# NornicDB vs SurrealDB

> Two self-hosted [Neo4j alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/neo4j), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | NornicDB | SurrealDB |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 52/100 | 78/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 7 in Databases & storage | #5 of 38 in Databases |
| GitHub stars | 920 | 33 241 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +183 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 8 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.4.3 · 16 Oct 2026 | v3.3.4 · 19 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Go | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

SurrealDB scores 78/100 against 52/100 for NornicDB, so it is the safer default.

SurrealDB ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 8 for NornicDB.

If you want the quickest setup, SurrealDB is easier to run; NornicDB needs more configuration.

SurrealDB is growing faster right now (+183 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [NornicDB](https://selfhost.directory/project/nornicdb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nornicdb.md)
- [SurrealDB](https://selfhost.directory/project/surrealdb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/surrealdb.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/nornicdb-vs-surrealdb