MariaDB Reviews

Name: MariaDB
Brand: MariaDB
Rating: 4.1 (59 reviews)

Vendor: MariaDB

4.1 out of 5

59 reviews
96% willing to recommend

421 followers

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What is MariaDB?

MariaDB is an open source relational database created by the original founders of MySQL. It is considered one of the most popular and trusted database servers throughout the world. MariaDB is a valued component found in most cloud offerings and is the default in many Linux tools. It is also widely used by Wikipedia, WordPress, and Google, among other well-known sites. Maria DB easily melds data into concise information from a vast array of applications, such as banking, online shopping, websites, and more.

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MariaDB is the #4 ranked solution in top Open Source Databases and top Relational Databases. PeerSpot users give MariaDB an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. MariaDB is most commonly compared to SQL Server: MariaDB vs SQL Server. MariaDB is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 52% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 15% of all views.

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Featured MariaDB reviews

KumarManish

Senior Technical Manager at Johnson Controls, Inc.

We had planned for an RDBMS version and not NoSQL. We use MariaDB Galera Cluster. It's a good product. It is cheap, scalable, performs well, and is efficient. We use GCP’s BigQuery for machine learning. We must follow the best practices of the tool. We missed some best practices like the storage engine and InnoDB. It was very difficult to identify why we were having performance issues. Then, we realized that some of our tables were still on MyISAM, the default storage engine. When we switched it back to the InnoDB, it was very smooth. InnoDB is the recommended one. We must follow the best practices given in the documentation during the initial setup. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

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Nalin Kumar

Quality Assurance Group Lead at Samsung

MariaDB is everything that SQL DB has, but it's much lighter and more flexible. It's also more expandable. So I don't think MariaDB has any disadvantages compared to SQL DB. So the only issue is that it's not as lightweight as SQL DB. That's probably the only drawback. In future releases, mainly the addition of security features would be beneficial for MariaDB. It would be great to have built-in capabilities that can be managed through plug-ins and system administration. This would require incorporating security measures into the code, which is a one-time activity but needs to be maintained. Wrappers can also be written for reusability and improved security. That's something MariaDB could benefit from.

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Ton Ancheta

General Manager at Xurpas Software, Inc.

I actually use MariaDB, and I used PeerSpot's website to search for and compare the performance between MariaDB and MySQL for our company's marketing efforts. Now, we are pushing MariaDB in our company. Over PostgreSQL, I can say MariaDB is comparatively easier to use. PostgreSQL is ideal for larger datasets as the processing works faster. The hardware requirements for PostgreSQL are slightly higher than those for MariaDB, which means our hosting services will incur more costs if we use it. MariaDB and PostgreSQL are more or less the same. PostgreSQL is slightly more scalable than MariaDB. There are some tech people who, because of even that small margin, even if they are really not going to be maximizing the power behind PostgreSQL fields, believe that it will work better for them.

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MariaDB mindshare

Product category:

As of July 2025, the mindshare of MariaDB in the Open Source Databases category stands at 6.7%, down from 9.8% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Open Source Databases

PeerResearch reports based on MariaDB reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Open Source Databases	Jul 3, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Jul 3, 2025	Download
Comparison	MariaDB vs Firebird SQL	Jul 3, 2025	Download
Comparison	MariaDB vs MySQL	Jul 3, 2025	Download
Comparison	MariaDB vs PostgreSQL	Jul 3, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
SQL Server	4.2	N/A	93%	269 interviews Add to research
Teradata	4.1	N/A	87%	76 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

"Visual Studio offers unit testing integration and extensive searching capabilities."
"The initial setup of MariaDB is simple enough."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the query speed it offers."

Room for Improvement

"The features available are very basic."
"The only potential area for improvement could be the pricing model, which might benefit from being more flexible or a bit cheaper."
"The ability to create stored procedures in MariaDB is an area where the tool lacks a bit."

