head to head · open source
lowdb vs FlyEnv
lowdb has 22,582 GitHub stars, 962 forks, 16 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. FlyEnv has 3,333 stars, 390 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. lowdb leads on adoption by 578% (22,582 vs 3,333 stars). lowdb is written in JavaScript under MIT; FlyEnv is written in TypeScript under BSD-3-Clause. lowdb has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, FlyEnv 12%. FlyEnv was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| lowdb | FlyEnv | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 23K | ★ 3.3K |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-03-27 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 962 | ⑂ 390 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick lowdb if
- You weight community size — 23K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick FlyEnv if
- You want the FlyEnv feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and FlyEnv fits your workflow better
About lowdb
lowdb Simple to use type safe local JSON database 🦉 If you know JavaScript, you know how to use lowdb. Read or create db.json Use plain JavaScript to change data In the same spirit, query using native Array functions: It's that simple. db.data is just a JavaScript object, no magic. Sponsors Become a sponsor and have your company logo here 👉 GitHub Sponsors Features Lightweight Minimalist TypeScript Plain JavaScript Safe atomic writes Hackable: Change storage, file format (JSON, YAML, ...) or add encryption via adapters Extend it with lodash, ramda, ... for super powers! Automatically switches to fast in memory…
read the full lowdb overview →
About FlyEnv
FlyEnv Run Your Complete Local Development Stack Natively FlyEnv is a native local development environment for Windows, macOS, and Linux. A modern alternative to XAMPP, MAMP, Laragon, and Laravel Herd — built for more than PHP. Manage PHP, Node.js, Python, Java, Go, databases, web servers, local sites, HTTPS, AI coding tools, and MCP from one desktop app. Download · Demos · Quick Start · Website Why FlyEnv? FlyEnv brings the local development tools you normally manage separately into one native desktop workspace. No container setup required for everyday local development — run installed services directly on your…
read the full FlyEnv overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is lowdb or FlyEnv more popular?
lowdb has 22,582 GitHub stars and FlyEnv has 3,333. lowdb has the larger community by that measure.
Are lowdb and FlyEnv free?
Both are open source. lowdb is licensed under MIT and FlyEnv under BSD-3-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between lowdb and FlyEnv?
lowdb is written in JavaScript and FlyEnv in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, lowdb or FlyEnv?
Choose lowdb if you want the larger community (22,582 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose FlyEnv if its feature set, stack or BSD-3-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.