A document-oriented database, such as Couchbase, differs from a relational database in its concept and structure, with a flexible schema that allows for dynamic changes. In contrast to relational databases, which rely on SQL commands and rigid schemas, document-oriented databases store data in JSON documents without a structured query language. A document-oriented database like Couchbase offers advantages over relational databases in handling big data, providing scale-out performance over a cluster of nodes, and addressing eventual consistency through advanced replication features. The document-oriented database can be queried using N1QL, a specific query language that allows running SQL against JSON documents, making it an interesting alternative to relational databases. By creating buckets, managing data storage and retrieval in documents, and querying documents using N1QL clauses such as SELECT, FROM, and WHERE, developers can effectively work with document-oriented databases like Couchbase.