Imagine, launching a high-performing app and struggling due to its slow data processing or poor scalability. This is where choosing the right React Native database becomes crucial to ensure your app’s success. Whether you are developing an e-commerce app or a real-time messaging platform, the database acts as a robust pillar of your React Native app’s performance.

According to the latest industry reports, around 85% of mobile applications fail due to not choosing the right databases and back-end inefficiencies. This showcases that choosing a React Native database is not only a technical decision but also a crucial business strategy.

If you are a business owner or app owner, you need to understand the top React Native databases that can help your app to handle complex queries and to provide a seamless user experience.

In this blog, you will discover the top React Native databases, highlighting their strengths and best use cases. You will also learn how to elevate your app’s performance and give a competitive edge to others.

What Is React Native?

React Native is a popular cross-platform framework used to build mobile applications. It is developed by Facebook and allows developers to build mobile apps using JavaScript and React. With React Native, you can develop apps that can work on both iOS and Android from a single codebase. Therefore, it is a widely used framework that can help you reduce development time and React Native app development costs while offering a native-like experience for users.

Some Key Benefits of React Native:

• Code Reusability: React Native framework uses a single codebase for multiple platforms.
• Hot Reloading:  You can get instant updates without app restarts.
• Third-Party Libraries: Includes extensive libraries and plugins.
• Strong Community Support: The framework is backed by a large global developer community.

Top React Native Databases For Building Mobile Apps

1. SQLite

SQLite is a database engine that is written in the C-language library. Among all, SQLite is one of the widely used React Native databases because it is a serverless, lightweight self-contained, fully featured SQL database engine. The React Native SQL database is embedded directly into the app. Therefore, it offers a fast performance without the need for an external server.

Why app owners should choose SQLite

The SQLite database React Native is ideal for app owners who are looking for a local database solution with minimal configurations. It is serverless and, therefore provides high-performances. Also, it is perfect for offline-first applications or apps that need offline capabilities. SQLite with react native is simple and easy to use which makes it a preferable choice for developers. If you want to develop an app with moderate data storage needs and don’t need complex server-side setups, then you can go ahead with it.

Features:

• Minimal setup and low memory consumption.
• Works seamlessly with local storage.
• Data encryption is supported.

Best Use Case: Fitness, task management, and personal finance apps.

2. Firebase

Firebase database React Native is a popular Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform. This React Native database provides a real-time NoSQL database. Firebase is a popular database React Native because it simplifies mobile app development by providing pre-built authentication, storage, and cloud functions. Moreover, it also provides seamless synchronization across multiple devices.

Why app owners should choose Firebase

Firebase database with React Native is one of the popular choices for app owners and developers because of its scalability and ease of use. Not only this, it allows real-time React data synchronization. If you are an app owner searching to build an application that requires live updates such as chat apps, then you can choose Firebase. Additionally, it has serverless architecture, especially for a fast development process.

The advanced ready-to-use features of Firebase realtime database React Native are used for file storage, user authentication, analytics, and more. It is also integrated with Google Cloud. No doubt, it is one of the most cost-effective options for mobile app development. However, if you don’t have any technical expertise, you need to work closely with top React Native app development companies. They will give you a complete guide to using the Firebase database during the app development process.

Features:

• Real-time sync and offline data support.
• Scalable cloud-hosted infrastructure.
• Integrated with Google’s cloud services.

Best Use Case: Firebase realtime database with React Native is used for Social networking, chat, and real-time collaboration apps.

3. Realm

Realm is a React Native app database that is specially designed for high performance and ease of use. React Native Realm database comes with built-in support for offline data and seamless synchronization. Realm for React Native is a NoSQL database with real-time capabilities and direct support for React Native. Several leading React Native app development company uses Realm database to build mobile applications.

Why app owners should choose Realm

Realm is an excellent choice for app owners and developers. The main reason for the popularity of the Realm database is its high performance and complex data models while building applications. Moreover, its real-time synchronization and offline-first approach make it ideal for developing apps that include huge amounts of data. This React Native database is most commonly used because of its simplicity and speed. Therefore, Realm and React Native are some of the most powerful tools, especially for mobile developers dealing with large-scale applications. Mobile developers also use this when they need high-speed data processing. So, you can hire mobile app developers to use Realm to build apps as per your project requirements.

Features:

• Built-in sync and automatic updates.
• High performance even with complex queries.
• Local-first storage with cloud sync capabilities.

Best Use Case: Financial, health tracking, and productivity apps.

4. WatermelonDB

WatermelonDB is one of the best database for react native and widely used for building offline-first React Native apps. It is an open-source, high-performance, reactive database. Additionally, it is based on an SQLite database but used specifically to handle large amounts of data. You can use it to develop mobile apps with ease. Also, this database React Native supports multi-threading for better performance.

Why app owners should choose WatermelonDB

WatermelonDB is perfect for app owners who are in search of scalable options for building apps with large data sets. It offers an offline-first architecture which ensures that apps remain functional even without proper internet connectivity. Moreover,  WatermelonDB can easily handle complex data structures. Moreover, it performs well on low-end devices making it a great choice for apps. So, business owners who are aiming to deliver high-quality user experiences can use this React Native database.

Features:

• Optimized for performance on low-end devices.
• Asynchronous data handling.
• Scalable and developer-friendly.

