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Firebird SQL vs Oracle Berkeley DB comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Firebird SQL
Ranking in Embedded Database
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Open Source Databases (3rd)
Oracle Berkeley DB
Ranking in Embedded Database
7th
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
Non-Relational Databases (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Embedded Database category, the mindshare of Firebird SQL is 17.8%, down from 24.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Berkeley DB is 5.0%, up from 4.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Embedded Database Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Firebird SQL17.8%
Oracle Berkeley DB5.0%
Other77.2%
Embedded Database
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer1991775 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chapter Lead at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
An open-source database to hold customer data, but its performance should be improved
Firebird SQL significantly improved our data management in many parts of our self-developed ERP system. I rate the solution's performance and speed a six out of ten. Two or three database administrators are needed to maintain the solution. A few years ago, migrating data to or from Firebird SQL was a little bit difficult because the identifier names for tables or stored procedures were limited to 20 to 30 characters. Transferring the structure to Firebird SQL was difficult, but they fixed it in version 3, which was much easier. We are developing software with Delphi, and Delphi is also by Embarcadero. Using InterBase or Firebird SQL databases is very common, and you have some good tools for developing with Firebird SQL. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Emad Mokhatab - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution & Software System Architect at Shaparak
Easy to integrate and manage the setup phase
One of the things that I want to see in Oracle Berkeley DB is a driver for reactive programming. I think the tool's official driver for reactive programming, especially for Java, is the thing that Oracle needs to be more agile in, specifically in those areas of programming that other products are currently going into. Other tools have become more innovative in many areas. I know that Oracle has many responsibilities in maintaining the situation with the current projects and so on. I think it would be very cool if Oracle could make improvements to its projects, as it can help me with my current projects. One reason why I don't choose Oracle Berkeley DB is because we want to go for reactive programming, along with Project Reactor from Spring, but we don't have the official driver for it.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The reliability and ease of management are very valuable."
"The solution is very useful for stock management."
"The product was easy to use."
"We are happy with the event capabilities of Firebird SQL database. We can raise events from it and display them in our application."
"It helps us in detecting all kinds of problems in the code, such as bad quality, unclear code, or any violation in the code or best practices."
"I appreciate the fact that, once the database is embedded, it doesn't need to be administered, and removes the requirement for a specific server."
"I find the ease of deployment to be the most valuable aspect of this solution."
"I can deploy it on Linux, Mac OS, and Windows — it's very easy."
"The product meets all the essential business requirements."
"The tool's performance is good, and I don't have any problems with it."
 

Cons

"This solution isn't very user-friendly, or intuitive, which could be improved when it is developed."
"On large databases, we have some difficulties."
"It is not easy to integrate the tool with Visual Studio."
"It would be interesting if they added functionality with redundancy, reputation, and variability."
"Database sharing is a capability that Firebird SQL lacks."
"Firebird SQL's performance has slowed since Firebird SQL 3 or 3.5 versions, where they developed over-the-wire encryption."
"Technical support and performance could be better. We have some problems with this solution, but we don't know if the problem is with the database or the configuration. For example, sometimes, the users can't access the database."
"It would be nice to have a graphical user interface to handle the product."
"I think the tool's official driver for reactive programming, especially for Java, is the thing that Oracle needs to be more agile in, specifically in those areas of programming that other products are currently going into."
"The product's interface could be more intuitive and user-friendly."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is okay."
"It's open-source and free."
"The tool is open source."
"There is no licensing cost for this solution, as it is open-source."
"I was using the free version of Firebird SQL."
"There is a yearly maintenance fee for the use of the solution."
"We are using the free solution, so there is no cost involved."
"It is a public domain system as every customer can install it on their system without paying any license fee."
"I rate the product's pricing a five out of ten."
"There is a need to pay for the licenses and features of the tool."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
University
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

How does Firebird SQL compare with PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL was designed in a way that provides you with not only a high degree of flexibility but also offers you a cheap and easy-to-use solution. It gives you the ability to redesign and audit yo...
What do you like most about Firebird SQL?
Firebird SQL is an open-source solution.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Berkeley DB?
There is a need to pay for the licenses and features of the tool. It can help other people use the tool properly.
What needs improvement with Oracle Berkeley DB?
One of the things that I want to see in Oracle Berkeley DB is a driver for reactive programming. I think the tool's official driver for reactive programming, especially for Java, is the thing that ...
What advice do you have for others considering Oracle Berkeley DB?
Giving out some free subscriptions and offering some premium plans for enterprise solutions that Oracle presents to the audience can help other people who want to use it. Being more agile in adapti...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

No data available
Berkeley DB
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Elekt Labs, Streamsoft, wobe-systems GmbH, DRB Systems, Moscow City Hospital #31
Safe Water Kenya
Find out what your peers are saying about Firebird SQL vs. Oracle Berkeley DB and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.