MySQL
Oracle's widely used open-source relational database, with a free Community Edition.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 3
- Approved reviews
- 0
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About MySQL
MySQL is one of the most widely deployed open-source relational databases, long the 'M' in the LAMP stack and still behind countless WordPress, PHP and web apps. Oracle develops it and offers a free Community Edition under the GPL alongside paid Enterprise, Standard and cloud (HeatWave) editions. The Community Edition includes the InnoDB storage engine with transactional data dictionary, replication and Group Replication for failover, InnoDB Cluster for high availability, partitioning, stored procedures, triggers and views, plus a document store for JSON-style NoSQL use. Connectors cover most languages, and MySQL Workbench provides an official GUI. It's available on over 20 platforms including Linux, Windows and macOS, and almost every web host and cloud provider offers it. Compared with PostgreSQL it has historically had fewer advanced SQL features and types, and some people prefer MariaDB or Postgres because MySQL is controlled by Oracle.
Best for: Web developers who want the most widely hosted SQL database, especially for PHP and WordPress apps..
Pros and cons
What works
- Supported by nearly every host, cloud and framework
- Free GPL Community Edition with replication and clustering
- Official GUI in MySQL Workbench
Why people leave
- Some features are reserved for paid Enterprise editions
- Controlled by Oracle rather than a community foundation
- Fewer advanced data types and SQL features than PostgreSQL
Top MySQL alternatives
See all 3- 1
MariaDB66.5Drop-in compatible fork run by a foundation, so most MySQL apps move over with little change.
- 2
PostgreSQL62.6Richer SQL features and types under a permissive licence with community governance.
- 3
CockroachDB52.6Distributed SQL for apps that have outgrown a single MySQL primary.
Why people left MySQL
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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MySQL: common questions
Is MySQL free?
Yes. MySQL is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is MySQL open source?
Yes. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does MySQL run on?
MySQL is available for Linux, Windows, macOS and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to MySQL?
The highest-ranked MySQL alternatives right now are MariaDB, PostgreSQL and CockroachDB. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.