Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

pkgsrc VS ObjectBox

Compare pkgsrc VS ObjectBox and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

pkgsrc logo pkgsrc

pkgsrc is a framework for building over 17,000 open source software packages.

ObjectBox logo ObjectBox

ObjectBox empower edge computing with an edge device database and synchronization solution for Mobile & IoT. Store and sync data from edge to cloud.
  • pkgsrc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-30
  • ObjectBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-06

ObjectBox is a super fast database and sychronization solution, built uniquely for Mobile and IoT devices. ObjectBox is uniquely designed for small devices, so it is the ideal solution across hardware from Mobile Apps, to IoT Devices and IoT Gateways. It is the first high-performance NoSQL, ACID-compliant on-device edge database. Plus, it's built with developers in mind, with easy to use code that takes minimal time to implement.

ObjectBox supports Java, C/C++, Go, Kotlin, Swift and Python. Running on Android, Mac/iOS, Windows, Linux, Raspbian & more.

pkgsrc features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    pkgsrc is designed to be a portable package management system and can be used on a variety of Unix-like operating systems, including NetBSD, Solaris, Linux, and macOS. This cross-platform capability makes it a versatile tool for developers working in diverse environments.
  • Consistency Across Systems
    Using pkgsrc allows for a consistent package management experience regardless of the underlying operating system, reducing the learning curve and maintenance overhead for administrators managing multiple systems.
  • Comprehensive Package Collection
    pkgsrc offers a wide range of software packages, providing a robust collection that can meet diverse user needs from scientific libraries to web applications.
  • Quarterly Releases
    With quarterly releases, pkgsrc provides a balanced approach between stability and keeping software up to date, offering users new features regularly while maintaining reliability.
  • Flexible Build Options
    pkgsrc supports a flexible build system, allowing users to customize package builds with specific options or dependencies, tailored to their specific needs or system requirements.

Possible disadvantages of pkgsrc

  • Smaller Community
    Compared to other popular package management systems like apt (Debian/Ubuntu) or yum (RedHat/CentOS), pkgsrc has a relatively smaller community, which might affect the availability of support and community-driven improvements.
  • Potentially Older Software
    While pkgsrc maintains stable quarterly releases, it may occasionally lag behind other systems in terms of offering the very latest versions of certain software, which might not be ideal for users needing the newest features.
  • Manual Configuration
    Setting up pkgsrc might require manual interventions and configurations, which could pose a hurdle for users unfamiliar with its setup process or those who prefer more automated solutions.
  • Dependency Management
    Although pkgsrc is quite capable in dependency handling, some users may find its dependency resolution to be less automatic or seamless compared to other systems which offer more integrated solutions.
  • Performance Overhead
    Because it is designed to be cross-platform, there can be some performance overhead associated with using pkgsrc compared to native package managers that are optimized for specific operating systems.

ObjectBox features and specs

  • Performance
    ObjectBox is known for its high performance in terms of speed. It provides fast data access and efficient data storage, which can be crucial for mobile applications and IoT devices.
  • Ease of Use
    ObjectBox offers an intuitive API that simplifies database management. Developers can easily implement it without needing extensive database expertise.
  • Object-Oriented Approach
    ObjectBox allows developers to work with database objects directly, eliminating the need for ORMs and reducing boilerplate code.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Supports multiple platforms including Android, iOS, Linux, and others, enabling seamless data management across different operating systems.
  • Automatic Updates
    ObjectBox provides automatic database schema migrations, making it easier to manage changes without manual intervention.
  • Size
    It has a small footprint, which is beneficial for mobile applications where space and resources are constrained.

Possible disadvantages of ObjectBox

  • Limited Complexity Handling
    While great for simpler use cases, ObjectBox may face challenges with complex queries and data structures compared to more traditional SQL-based databases.
  • Community and Support
    Being a relatively newer database solution, it has a smaller community compared to established databases like SQLite, potentially reducing the availability of community-driven support and resources.
  • Feature Set
    It might lack some advanced features found in other databases, such as customized SQL queries, which could be limiting for some applications.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Using ObjectBox ties you to its ecosystem, which might limit flexibility if you choose to switch databases in the future.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its ease of use, developers unfamiliar with NoSQL or object database paradigms might encounter a learning curve.

Analysis of ObjectBox

Overall verdict

  • ObjectBox is a strong choice for projects that require a reliable, fast, and resource-efficient database solution, especially in mobile or IoT contexts. Its ease of use and robust feature set make it a viable option for developers seeking to implement a high-performance local storage solution.

