Document Databases
Document databases are a type of NoSQL database that store data in flexible, semi-structured documents, typically using formats like JSON, BSON, or XML. They are designed to handle large volumes of unstructured or semi-structured data, allowing for dynamic schemas and easy scalability. Unlike relational databases, they organize data in collections of documents rather than tables with fixed rows and columns.
Developers should use document databases when building applications that require flexible data models, such as content management systems, real-time analytics, or mobile apps with evolving schemas. They are ideal for scenarios where data is hierarchical, nested, or varies significantly between records, as they allow for rapid iteration without strict schema migrations. Additionally, they excel in distributed environments due to their horizontal scalability and high performance for read-heavy workloads.