Best Use Case: CRM, sales tracking, and large-scale productivity apps.

Read More: Why Choose React Native For Mobile App Development?

5. PouchDB

PouchDB is an open-source JavaScript database. PouchDB React Native database can be synced with CouchDB. Therefore, making it easy for app owners to build offline-first applications with synchronization capabilities. It is a preferable choice for developers as it works well with React Native technology. Also, it offers a local storage solution that can sync with remote databases.

Why app owners should choose PouchDB

PouchDB is highly beneficial for developing mobile applications that work seamlessly offline. Not only this, it can sync data when the network is available. One of the major advantages of this React Native database is its flexibility in syncing data with CouchDB. Therefore, it is an excellent database for React native apps that require distributed data management. In addition to this, its offline-first approach is ideal for apps that serve users in environments with inconsistent internet connectivity.

Features:

• Seamless offline functionality.
• Syncs with CouchDB and other services.
• Supports multiple data types.

Best Use Case: E-commerce, travel booking, and logistics apps.

6. MongoDB Realm

MongoDB Realm is the best database to use with React Native that combines the features of MongoDB with the mobile-first approach of Realm. This popular React Native database offers offline data storage, real-time synchronization, and easy integration with the MongoDB cloud. That’s why, it is also a popular choice for app owners to build their applications.

Why app owners should choose MongoDB Realm

MongoDB Realm is ideal for app owners who require the scalability and flexibility of MongoDB combined with a seamless mobile experience. The database React Native supports synchronization in real-time and also allows offline data storage. It has become an ideal choice for apps with high traffic and handling complex data structures. The integration of Realm with MongoDB allows you to effectively manage and sync data across different devices.

Features:

• Real-time data synchronization across devices and the cloud.
• Offline-first functionality with automatic conflict resolution.
• Scalable NoSQL database with flexible data models.

Best Use Case: Enterprise apps, social media platforms, and financial applications that need real-time data sync and offline support.

Read More: MongoDB vs MySQL: Which Database is Better for Your Business

7. AsyncStorage

AsyncStorage is a simple key-value storage system for React Native apps. The database is pre-built with React Native. Developers use it mainly for maintaining lightweight data storage needs such as saving user preferences, tokens, and app settings.

Why app owners should choose AsyncStorage

AsyncStorage is perfect for app owners who want a straightforward and lightweight storage solution. Those who are looking to build smaller apps with some basic data can use this React Native database. However, this is not ideal for handling complex data storage. No doubt, it is considered one of the practical options for apps having minimum storage requirements. Its simplicity, ease of use, and built-in React Native support make it an ideal choice.

Features:

• Stores small amounts of key-value pairs.
• Easy to set up and use.
• Works well with React Native’s architecture.

Best Use Case: User preferences, authentication tokens, and app settings.

8. Couchbase Lite

Couchbase Lite is a NoSQL database specifically designed for mobile and edge applications. It supports offline-first functionality and real-time data synchronization with the Couchbase Server.

Why app owners should choose Couchbase Lite

Couchbase Lite is ideal for app owners who require enterprise-level data management with robust security features. Its offline synchronization and real-time data sync make it perfect for enterprise apps, e-commerce platforms, and customer management solutions. With built-in security protocols like end-to-end encryption, it’s well-suited for applications that handle sensitive user data.

Features:

• Built-in data encryption for secure storage.
• Peer-to-peer synchronization and cloud integration.
• Offline-first with automatic data syncing when online.

Best Use Case: Healthcare, retail, and field service apps require secure, offline data management and real-time synchronization.

Read More: Top React Native Components for Stunning And Functional App Development

How To Choose The Best React Native Database?

Now, as you are familiar with top React Native databases. You should also know that selecting the right one depends on several factors. Selecting one can be a challenging task due to a lack of technical expertise. But, you can always seek help from globally-recognized mobile app development companies India. They will help you to select the right technology stack according to your project needs. Meanwhile, here, we have mentioned some points to help you make more informed decisions:

1. App Complexity: For building simple apps, you need lightweight databases like SQLite or Async Storage. They will be more suitable for your applications. On the other hand, for complex apps, consider Realm or WatermelonDB.
2. Data Synchronization Needs: If you want real-time data synchronization, then you can go ahead with Firebase or Realm. So, data sync requirements also play a crucial role in choosing the best database.
3. Offline Support: If you need React Native offline database functionality, SQLite, Realm, and PouchDB are the perfect ones.
4. Scalability: For long-term growth, you should select databases with cloud support like Firebase.
5. Security: During mobile app development, you need to ensure the database supports data encryption and secure authentication.
6. Budget: Considering your project budget is also crucial. Cloud-hosted services like Firebase may incur higher costs depending on usage.

Final Takeaway: Choose Wisely, Scale Smartly

Each of the above-mentioned React Native databases offers a unique set of benefits. Therefore, if you are an app owner looking to build an intuitive app, then you need to choose wisely based on your specific project requirements. You need to choose based on real-time synchronization, offline capabilities, or performance with large data sets. Whether you are building a startup MVP or looking to scale up your business, top React Native databases offer a reliable foundation to ensure your app’s success. So, if you are ready to build an app that outshines the competition, partner with a leading React Native app development company and build an app that’s fast, scalable, and future-ready!