What is the difference between MongoDB and mongoose?

MongoDB and Mongoose are both technologies that are used to work with MongoDB databases, but they serve different purposes and are used in different ways.

MongoDB is a NoSQL, document-oriented database management system. It stores data in BSON format (Binary JSON) in collections (similar to tables in relational databases) and is highly scalable, reliable and efficient. MongoDB can be used directly, using its own query language, or with a driver or library for a specific programming language like Node.js, PHP, etc.

Mongoose, on the other hand, is a JavaScript library commonly used in Node.js applications to work with MongoDB databases. It provides a simple and consistent API for interacting with MongoDB and offers several features to make it easier to work with MongoDB databases in a Node.js environment. Mongoose does not provide any new functionality for MongoDB itself. Still, it does provide a more convenient way to interact with the database and it also provides some robust validation, typecasting and middleware functionality that allows you to add additional functionality on top of the MongoDB functionality.

In summary, MongoDB is a database management system and Mongoose is a library that makes it easier to interact with a MongoDB database in a Node.js application. MongoDB is responsible for storing and retrieving data, while Mongoose provides a higher-level, more convenient API for working with that data in a Node.js environment and also adding additional functionality on top of the MongoDB functionality.