Last Updated on March 9, 2026
eXist-db is an open source database management system entirely built on XML technology, also called a native XML database. Unlike most relational database management systems, eXist uses XQuery to manipulate its data.
eXist-db features efficient, index-based XQuery processing, extensions for keyword search, XUpdate support, XSLT support, XForms support, REST and tight integration with existing XML development tools.
eXist-db provides a complete platform for the development of rich web applications based on XML and related technologies.
Features include:
- Schema-less Database – the native XML database engine stores textual or binary data and documents without requiring a database schema.
- Rapid prototyping.
- Application packages.
- Browser-based IDE – allows managing and editing all artifacts belonging to an application.
- Forms framework – tight integration with XForms.
- Transforming XML using XSLT.
- Rich stack of libraries.
- Access control lists.
- Hot deployment of apps into a db from the application repository.
- REST API based on XQuery 3.0 Annotations.
- Central Security Manager which manages authentication realms (LDAP, OAuth, OpenID), managing users and groups, changing passwords, and permissions and access controls.
- Automated Indexing of XML for faster addressing and querying, including Full Text search.
- Support for versioning of files.
Website: www.exist-db.org
Support: Documentation
Developer: Pierrick Brihayne Leif-Jöran Olsson Adam Retter Dmitriy Shabanov Dannes Wessels
License: GNU GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1
eXist-db is written in Java. Learn Java with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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