Cloudflare-first. Open source. Application-owned.

A small database for small web apps.

ThimbleDB keeps encrypted application data in object storage and a fast browser cache. It gives focused web apps a durable data layer without operating a separate database engine.

Start the quickstart View on GitHub

npx thimbledb@latest create my-app

Apache-2.0
15.3 KB gzip browser build
2-package base install
Node.js 22+

Browser cache

Application authority

Object storage

For experienced developers

Inspect the boundaries before adopting it.

The protocol, threat model, deletion semantics, benchmarks, and provider contracts are documented with their limitations.

Review the architecture →

For AI-assisted builders

Start with a fit check and copyable prompts.

Use the workload checklist, guided examples, and implementation prompts before asking a coding tool to wire the database.

Run the fit guide →

Small integration surface

Own the deployment. Keep application code direct.

The authority owns credentials, identity, keys, and conditional writes. Application code works with documents and collections.

Ready browser client

src/application.ts

const db = await createThimbleClient();

const notes = db.collection(noteDefinition);

One factory configures authority URLs, scope keys, memory cache, encrypted IndexedDB, and layout checks.

Bounded indexed query

application.ts

const result = await notes
  .where((note) => note.title.eq("First note"))
  .orderBy((note) => note.lastModified.desc())
  .take(25)
  .get();

Declared indexes narrow candidates. The client checks the complete predicate and falls back to a bounded scan when needed.

Need migration or provider configuration?Review the portable migration path →

Know the fit

Designed for bounded, read-heavy application data.

ThimbleDB serves a deliberate workload. The limits are part of the product, not fine print.

A reasonable candidate

Records belong to one user, tenant, role, or public scope
ID reads, declared indexes, or bounded scans cover the workflow
Writes are modest compared with reads
The hot working set fits in browser storage
External OIDC already handles account security

Check whether the app fits →

Choose another database

Multi-record transactions or relational joins are central
Shared records receive high-frequency concurrent writes
The application needs full-text, vector, or analytical queries
Offline writes and automatic conflict resolution are required
The dataset is not meaningfully bounded

Read the tradeoffs →

How it works

Three boundaries, one application-owned data path.

The browser gets speed. The authority keeps control. Object storage provides durable encrypted bytes.

Browser

Memory and encrypted IndexedDB keep the active working set close to the user.

Authority

External identity, scope checks, key grants, validation, writes, deletion, and administration stay server-side.

Object storage

Canonical JSON becomes compressed AES-GCM envelopes stored in R2, S3, Azure Blob, or local files.

Cloudflare R2Amazon S3Azure Blob StorageLocal filesystem

Start from evidence

Documentation for the decision, not just the installation.

Browse all documentation →

Start here

Quickstart

Install ThimbleDB, choose an authority, connect external identity, and create the browser client.

Start here

Local development

Scaffold a local app, use the safe development identity, and move to production OIDC.

Start here

Use cases

Check whether a small web application fits ThimbleDB before choosing a storage model.

Start here

Should you use ThimbleDB?

Use an exact fit check to decide whether a vibe-coded or AI-assisted small app matches ThimbleDB.

Start here

Tradeoffs

Review verified behaviour, open questions, introduced costs, and workloads that need another database.

Start here

Starter examples

Use maintained Node and Cloudflare repository templates or run the checked-in package examples.

Compare

Database comparisons

Compare ThimbleDB with D1, SQLite, Firestore, lowdb, and direct object storage by workload.

Understand

Architecture

Understand the browser cache, authority boundary, object storage source of truth, and scope model.

Published R2 evidence

Fast when warm. Honest about cold reads.

In the regional browser run, final warm p95 reads ranged from 1.6 to 8.3 ms. Cold product reads ranged from 1.25 to 3.44 seconds after the snapshot change. External session creation remained slower.

These measurements describe one tested workload. They do not claim database-wide latency superiority.

Read the benchmark and limitations →

Final warm p951.6-8.3 ms

North Europe8.3 ms

US East5.2 ms

Southeast Asia1.6 ms

Direct answers

Questions to settle before implementation.

Read every answer →

What is ThimbleDB?

ThimbleDB is an encrypted, browser first database for small web applications. Object storage is the durable source of truth. An application owned authority handles identity, access checks, key grants, writes, deletion, and administration. Browsers keep a fast encrypted cache in memory and IndexedDB.

What kind of application fits ThimbleDB?

The strongest fits have bounded JSON data, clear user or tenant ownership, more reads than writes, direct reads by ID, and occasional collection scans. Examples include personal workspaces, small internal tools, field guides, catalogues, journals, and bounded context for AI assisted applications.

When should I use another database?

Use another system when the application needs multi record ACID transactions, joins, high frequency shared writes, real time collaboration, full text search, vector search, large analytical queries, or unrestricted reporting across tenants.

Is ThimbleDB a replacement for PostgreSQL or SQLite?

No. ThimbleDB serves a narrower workload. It avoids a continuously running database engine by storing encrypted immutable objects and small mutable location records in object storage. Relational databases remain the better choice when relationships, transactions, and flexible queries are central to the application.

Does ThimbleDB require Cloudflare?

No. Cloudflare Workers and R2 are the reference deployment. The package also includes a Node authority with local filesystem, Azure Blob Storage, Amazon S3, and S3 compatible adapters. The stored protocol remains the same across providers.

Does ThimbleDB store passwords?

No. Applications use Microsoft Entra or another OpenID Connect provider. ThimbleDB stores stable external identity mappings and revocable sessions, but passwords, passkeys, MFA factors, recovery, and verification remain with the identity provider.

Evaluate it against your workload

Start local. Keep the exit criteria visible.

Run the sample application, review the tradeoffs, and compare the result with a managed database before choosing a production data layer.

Open the quickstart →Choose a starter