Textile ThreadDB vs OrbitDB for Private Decentralized Databases

Built on IPFS & Libp2p with a managed identity layer. Provides a permissioned, multi-user database model with granular access controls (ACLs) and a GraphQL API. This matters for teams building production-ready, collaborative dApps (like Ceramic Network for composable data) that require strict data sovereignty and a familiar developer experience.

End-to-end encrypted threads by default. Data is encrypted client-side before being stored on IPFS. This matters for applications handling sensitive user data (e.g., health records, private messaging, enterprise workflows) where zero-trust architecture is non-negotiable and you cannot rely on network-level privacy.

Runs directly over IPFS and Libp2p with no central coordinator. It's a protocol-agnostic library you embed in your app. This matters for developers who need maximum decentralization, want to avoid vendor lock-in, or are building on custom networks beyond standard IPFS (e.g., integrating with Filecoin or other CRDT-based systems).

Provides multiple native database types: key-value, log, feed, and docs. Built on Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) for automatic conflict resolution. This matters for building collaborative, eventually-consistent applications like decentralized social feeds, real-time document editing, or event-sourcing systems where merge semantics are critical.

• Managed Applications needing turnkey user/role management.
• Regulated Industries (FinTech, HealthTech) requiring default E2E encryption.
• Teams that prioritize a GraphQL interface and structured schemas over custom plumbing.

• Library-First Integration where you control the entire networking stack.
• Rapid Prototyping of novel P2P data structures with built-in CRDTs.
• Maximalist Decentralization projects where avoiding any centralized service, even for coordination, is a core requirement.

Enterprise-Grade Access Control: Built-in, cryptographically-enforced role-based permissions (Owner, Writer, Reader) at the collection and database level. This matters for building compliant, multi-tenant applications where data sovereignty is non-negotiable.

Structured Data & Querying: Provides a MongoDB-like document model with rich querying (filters, sorting, indexing) via a GraphQL API. This matters for developers migrating from Web2 who need complex data relationships without building a custom query layer.

Centralized Coordination Point: Relies on a ThreadDB Hub for peer discovery and initial sync, creating a potential SPOF for availability. This matters for teams requiring a purely serverless, peer-to-peer bootstrap with zero trusted infrastructure.

Pure P2P Architecture: No central servers or trusted coordinators required; peers discover each other directly via Libp2p. This matters for building fully distributed, censorship-resistant applications like collaborative tools or decentralized social networks.

Modular & Extensible: Core is a minimal eventlog; databases (key-value, feed, docs) are built as modules on top. This matters for engineers who need to implement custom data structures and replication logic tailored to specific use cases.

Minimal Built-in Permissions: Access control is basic; implementing sophisticated, multi-user security requires custom logic on top of the peer-to-peer layer. This matters for applications handling sensitive user data that must enforce complex authorization rules.

Built on IPFS & Libp2p with a GraphQL API: Offers a structured, client-server-like experience with defined schemas, collections, and queries. This matters for teams migrating from centralized backends (e.g., MongoDB, Firebase) who need strong data modeling and permissioned access controls without managing raw CRDTs.

Native support for multi-user collaboration and granular rules: ThreadDB's architecture is designed for shared databases where different actors (users, roles) have specific read/write permissions. This is critical for building decentralized applications (dApps) like private social networks or enterprise workflows that require clear data ownership and access governance.

Minimalist, library-first approach: OrbitDB is a direct IPFS primitive—each database is a pubsub-managed CRDT log. This matters for developers who need maximum decentralization, want to embed a database directly in a browser/Node.js app, or are building offline-first applications where a central coordinating server is antithetical to the design.

Unopinionated data models and self-managed peers: Developers can build custom database types (key-value, docs, feeds) on top of its log. This matters for protocol engineers and researchers creating novel distributed systems or for applications where data schemas are fluid and interoperability with other IPFS tools (like IPLD) is a priority.

Requires managing ThreadDB nodes or relying on a hosted service: While the hosted Textile Hub simplifies deployment, it introduces a dependency. For pure, serverless P2P architectures, this can be a complexity and cost trade-off compared to OrbitDB's library-only model.

Lacks built-in high-level abstractions for permissions and complex queries: You must implement access control and indexing logic yourself. This matters for product teams with tight deadlines who cannot afford to build and audit custom consensus logic for a production multi-user application.