Why this product is good

  • ObjectBox is considered good for several reasons. It offers high performance with ACID compliance, supports edge computing scenarios by being suitable for mobile and IoT devices with small resource footprints, and provides an easy-to-use API. ObjectBox DB is optimized for speed, allowing for faster read and write operations compared to traditional databases, which can be crucial for applications requiring real-time data processing. Additionally, ObjectBox provides support for complex queries and relationships while still maintaining simplicity in its setup.

Recommended for

  • Developers building mobile applications that require efficient local data storage.
  • IoT projects where space and performance are critical.
  • Applications that need real-time data processing and quick access to large volumes of data.
  • Projects that benefit from edge computing capabilities, where computing is performed on-device.

pkgsrc videos

pkgsrc on ChromeOS

More videos:

  • Review - Using pkgsrc for multi-platform deployments in heterogeneous environments, G Clifford Williams

ObjectBox videos

Getting Started with Objectbox for Android / Java

More videos:

  • Review - ObjectBox - Startup of Startupnight 2018

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pkgsrc and ObjectBox)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Databases
0 0%
100% 100
Package Manager
100 100%
0% 0
NoSQL Databases
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

pkgsrc might be a bit more popular than ObjectBox. We know about 11 links to it since March 2021 and only 9 links to ObjectBox. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

pkgsrc mentions (11)

  • Debian isn't waiting for 2038 to blow up, switches to 64-bit time for everything
    > Most open source software packages are also compiled for BSD variants, they switched to 64 bit time_t a long time ago and reported back upstream any problems. * NetBSD in 2012: https://www.netbsd.org/releases/formal-6/NetBSD-6.0.html * OpenBSD in 2014: http://www.openbsd.org/55.html For packaging, NetBSD uses their (multi-platform) Pkgsrc, which has 29,000 packages, which probably covers a large swath of... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Our Audit of Homebrew
    > https://pkgsrc.smartos.org/install-on-macos/ Note that Pkgsrc is a NetBSD-derived project. * https://pkgsrc.org The Joyent folks leveraged it to allow their customers, who were perhaps not as familiar with Solaris/SmartOS, a larger pool of packages. Pkgsrc was running on Solaris before Joyent, Joyent built on top of it. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Show HN: Brioche – A new Nix-like package manager
    Https://pkgsrc.org/ from netbsd runs on many systems. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Installing packages without an internet connection?
    It seems according to pkgsrc.org that pkgin might follow the PKG_PATH environment variable. You're supposed to set PKG_PATH="http://cdn.NetBSD.org/pub/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD/$(uname -p)/$(uname -r|cut -f '1 2' -d.)/All/", and according to uname(1), -p gives the processor architecture and -r gives the operating system [kernel] release. Source: over 3 years ago
  • pkgsrc.se is no more :(
    It seems like pkgsrc.org hasn’t got the news yet. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

ObjectBox mentions (9)

  • MongoDB Data Sync for Offline-First Apps: Keep Data in Sync With ObjectBox and MongoDB Atlas
    Need to sync your MongoDB database and your offline-first apps? In this tutorial, we'll walk you through setting up an end-to-end demonstration of bi-directional data sync between local ObjectBox databases on client devices and a MongoDB Atlas cluster. Together, we'll build a system that ensures offline-first functionality while keeping data in sync across devices and databases. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Will Amazon S3 Vectors Kill Vector Databases–Or Save Them?
    It would be great to have the vector database run on the edge / on-device for offline-first and privacy-focused. https://objectbox.io/ does a good job of this but are there others? - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Publishing to F-Droid
    When I first attempted to publish to F-Droid, I experienced several pipeline issues. After reading through the pipeline logs in GitLab, I realized that my application's database (ObjectBox) was not entirely FOSS compliant and was causing build failures. The following day was spent migrating my app to Room. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • Looking for android java developer mentor
    I would focus on Kotlin instead of Java, there's really no point in sticking to Java at this point. And when it comes to databases, some local ones that are pretty easy to get into are Realm and ObjectBox, SQLite can definitely be a bit overwhelming at the beginning. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Want to build a simple database app....Where do I start
    Just to add to this, there's also Realm and ObjectBox as alternatives. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing pkgsrc and ObjectBox, you can also consider the following products

Conda - Binary package manager with support for environments.

Realm.io - Realm is a mobile platform and a replacement for SQLite & Core Data. Build offline-first, reactive mobile experiences using simple data sync.

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

Microsoft SQL Server Compact - Bring Microsoft SQL Server 2017 to the platform of your choice. Use SQL Server 2017 on Windows, Linux, and Docker containers.

Yay - Yay is an AUR helper written in go, based on the design of yaourt, apacman and pacaur.

CompactView - Viewer for Microsoft® SQL Server® CE database files (sdf)