Open-Source Databases · mongodb

mongo-csharp-driver

The MongoDB C# Driver is the official .NET/C# library for connecting to and querying MongoDB databases. It supports both untyped (BsonDocument) and strongly-typed object models, with async/await patterns throughout. Active maintenance and comprehensive documentation make it the standard choice for MongoDB integration in C# applications.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/mongodb/mongo-csharp-driver

3.2k

GitHub stars

1.3k

Forks

Primary language

Apache-2.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	mongodb/mongo-csharp-driver
Owner	mongodb
Primary language	C#
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	3.2k
Forks	1.3k
Open issues	17
Latest release	v3.10.0 (2026-07-08)
Last updated	2026-07-08
Source	https://github.com/mongodb/mongo-csharp-driver

What mongo-csharp-driver is

Apache 2.0-licensed driver providing LINQ-to-MongoDB query translation, connection pooling, and typed/untyped document access patterns. Implements semantic versioning since v3.0.0, uses async-first APIs, and integrates with the MongoDB BSON serialization library. Maintained by MongoDB with 16+ years of development history.

Quickstart

Get the mongo-csharp-driver source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/mongodb/mongo-csharp-driver.git2cd mongo-csharp-driver3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Enterprise .NET/C# Applications with MongoDB

Primary use case for organizations standardizing on MongoDB as their NoSQL backend. Provides official support, security updates, and tight integration with C# type systems via LINQ query providers.

Strongly-Typed Domain Models in NoSQL Contexts

Applications requiring compile-time safety and object-relational mapping to MongoDB collections. Supports custom serializers, inheritance hierarchies, and complex nested object graphs.

Microservices and API Backends

Building REST/gRPC APIs backed by MongoDB with async/await throughout the stack. Native support for connection pooling, timeouts, and retry logic suits distributed architectures.

Implementation considerations

Connection string management: Use environment variables or configuration providers (not hardcoded) to manage MongoDB URIs, credentials, and connection pool settings.
Async/await adoption: Ensure your application code fully embraces async patterns; mixing sync-over-async (e.g., .Result) creates deadlock risks in ASP.NET and UI contexts.
Type safety vs. flexibility: Decide upfront whether to use strongly-typed model classes or BsonDocument for dynamic/exploratory queries; switching mid-project incurs refactoring cost.
Serializer configuration: Review custom serializer needs for enums, dates, and domain-specific types early; changing serialization strategies impacts existing data compatibility.
Index and query planning: Leverage MongoDB's explain() and profiler to understand query performance; lack of RDBMS joins simplifies logic but requires different optimization thinking.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

You Need a Graph or Relational Database — This driver only works with MongoDB. If your data model requires joins, transactions across multiple tables, or hierarchical structures better suited to SQL, use an appropriate database and driver.
Your Team Lacks C#/.NET Expertise — Effective use requires competency in C# async patterns, BSON serialization concepts, and MongoDB query semantics. Consider alternatives if team skill gaps are high.
You Require Synchronous-Only APIs — The driver is async-first; synchronous patterns are discouraged. Wrapping async calls in blocking code (.Result, .Wait()) defeats the design and can cause deadlocks in ASP.NET contexts.
Sub-Millisecond Latency is Non-Negotiable — Network latency to MongoDB will dominate performance. If you need in-process, sub-millisecond response times, consider embedded databases or caching layers, not a network driver.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). A permissive, OSI-approved open-source license permitting commercial use, modification, and distribution with retention of the Apache notice.

Apache 2.0 explicitly permits commercial use without royalties or license fees. You may use the driver in proprietary products, but must retain license headers and provide notice of changes. No restrictions on downstream commercial licensing. Recommended to include the Apache 2.0 notice in your product's legal/license file.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Strong
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Low
DEV.co fit	Strong
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

Driver supports SCRAM and X.509 authentication, connection-level TLS, and respects MongoDB's server-side authentication and authorization. Input validation is handled by MongoDB's query engine (no SQL injection equivalent exists). Review: credential management in config (avoid hardcoding), TLS certificate validation in production, and MongoDB server security posture (firewall, network isolation). Vulnerability reporting follows MongoDB's responsible disclosure policy.

Alternatives to consider

MongoDB Java Driver (Sync/Async)

If your stack is Java-based. Offers comparable features but requires Java/JVM expertise instead of .NET.

Entity Framework Core with MongoDB Provider (preview)

If you want higher-level ORM abstraction and LINQ-to-Entities patterns. Trade-off: less MongoDB-native control, different learning curve.

RavenDB .NET Client

If you prefer a document database optimized for .NET with built-in full-text search, multi-tenancy, and ACID transactions. Requires RavenDB as backend, not MongoDB.

Software development agency

Build on mongo-csharp-driver with DEV.co software developers

Evaluate this driver against your architecture requirements, authentication scheme, and team expertise. Consult MongoDB's official documentation and run proof-of-concept queries to validate performance before committing to production deployment.

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Related open-source tools

Surfaced by semantic similarity across the DEV.co open-source index.

mongo-cxx-driver mongo-c-driver mongo-java-driver

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mongo-csharp-driver FAQ

Is the MongoDB C# Driver free for production use?

Yes. It is Apache 2.0 licensed and free to use in production, proprietary, and commercial applications without royalties. Retain license notices as required by Apache 2.0.

Does this driver support LINQ queries?

Yes. The driver implements IQueryable<T> and translates LINQ expressions to MongoDB aggregation pipelines or find operations. Complex queries may require testing to ensure correct translation.

Can I use this driver with Entity Framework Core?

Not directly; EF Core has a separate MongoDB provider (currently in preview). This driver is lower-level and does not use EF Core. You choose one or the other based on abstraction preferences.

What is the performance overhead of this driver?

Unknown without benchmarking your specific queries and data volume. Network latency to MongoDB typically dominates. Connection pooling and async I/O minimize driver overhead; use profiling tools to identify bottlenecks.

Software developers & web developers for hire

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