Are you looking for smarter insights delivered directly to your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletters to receive essential updates on enterprise AI, data, and security.
The Rise of Document Databases in the AI Era
Document databases are becoming increasingly vital in the age of generative AI. Unlike traditional relational databases that rely on rows and columns, document databases utilize the JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format. Notable vendors in this space include MongoDB, which has transitioned to a proprietary closed-source technology. To foster a more open market, Microsoft developed its own document database, DocumentDB, and made it open source in January of this year.
This week, DocumentDB will be moving to the Linux Foundation, gaining support from Microsoft’s cloud competitors, AWS and Google. This transition marks the introduction of the first vendor-neutral open-source alternative to MongoDB, which has the potential to reduce costs for enterprises and eliminate vendor lock-in.
Importance for AI Applications
Document databases play a crucial role in AI applications, particularly for tasks involving chats, context, and memory. Kirill Gavrylyuk, vice president at Microsoft and the primary architect of DocumentDB, shared insights with VentureBeat, stating, “AI apps are all about semi-structured data, and document databases are purpose-built for it.” He also noted the absence of an open-source standard engine for document databases, akin to PostgreSQL for relational databases.
Challenges in AI Scaling
Enterprise AI is facing challenges such as power caps, increasing token costs, and inference delays. Join our exclusive salon to learn how leading teams are transforming energy into a strategic advantage, architecting efficient inference for real throughput gains, and unlocking competitive ROI with sustainable AI systems. Secure your spot to stay ahead: https://bit.ly/4mwGngO.
DocumentDB’s Open-Source Journey
Microsoft launched the open-source DocumentDB project in January 2025, hosting it within the Microsoft organization on GitHub. The project has generated significant interest within the industry over the past year. An open-source project involves not just code and licensing, but also contributions and community engagement. Gavrylyuk emphasized that under the governance of the Linux Foundation, DocumentDB will benefit from vendor neutrality and greater collaboration.
Microsoft is committed to the project, with plans to continue investing heavily and maintaining strong representation in the Technical Steering Committee to shape its vision and roadmap. “By joining the Linux Foundation, a neutral foundation, we aim to be more inviting to the developer community to contribute and shape the direction of the project,” Gavrylyuk said. “Moreover, through the Linux Foundation, we want to assure the developer community that this project is here to stay, open source, and will continue to progress.”
The Advantages of DocumentDB
Beyond its open-source nature, DocumentDB offers another significant advantage for enterprises: it is based on the open-source PostgreSQL database. PostgreSQL has become one of the most widely adopted open-source databases and is gaining traction in the AI era. DocumentDB includes a PostgreSQL extension that provides first-class BSON (Binary JSON) datatype support, as well as an extension for document-style queries and index management.
The PostgreSQL foundation ensures ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability) compliance and proven replication capabilities, addressing enterprise concerns about data consistency. Additionally, DocumentDB features a gateway that makes it compatible with open-source MongoDB drivers for various programming languages. While Gavrylyuk noted that DocumentDB does not yet offer full compatibility with all MongoDB features, he assured that further developments are underway. “Achieving full compatibility with MongoDB drivers is a critical goal of the project, as outlined in the Linux Foundation DocumentDB charter,” he stated.
Competitive Landscape
Interestingly, while Amazon is among the supporters of the new Linux Foundation DocumentDB project, it already has its own DocumentDB database, which was first announced in 2019. Amazon DocumentDB recently introduced a serverless service aimed at accelerating agentic AI. Although the DocumentDB project under the Linux Foundation shares a similar name with Amazon DocumentDB, it operates on different software architecture.