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Build real-time applications with SurrealDB

Power real-time experiences with a database that reacts to change instantly - keeping your applications fast, synchronised, and always up to date.

The problem with traditional databases

Traditional databases weren't built for real-time experiences. Delivering responsive applications often means combining multiple systems, moving data between them, and managing growing architectural complexity.

Fragmented architecture

Relational, cache, search, and streaming databases each solve part of the problem, forcing teams to split data across multiple systems to achieve real-time behaviour.

Complex data sync

Keeping data consistent across databases requires custom pipelines, background jobs, and event streams - increasing latency and the risk of data drift.

Operational overhead

Every additional database introduces new infrastructure, scaling strategies, security models, and failure modes that teams must maintain.

Slower time to market

Stitching together multiple data systems slows development, makes changes risky, and diverts engineering effort away from building user-facing features.

One database for real-time applications

Real-time by design

Designed for real-time applications from the ground up, with live queries and subscriptions that push data changes instantly.

Native multi-model

Work with relational, document, graph, and key-value data in a single database — eliminating the need to stitch together multiple specialized systems.

Expressive by design

SurrealQL unifies querying, relationships, permissions, and logic into a single expressive language, reducing complexity and enabling richer applications.

Less systems, more speed

Reduce operational complexity and accelerate development by replacing caches, message brokers, and sync layers with a single real-time platform,

Keep track of changes in real time with Live Queries

Live Queries lets you listen for creations, updates and deletions to specific records you are interested in or entire tables.

1-- Get real-time updates for changes in a table (e.g., for a dashboard or live feed):
2LIVE SELECT * FROM message;
3
4-- With filtering
5LIVE SELECT * FROM message WHERE status = 'error';
6
7-- In your client, you'll receive notifications whenever records are created, updated, or deleted in the message table matching the query.

Event triggers for real-time processing

Automatically trigger logic when new data is inserted (e.g., generate an embedding or send a notification):

1-- Notify an external service
2DEFINE FUNCTION fn::notify_admin($record) {
3 RETURN http::post("https://example.com/api/notify", $record);
4};
5
6-- Subscribe to events and forward notifications
7DEFINE EVENT notify_new_person ON TABLE person
8 WHEN $event = "CREATE"
9 THEN {
10 LET $record = $after;
11 SELECT fn::notify_admin($record);
12 };

Time series modelling and aggregation

Store sensor readings with timestamps and aggregate them in near real-time:

1-- Insert a time-stamped reading
2CREATE sensor_readings:[location:MainHall, sensor:Temp01, time::now()] CONTENT {
3 temperature_celsius: 22.5
4};
5
6-- Pre-computed view for daily averages
7DEFINE TABLE daily_readings AS
8 SELECT id[0] AS location,
9 time::day(id[2]) AS day,
10 math::mean(temperature_celsius) AS avg_temp
11 FROM sensor_readings
12 GROUP BY id[0];
13
14-- Live query the daily view for real-time dashboarding
15LIVE SELECT * FROM daily_readings;

Custom event-based anomaly detection

Trigger an HTTP notification when a sensor value exceeds a threshold:

1# Detect specific events and broadcast an alert
2DEFINE EVENT high_temp_alert ON TABLE sensor_readings
3 WHEN $event = "CREATE" AND $after.temperature_celsius > 30
4 THEN {
5 RETURN http::post("https://example.com/api/alert", {
6 sensor: $after.id[1],
7 value: $after.temperature_celsius
8 });
9 };

Enterprise-ready by design

Security, scalability, and reliability built directly into the core of SurrealDB.

Built-in security

Fine-grained access control, authentication, and permissions are enforced directly at the database level to protect data across teams and applications.

Scale with confidence

Designed to scale horizontally and handle high-throughput, real-time workloads without sacrificing performance or reliability.

Flexible deployment

Run SurrealDB on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge - giving enterprises full control over data residency and infrastructure.

Operational reliability

Strong consistency, fault tolerance, and predictable behaviour ensure SurrealDB can support mission-critical production systems.

Real-world scenarios

From gaming to fintech and ecommerce, SurrealDB's powers reactive real-time applications

Gaming

Instant state updates, real-time matchmaking, and live player interactions - all natively powered by SurrealDB's real-time queries and live data synchronization.

Fintech

Live market data, real-time risk calculations, fraud detection, and instant portfolio updates require low-latency, reactive data flows.

Media and live streaming

Real-time chat, reactions, analytics, and content personalisation depend on fast, event-driven data updates.

Retail and ecommerce

Inventory levels, pricing updates, order status, and live bidding experiences require immediate consistency across systems.

Real-time that moves the business

Faster time to market

Simplify your architecture and reduce dependencies, allowing teams to ship real-time features faster and iterate with confidence.

Lower TCO

Replace multiple databases, caches, and streaming systems with a single platform - reducing infrastructure, maintenance, and operational costs.

Better user experience

Instant updates and live data synchronization create responsive, engaging applications that increase user satisfaction and retention.

Future-proof architecture

A flexible, multi-model database with built-in real-time capabilities adapts easily as product requirements and business needs evolve.

Powering innovation across industries

Samsung

Unlocking insights with knowledge graphs

Samsung uses SurrealDB to power a knowledge graph for real-time audience insights and ad targeting in its ad division.

Learn more
Tencent

Unified infrastructure monitoring

Tencent uses SurrealDB to consolidate nine backend tools into one real-time monitoring platform.

Learn more
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Ready to build real-time applications?

Build real-time experiences with a database that reacts to change instantly.