# Best Key Value Databases - Page 4 *By [Shalaka Joshi](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/shalaka-joshi)* Key value databases save data as associative arrays where a single value is associated together with a key used as a signifier for the value. No two keys necessarily need the same structure, so data is simply accumulated into a single, large table. Database administrators can quickly pull the data by identifying a specific key. A query language is not necessary when retrieving data, which provides convenience for users who are lacking query language knowledge. Key value databases can also be used for web caches. Key value databases are a type of NoSQL database and are the least structured of the schemaless data stores. Other types of NoSQL tools include [document database](https://www.g2.com/categories/document-databases) tools, [graph database](https://www.g2.com/categories/graph-databases) tools, [object-orientated database](https://www.g2.com/categories/object-oriented-databases) tools and more. Those who need a solution at no cost can look at [free database software](https://learn.g2.com/free-database-software). To qualify for inclusion in the Key-Value Store category, a product must: - Provide data storage - Store data as a singular value associated with a key - Allow users to retrieve the data ## How Many Key Value Databases Products Does G2 Track? **Total Products under this Category:** 66 ### Category Stats (May 2026) - **Average Rating**: 4.42/5 (↑0.01 vs Apr 2026) - **New Reviews This Quarter**: 18 - **Buyer Segments**: Mid-Market 51% │ Small-Business 29% │ Enterprise 20% - **Top Trending Product**: Cloudera Data Platform (+0.155) *Last updated: May 18, 2026* ## How Does G2 Rank Key Value Databases Products? **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 2,300+ Authentic Reviews - 66+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## Which Key Value Databases Is Best for Your Use Case? - **Leader:** [Amazon DynamoDB](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-web-services-aws-amazon-dynamodb/reviews) - **Highest Performer:** [Arango](https://www.g2.com/products/arango/reviews) - **Easiest to Use:** [Amazon ElastiCache](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-elasticache/reviews) - **Top Trending:** [ScyllaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/scylladb/reviews) - **Best Free Software:** [ScyllaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/scylladb/reviews) --- **Sponsored** ### Dragonfly Dragonfly is a drop-in Redis replacement, designed to meet the performance and efficiency requirements of modern cloud-based applications. Organizations that switch to Dragonfly require less hardware and achieve dramatically improved data performance. [Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=307&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=307&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=page_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=307&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=1333307&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=307&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Fkey-value-databases%3Fpage%3D4&secure%5Btoken%5D=ec7abcdca8686b8d9ac7efef435f9114f299f8b1f8173a0d2dc59b6926ed798b&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dragonflydb.io%2Fpricing&secure%5Burl_type%5D=custom_url) --- ## What Is Key Value Databases? [NoSQL Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/nosql-databases) ## What Software Categories Are Similar to Key Value Databases? - [Graph Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/graph-databases) - [Document Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/document-databases) - [Database as a Service (DBaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-as-a-service-dbaas) --- ## How Do You Choose the Right Key Value Databases? ### What You Should Know About Key Value Databases ### What are Key Value Databases? Key value databases are arguably the simplest of NoSQL databases. Unlike relational databases, which rely on primary and foreign keys to be able to find and connect data, key value databases utilize a single main identifier—the _key_—and associate that with a data point, array of data, or blob—a _value_. Key value databases can only be queried by the key itself. Key names can be _uniform resource identifiers_ or _URI_, hashes, filenames, or anything else that is entirely unique from other keys. In the same way, values can be just about any data. Key Benefits of Key Value Databases - Simple and lightweight - Built for speed - Data type-agnostic ### Why Use Key Value Databases? Key value databases are designed for speed. Because they require minimal input for querying compared to other databases, and because they store so simply, key value databases can return query results near instantly. Key value databases are optimal for situations with constant read/write operations or situations requiring low latency and lower operational demand than a relational database. Some example use cases follow. **E-commerce shopping carts —** Key value databases work fantastically for temporary, lightweight listings, which makes them perfect for storing customer shopping carts while they order products online. **Online session information —** Need to be able to keep a log