Deciding which database to use isn’t easy. Not only do you need to consider your immediate needs, but you also have to think about your long-term goals. Additionally, you need a deep understanding of various database types, including their differences, use cases, and more. After all, your database selection can impact your application’s future scalability, performance, and success, so it’s vital to thoroughly research and reflect before making a decision.

In this article, we will share our perspective on MariaDB vs. MySQL: two popular database options. We’ll dive into their differences, pros, cons, use cases, and performance so you can make an informed decision when choosing which database is the best fit for your organization. Whether you’re developing a small project or planning to scale on a global level, understanding how MariaDB and MySQL compare can help you choose the best database for your goals.

An Overview of MariaDB and MySQL

Before we jump into the differences between MariaDB and MySQL, let’s first review what each database offers. While Finnish software engineer Michael Widenius played a major role in the development of both MySQL and MariaDB, the two databases are a little different.

What Is MySQL?

MySQL development began in 1994, and it was released in 1995. Today, MySQL is owned by Oracle^® and is a go-to choice for web applications and businesses needing structured, reliable data management. It offers excellent performance for a wide range of use cases, including e-commerce, content management systems, and data-driven applications. The board adoption and ease of use of MySQL have made it a staple in industries where performance, stability, and integration with popular web platforms are crucial.

What Is MariaDB?

MariaDB, meanwhile, is considered a fork of MySQL. First introduced in 2009, it’s an open-source relational database management system, originally developed as a MySQL drop-in replacement. Over time, however, it has become a distinctly unique database management system.

MariaDB is still compatible with MySQL. It also provides support for several programming languages, such as Java, Python, Perl, and PHP. On top of this, MariaDB will work with several open-source storage engines, ranging from Aria to InnoDB, and has many security features, such as user authentication, encryption, and role-based access control.

Key Differences Between MariaDB and MySQL

MariaDB may stem from MySQL, but there are a few important differences you need to understand when comparing the two. To give you a better understanding of how they differ, here’s a breakdown of some key points.

Pros and Cons of MariaDB and MySQL

While both MariaDB and MySQL share a common foundation, their development paths have led to notable differences in features, performance, and use cases. As a result, it’s important to weigh the advantages and drawbacks of each database.

In the following section, we’ll explore the pros and cons of MariaDB and MySQL, helping you understand which key factors can influence your decision based on your project’s specific needs, such as scalability, support, and flexibility.

MariaDB

Pros

• Open source and free: MariaDB is fully open source, offering transparency and freedom from licensing fees, making it a cost-effective option for businesses.
• Advanced features: Includes additional storage engines, dynamic columns, and thread pooling, allowing for greater flexibility and performance optimization.
• Better replication options: MariaDB provides enhanced replication, including Galera Cluster, for improved scalability and high availability.
• Active community-driven development: Regular updates and new features driven by the open-source community helps ensure MariaDB stays at the cutting edge.
• Oracle compatibility: MariaDB offers support for Oracle PL/SQL syntax, making migrations from Oracle databases easier.

Cons

• Less enterprise-level support: While there’s strong community support, MariaDB lacks the extensive enterprise support MySQL offers through Oracle.
• Compatibility drift with MySQL: Over time, MariaDB has introduced features not present in MySQL, which could create potential compatibility issues when switching between the two databases.
• Less stable in some cases: Because MariaDB is more experimental with new features, it may not be as stable in certain high-demand environments compared to MySQL.

MySQL

Pros

• Strong enterprise support: Backed by Oracle, MySQL offers extensive enterprise-level support, making it a reliable option for businesses requiring guaranteed assistance and uptime.
• Widely adopted: MySQL is one of the most popular relational databases, with extensive documentation, third-party tools, and integrations available across a wide variety of platforms.
• Proven reliability: MySQL has a long track record of stability and reliability, particularly for applications requiring structured data and Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability compliance.
• Ease of use: Its simple setup, user-friendly interface, and strong community support make MySQL accessible for both small and large applications.

Cons

• Slower innovation: MySQL development is more conservative, meaning it may not introduce cutting-edge features as quickly as MariaDB.
• Dual licensing model: While there’s a free version of MySQL, some features are only available under a commercial license, which can lead to additional costs for enterprises.
• Less flexible in certain use cases: Compared to MariaDB, MySQL lacks some advanced features, such as dynamic columns and the variety of storage engines, which may limit its flexibility in more complex environments.

Use Cases of MariaDB and MySQL

MariaDB and MySQL both serve as robust relational databases, but their differences in features and development focus make them better suited for different types of projects. Understanding the specific use cases in which each database excels can help guide your choice based on your data’s structure and your project’s requirements.

Thanks to the MariaDB horizontal scalability and enhanced replication, such as Galera Cluster, it’s a great choice for distributed systems and cloud-native applications needing to scale dynamically across multiple servers. The flexibility of dynamic columns, additional storage engines, and strong support for complex queries also make MariaDB suitable for software as a service and platform as a service environments. The thread pooling and fast replication make it ideal for high-concurrency environments where several concurrent transactions must be handled efficiently.

The MySQL stability, broad adoption, and enterprise support make it the go-to solution for projects where reliability and proven performance are paramount. Not only can MySQL easily integrate with platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, and Magento, making it an excellent choice for powering websites, blogs, and e-commerce platforms needing reliable, structured data management, but it can also fulfill many e-commerce platform requirements due to its ACID compliance and transactional integrity.

What’s more, since MySQL has support from Oracle and is fairly reliable, it’s a trusted solution for enterprise-level applications, including banking systems, customer relationship management platforms, and financial applications, along with startups and small businesses.

Concluding Thoughts on MariaDB and MySQL

Both MariaDB and MySQL are powerful relational databases, each with unique strengths catering to different needs. MariaDB offers advanced features, greater flexibility, and a strong focus on innovation, making it ideal for modern, scalable, and high-concurrency environments. On the other hand, proven stability, wide adoption, and enterprise-level support of MySQL makes it a reliable choice for businesses prioritizing consistency and established solutions.

Ultimately, your choice between MariaDB and MySQL should be guided by your project’s specific requirements for performance, scalability, and support. Both MariaDB and MySQL offer plenty of pros and a few drawbacks. Regardless of which database you choose, you’ll need to ensure optimal performance and high reliability. SolarWinds Database Observability can help you with MariaDB monitoring or MySQL monitoring so you can help ensure your databases are running as efficiently and reliably as possible.

Note: As of 30.10.2024, product specifications and other information set forth herein have either been made accessible by suppliers, manufacturers, publications, or gathered from publicly available sources as of the date of this document. Although measures are taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, SolarWinds makes no representations or warranties as to the completeness or accuracy of the information and shall incur no liability for any errors or omissions.