TouchDB is a lightweight database engine compatible with CouchDB that is designed for mobile applications. It uses SQLite for local storage and replicates with CouchDB. The document discusses using TouchDB to prototype a personal wellness application, noting its advantages like offline functionality, replication, and meeting performance needs for small datasets on mobile. Some cons are that the iOS and Android ports are still immature, security is fragile through the HTTP API, and there is a small development community compared to CouchDB.