of user session data over the course of being logged onto a device, utilizing your website, etc.? Key value databases make it simple to track and store activity information, including which pages were accessed, on-page actions a user took, and more. This information can fuel customer product recommendations, inform trends, and create more data-driven insights for businesses. **Cache —** Key value databases are a great option for storing information that gets accessed often but rarely, if ever, gets modified. So, key value databases can serve as effective cache in these situations. ### Who Uses Key Value Databases? Like most other databases, database administrators and teams are the ones who will most often interact with key-value store solutions. That being said, developers and support teams will also use these solutions frequently – developers, for integrating databases with their code, and support teams, for root cause investigation, troubleshooting, etc. Key value databases in particular might not have as wide a usage range outside these groups because of, oddly enough, their simplicity. They’re not as applicable as some kinds of databases—like relational or graph—in more general business settings that lean into more tabular or relationship-oriented data grouping, or that might need often and significant editing. ### Key Value Databases Features **In-memory residence —** Most value databases are built in such a way that they can be run in-memory as opposed to off a storage drive. This improves transaction speeds and also is a testament to the lightweight nature of these databases. **Speed —** Whether a user is writing to the database or querying from it, key-value databases offer greater speed and responsiveness compared to other kinds of databases. **Scalability —** No matter how much data may need to go into the database, value databases will be able to keep up. **Integration —** Key value databases should be able to integrate easily with other systems and tools. Should there be specific integrations you’d need your key-value store to have, check with both the key-value store vendor and community, as well as those of any solutions with which you might be integrating. Other Features of Key Value Databases: [Audit logs](https://www.g2.com/categories/key-value-databases/f/audit-logs), [Authentication](https://www.g2.com/categories/key-value-databases/f/authentication), [Integrated cache](https://www.g2.com/categories/key-value-databases/f/integrated-cache), [Multi-model](https://www.g2.com/categories/key-value-databases/f/multi-model), [Role-based authorization](https://www.g2.com/categories/key-value-databases/f/role-based-authorization) ### Trends Related to Key Value Databases **Moving away from SQL —** Businesses are actively exploring NoSQL (non-relational) databases more now than ever before. NoSQL databases as a whole provide greater flexibility than SQL databases because of less rigid schema, and thus, more adaptability and opportunities for specialization. ### Potential Issues with Key Value Databases **Value returns —** Most value databases, when queried, return the entire value associated with a key. While generally this is beneficial, if you’ve stored multiple pieces of information within a single value, querying for its key may return more information than you wanted. If planning to use a key-value database to store multiple items of information within a value, be sure that the database you choose has the ability to sift information out of an array value, or you have an alternate way to compensate for an array of information being returned. **Value updates —** Key value databases, by nature of their design, require that the **entire** value be updated when a value is modified. If you anticipate your values consistently having multiple pieces of information within them, consider a key-value database that will let you have more fine-tuned control over modification, or perhaps consider a different type of database altogether. If you anticipate constant modifications and numerous pieces of information being associated to a single identifying data point (key), perhaps consider a relational, graph, or document database instead. ### Software and Services Related to Key Value Databases [**Graph databases**](https://www.g2.com/categories/graph-databases) **—** Another type of NoSQL database, graph databases specialize in showing the relationships (_edges_) between different data (_nodes_). Graph and key-value databases can have some overlap in use cases, in which case businesses should investigate further on the two types of databases to discern which more properly fits their constraints. [**Document databases**](https://www.g2.com/categories/document-databases) **—** Document databases, another NoSQL database type, store and retrieve data in document format, e.g. JSON, XML, and YAML. This database specializes in storing related groups of data together in a single document for retrieval and querying. [**Relational databases**](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases) **—** The most familiar of any database, relational databases take on strict structures and schema to manage and store data. Key value databases and relational databases can work well together for businesses, with each covering situations where the other might not be as well-suited.