MongoDB supports multiple deployment environments to meet different operational, scalability, and management requirements. Before installing or provisioning MongoDB, choose the deployment environment that best fits your use case.
Fully managed cloud database and associated database services. Choose MongoDB Atlas when you want the lowest operational overhead, or you need Atlas-only capabilities such as auto-scaling, stream processing, federated queries, tiered backup storage, or built-in data visualization. It is less ideal when self-management, on-premises or private/hybrid cloud deployments are a hard requirement. | |
Production-ready self-managed deployments, offering enterprise tools to balance automation with control over your infrastructure. Choose MongoDB Enterprise when you need to run MongoDB on-premises, in a private cloud, or in a hybrid environment, or when you require enterprise security controls, operational tooling, or 24/7 support in self-managed environments. It is less ideal when you want MongoDB to operate the service for you end to end. | |
Self-managed deployments that you install directly on your infrastructure or run in a container for local development. Choose MongoDB Community when you are building a local development environment, prototyping, learning MongoDB, or testing in a self-managed setup. It is less ideal when you need enterprise operational tooling, commercial support, or features such as auditing and Kerberos authentication. |
MongoDB Atlas
MongoDB Atlas is a fully managed database service that runs MongoDB in the cloud, handling operational tasks such as provisioning, scaling, backups, monitoring, and upgrades.
Organizations choose MongoDB Atlas when they want database operations handled as a service. This frees teams and resources to focus on products and features rather than database management.
Environment | Description |
|---|---|
Local Deployments: | MongoDB Atlas is available on your local machine through a single-node Atlas instance running in a Docker or Podman container. Choose a local deployment when you want to build and test applications using Atlas features without incurring the costs of a remote cluster. It is less ideal when you need production-ready infrastructure, as local deployments run only a single node and are not suitable for production workloads. |
Cloud Deployments: | MongoDB Atlas is available for cloud deployment on MongoDB managed cloud infrastructure through a web UI, CLI, and API. These interfaces give teams direct, on-demand control over cluster provisioning, configuration, and management. Choose a cloud deployment when your team does not use an existing IaC pipeline or when you need to provision clusters for temporary or special use cases. It is less ideal when you need consistent, repeatable infrastructure configurations across multiple environments. |
IaC Deployments: | MongoDB Atlas is available on Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) platforms, where cluster configuration, access controls, and scaling policies are defined in code and deployed through your existing CI/CD pipeline. Choose an IaC deployment when you need identical, version-controlled configurations across development, staging, and production environments. It is less ideal when your team does not maintain an IaC pipeline or when you need to provision clusters for temporary or ad-hoc use cases. |
Kubernetes Deployments: | MongoDB Atlas is available on Kubernetes through the Atlas Kubernetes Operator (AKO), which manages Atlas clusters and database users as Kubernetes custom resources. Choose a Kubernetes deployment when your team already operates a Kubernetes cluster and wants to manage Atlas resources alongside other workloads. It is less ideal when your team does not use Kubernetes or prefers a simpler provisioning interface. |
MongoDB Enterprise
MongoDB Enterprise provides production-ready self-managed deployments, offering a choice of tools to balance automation with control over your infrastructure.
Organizations choose MongoDB Enterprise when they need to self-manage MongoDB on-premises or in hybrid environments with support for automated deployments, monitoring, and backups or when they need enterprise security features such as Kerberos and LDAP authentication, queryable and at-rest encryption, and NIST-compliant auditing.
Environment | Description |
|---|---|
Local Deployments: | MongoDB Enterprise is available as a Docker or Podman container image for local development and testing. Choose a local deployment to develop and test applications against Enterprise-specific features without provisioning a full server environment. It is less ideal when you need production-ready infrastructure or Ops Manager integration for automated backup, monitoring, and scaling. |
Kubernetes Deployments: | MongoDB Enterprise is available on Kubernetes through the MongoDB Controllers for Kubernetes (MCK) operator, which manages MongoDB topologies as Kubernetes custom resources. Choose a Kubernetes deployment when your team already operates a Kubernetes cluster and wants to integrate MongoDB without maintaining a separate automation layer. It is less ideal when your team does not use Kubernetes or prefers managing MongoDB on traditional server infrastructure. |
Ops Manager Deployments: | MongoDB Enterprise is available through Ops Manager, which acts as a control plane for provisioning, upgrades, backups, and configuration management across your clusters. Choose an Ops Manager deployment when you manage a large fleet of MongoDB Enterprise clusters, operate in a regulated environment, or use established VM-based operations. It is less ideal when you manage small deployments or prefer infrastructure-as-code tooling over a centralized management interface. |
Manual Installation: | MongoDB Enterprise is available for manual installation on servers through platform-native packages or binary archives, giving you full control over configuration and operations. Choose manual installation when you need full control over MongoDB configuration, operate in an air-gapped environment, or drive infrastructure through existing tools such as Ansible or Puppet. It is less ideal when you need centralized automation for provisioning, upgrades, monitoring, or backups across multiple servers. |
MongoDB Community
MongoDB Community is a self-managed server that you install directly on your infrastructure or run as a Docker container on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
MongoDB Community is the quickest way to get started with MongoDB. It is free, requires nos subscription, and is the natural choice for local development, testing, prototyping, and learning.
Organizations that require production-grade operational tooling, enterprise security controls, or 24/7 support should consider MongoDB Enterprise or MongoDB Atlas.
Environment | Description |
|---|---|
Local Deployments: | MongoDB Community is available as a Docker or Podman container image for local development, testing, and CI pipelines. Choose a local deployment to develop and test applications against a MongoDB Community instance, or for CI pipelines that need a lightweight, isolated MongoDB instance. It is less ideal when you need production-ready infrastructure, as local deployments lack monitoring, backup, and scaling tooling. |
Manual Installation: | MongoDB Community is available for manual installation on servers through platform-native packages or binary archives, giving you full control over configuration and operations. Choose manual installation when you need a self-managed MongoDB server on traditional infrastructure, or when you drive deployments through existing tools such as Ansible or Puppet. It is less ideal when you need automated provisioning, monitoring, or backups without managing them yourself. |