To understand how graph databases work, let’s define it first. A graph database is a type of NoSQL databases which stores nodes and relationships instead of tables or documents. The data is stored without restricting it to a pre-defined model giving flexibility. Abovementioned NoSQL databases are often perceived as “no SQL” at all but it’s actually “not only SQL.” In SQL databases, the data is only stored in tables. Using NoSQL, you can store four types of databases: document, key-value, wide-column, and graph.
- SQL database examples: MySQL, PostgreSQL, OrientDB, MariaDB, CouchDB, and more.
- NoSQL database examples: MongoDB, Apache Cassandra, Neo4j, Redis, DynamoDB, HyperTable, and more.
In fact, there are so many databases now that it’s difficult to choose. However, there are lists of best or top databases that have descriptions of functionality and use cases.