How it works
MySQL is a relational database server owned by Oracle, with a free, open-source Community Edition. It is fast for typical web reads and writes, easy to host, and supported by practically every shared host and cloud. MariaDB was forked from it by its original authors and stays largely compatible.
Compared with PostgreSQL it has historically been simpler to get running, with a smaller feature set: fewer data types, fewer extensions and a less strict default mode. Tools such as PlanetScale and Vitess spread it across many machines.
MySQL and MariaDB pros and cons
Pros
- Available on almost every host, including cheap shared hosting
- Fast for everyday web workloads, and very well understood
- Huge community, tutorials and admin tools such as phpMyAdmin
Cons
- Fewer advanced features and extensions than PostgreSQL
- Oracle's ownership pushes some teams towards MariaDB or PostgreSQL
- Looser defaults have historically let bad data slip in
When to use MySQL and MariaDB
Pick it when
- WordPress, Laravel or other PHP stacks that expect it
- Your host only offers MySQL
- Scaling out with PlanetScale or Vitess
Skip it when
- You need PostGIS, pgvector or row level security built in
MySQL and MariaDB pricing
Open source
Community Edition and MariaDB are free. Managed hosting costs about the same as PostgreSQL.
Approximate, checked September 2026.What the other tools cost
MySQL and MariaDB vs the alternatives
Related terms
More in Databases and storage
Relational (SQL)