:

Quick Start Guides

Language-Specific Guides

Deployment Options

Community and Support

  • Discord Community: Join our Discord server for:
    • Community syncs and office hours
    • Real-time technical support
    • Migration assistance
    • Best practices sharing
  • GitHub Repository: documentdb/documentdb
  • Documentation: Comprehensive guides and API references
  • Issue Tracking: Report bugs and request features on GitHub

Next Steps

After choosing your preferred getting started path:

  • Explore our API Reference for detailed documentation
  • Join our community to contribute and get support