Pricing

MariaDB offers a cost-effective and open-source solution with a free Community Edition widely appreciated by users. However, an enterprise version with licensing fees is available, typically around $4000 annually. Some users opt for paid support or subscriptions for additional features, yet MariaDB generally remains a more affordable alternative to Oracle. The flexibility and reduced costs make it a favorable choice for those looking to optimize expenses, especially when migrating from Oracle.

"MariaDB is available for free."
"The tool is open-source."
"The product is not expensive."

Service and Support

MariaDB's technical support is often unnecessary due to strong documentation and community resources. Many users solve issues internally or rely on community support. Some find MariaDB's support excellent but others find it limited or minimal, especially with the open-source version. Users appreciate quick responses and helpful guidance from MariaDB support, though some mention slow response times. Licensing can provide access to dedicated support, but many rely on self-troubleshooting and online information.

Scalability

MariaDB is considered scalable by many, with significant numbers of users across various systems and applications. Some note it requires configurations for large datasets, indicating scalability can be improved. It generally handles user growth well, though a few express reservations about its limits compared to larger databases. The need for additional products like SkySQL for cloud deployment enhances its scalability possibilities. While it suits small to medium use cases, large-scale users see some challenges.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our MariaDB Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

University

Government

Retailer

Construction Company

Media Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Healthcare Company

Hospitality Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Performing Arts

Non Profit

Energy/Utilities Company

Transportation Company

Insurance Company

Legal Firm

Logistics Company

Consumer Goods Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Outsourcing Company

Compare MariaDB with alternative products

Learn more about MariaDB

MariaDB was originally created to improve MySQL performance. It is the most widely chosen database server due to the solution being super fast, robust, user-friendly, and easily scalable. MariaDB also offers a substantial ecosystem of plugins, storage engines, and numerous other valuable tools that make it very attractive for a significant offering of use cases.

The solution’s newest functionalities include compatibility with Oracle Database and Temporal Data Tables, and advanced clustering with Galera Cluster 4, which make it easier for users to research data history from any point in the past. Additionally, the most recent versions include JSON and GIS features. MariaDB is committed to staying an open source solution.

MariaDB Features

More storage: MariaDB works with more storage engines than MySQL and most other database servers available. Some storage options include, but are not limited to ARCHIVE, MERGE, CSV, MEMORY, BLACKHOLE, MyISAM, ColumnStore, MyRocks, and Cassandra.
Super fast: MariaDB offers faster authentication checks. The FlushSSL permits SSL certificates to be reloaded without a server restart, resulting in huge time savings.
Improved testing: MariaDB offers an extending testing suite that runs faster and can test more than ever before. Bugs can be easily fixed and invalid tests removed.
Genuinely open source: Every code in MariaDB is GPL, LGPL, or BSD. Client libraries [for Windows (ODBC), Java (JDBC), or C] allow linking to closed source software. All fixed bug cases and development plans are completely public. MariaDB is a community-developed solution representing the true spirit of open source products.

Reviews from Real Users

Faustine C., Engineering Supervisor- Corporate Data Solutions and Services at TZ Telecoms Corporation, shares, “The software provides a lot of information on what is happening inside the database. For most performance parameters it is easy to know if something is not right in the configuration or optimization which helps engineers take remedial fine-tuning measures. For example, if the database is underperforming it is easy to know which performance parameter can be adjusted to handle the workload. It is difficult to troubleshoot database issues if many performance parameters can not be monitored or debugged which is the case with some database management systems. It provides great monitoring of data storage, processing, and performance stability which is really important for real-time data storage and processing. It's a user-friendly product.”

A PeerSpot user who is a Senior Engineer at a tech services company relates, “ The solution's high availability is its most valuable aspect. We have found the product to be stable and the initial setup is pretty simple. I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. I'm very happy with it overall. I would recommend the solution to others. It's easy to find details about the product online and to learn about it.”