Difference between RDBMS and OODBMS

Last Updated : 22 Apr, 2025

Database Management Systems (DBMS) are important for storing and managing data in various applications. Two popular types of DBMS are Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) and Object-Oriented Database Management System (OODBMS). In this article, we will explore the differences between RDBMS and OODBMS, highlighting their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.

What is RDBMS?

RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System. It is a database management system based on the relational model i.e. the data and relationships are represented by a collection of inter-related tables. It is a DBMS that enables the user to create, update, administer, and interact with a relational database. RDBMS is the basis for SQL and for all modern database systems like MS SQL Server, IBM DB2, Oracle, MySQL, and Microsoft Access.

What is OODBMS?

OODBMS stands for Object-Oriented Database Management System. It is a DBMS where data is represented in the form of objects, as used in object-oriented programming. OODB implements object-oriented concepts such as classes of objects, object identity, polymorphism, encapsulation, and inheritance. An object-oriented database stores complex data as compared to a relational database. Some examples of OODBMS are Versant Object Database, Objectivity/DB, ObjectStore, Cache, and ZODB.

Difference Between RDBMS and OODBMS

BASIS	RDBMS	OODBMS
Long Form	Stands for Relational Database Management System.	Stands for Object Oriented Database Management System.
Way of storing data	Stores data in Entities, defined as tables hold specific information.	Stores data as Objects.
Data Complexity	Handles comparatively simpler data.	Handles larger and complex data than RDBMS.
Grouping	Entity type refers to the collection of entity that share a common definition.	Class describes a group of objects that have common relationships, behaviors, and also have similar properties.
Data Handling	RDBMS stores only data.	Stores data as well as methods to use it.
Main Objective	Data Independence from application program.	Data Encapsulation.
Key	A Primary key distinctively identifies an object in a table.	An object identifier (OID) is an unambiguous, long-term name for any type of object or entity.
Data Retrieval	SQL (Structured Query Language)	Object Query Language (OQL)
Scalability	RDBMS has Limited scalability due to rigid schema	OODBMS has Highly scalable due to flexible schema
Concurrency Control	RDBMS has Fine-grained locking	OODBMS has Optimistic concurrency control
Data Relationships	In RDBMS Relational data is stored in tables and linked via foreign keys	In OODBMS, data is stored as objects linked via object references instead of foreign keys.
Performance	RDBMS is Efficient for complex queries involving multiple tables	OODBMS is Faster for complex object-oriented queries
Flexibility	RDBMS has Limited flexibility due to fixed schema	OODBMS has highly flexible due to object-oriented nature
Data Persistence	In RDBMS Data is stored in tables on disk	In OODBMS Data is stored in objects in memory or on disk
Examples	MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server	db4o, Versant, Objectivity/DB

Usage in Projects and Applications

1. RDBMS (Relational Database Management System)

Social Media Applications: Store user profiles, posts, comments, and relationships.
Chat Applications: Manage chat histories, user messages, timestamps and group conversations.
Multimedia Storage: Store metadata related to images, Image URLs, captions, and voice files.
Integration with SQL and Firebase: User authentication and data storage in real-time applications.

2. OODBMS (Object-Oriented Database Management System)

Engineering Applications: Handle complex, unstructured data (e.g., 3D models).
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Efficiently store spatial data (maps, coordinates).
More of OODBMS:
- MongoDB: NoSQL document database.
- Apache Cassandra: Distributed data storage.
- ObjectDB: Java-based OODBMS.