What is MongoDB? (NoSQL vs SQL)

What is MongoDB? (NoSQL vs SQL)

MongoDB is a document-oriented NoSQL database used for high-volume data storage. Instead of using tables and rows like traditional relational databases (SQL), MongoDB uses collections and documents.

Each document in MongoDB is a JSON-like object called BSON (Binary JSON), which allows for embedded data and flexible schemas.

Why learn MongoDB?

MongoDB is widely used in modern applications due to its:

• Flexible schema — no need to define tables up front
• Scalability — great for big data and horizontal scaling
• JSON-like structure — naturally maps to code objects (JavaScript, Python, etc.)

SQL vs NoSQL — The Difference

SQL (Relational)	NoSQL (MongoDB)
Uses tables and rows	Uses collections and documents
Fixed schema	Dynamic schema (flexible)
Relationships using joins	Embedded documents or references
Good for structured data	Great for semi-structured or unstructured data

Intuition Check

Q: If you’re building an application where different users have different fields in their profile, would SQL or MongoDB be easier to work with?

A: MongoDB! Because you don’t need to predefine a schema. One document can have a name and age, another might have name, age, and hobbies — and that’s totally okay.

Example 1: SQL Table vs MongoDB Document

In SQL:

    CREATE TABLE users (
      id INT,
      name VARCHAR(50),
      age INT
    );

    INSERT INTO users VALUES (1, 'Alice', 25);

In MongoDB:

    db.users.insertOne({
      _id: 1,
      name: "Alice",
      age: 25
    });

    {
      acknowledged: true,
      insertedId: 1
    }

Explanation: MongoDB stores data as documents in collections. There's no need to define the structure before inserting data. It's simple and fast.

Example 2: Flexible Schema in Action

You can insert different shaped documents into the same collection:

    db.users.insertMany([
      { name: "Bob", age: 30 },
      { name: "Charlie", hobbies: ["chess", "cycling"], location: "India" }
    ]);

    {
      acknowledged: true,
      insertedIds: [ObjectId("..."), ObjectId("...")]
    }

Explanation: Notice how the second document has completely different fields? MongoDB allows that flexibility, which is powerful in agile development environments.

Intuition Check

Q: Is it possible to store nested objects or arrays in SQL tables directly?

A: Not easily. SQL would need foreign keys and joins. MongoDB can directly store nested arrays and objects. This is useful for storing things like a user's multiple addresses or product reviews inside a single document.

Example 3: Embedded Document

    db.products.insertOne({
      name: "Laptop",
      price: 70000,
      specs: {
        brand: "Dell",
        ram: "16GB",
        storage: "512GB SSD"
      }
    });

    {
      acknowledged: true,
      insertedId: ObjectId("...")
    }

Explanation: The specs field is a sub-document (nested object). MongoDB handles this natively without additional joins or relations.

Key Terms Recap

• Document – A single record (like a row), stored in BSON format
• Collection – A group of documents (like a table)
• BSON – Binary JSON, supports more data types than JSON

Summary

MongoDB is a flexible, document-based NoSQL database perfect for modern applications with semi-structured data. It allows fast development, easy scaling, and natural data modeling using embedded documents and arrays.

Up Next:

Now that you know what MongoDB is and how it differs from SQL, let’s move on to installing MongoDB on your system and setting up MongoDB Compass.