CockroachDB vs MariaDB vs MySQL comparison

Read 59 MariaDB reviews

4,627 Views
3,453 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

MySQL

Read 149 MySQL reviews

5,311 Views
2,210 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

CockroachDB

MySQL

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between CockroachDB, MariaDB, and MySQL based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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To learn more, read our detailed Relational Databases Tools Report (Updated: June 2025).

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of CockroachDB is 4.1%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MariaDB is 6.3%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MySQL is 8.0%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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Featured Reviews

Dang Quy Tai

Student at Univerzita obrany

Geo-replication benefits with distributed setup and a helpful AI support chatbot

I am studying how to deploy CockroachDB and YugaByteDB, and learning some basic information about them. I am testing these databases as part of my school application to find a suitable database for our applications. Currently, I am using PostgreSQL, however, I want to try some distributed databases…

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KumarManish

Senior Technical Manager at Johnson Controls, Inc.

Easy to deploy, cost-effective, and integrates seamlessly with other products

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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Muzzamil Hussain

Assistant Vice President at National Bank of Pakistan

Native encryption ensures secure data management with a simple deployment

The most valuable feature is the on-premises data encryption facilities. By default, we can provide encryption, and this feature in MySQL is why we prefer it over other databases. The native encryption in MySQL encourages us to use this database model more frequently compared to Oracle and other databases. With Oracle, we have to buy another solution for encryption and masking, but MySQL supports native encryption, which enhances our return on investment. It perfectly supports our ROI, and we have no issues with its functionality.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The availability and the easy to use feature is the most valuable. The documentation is also good."

"The tool's most valuable feature is node syncing, which takes only 0.54 milliseconds."

"The most valuable feature is that CockroachDB is a distributed database, which can deploy nodes running in different regions."

"The product has valuable security features."

"CockroachDB is highly reliable."

"The initial setup and deployment are simple."

"What I like best is its ability to solve data residency issues. The main advantage is auto geo partitioning, built into the product. This means we don't have to spin up separate servers in each region, which would be much more costly."

"The subset of SQL that my client is using is completely supported."

More CockroachDB pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the query speed it offers."

"The solution is very easy to implement."

"The solution is very stable. It was originally built under MySQL. It has a similar level of stability."

"We use MariaDB for identity provider services. Most of the things that we are doing are deployed in the container mode. All such solutions require a database, and MariaDB is easier to use for these kinds of deployments."

"The documentation is quite straightforward."

"Easy to use and available in most environments."

"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that it is an open-source product and offers its users great online community support."

"A valuable feature is that we can use it for quite a few things, all the things you'd expect from a server—along the lines of Linux's Lightweight Directory."

More MariaDB pros

"The way that MySQL has improved my organization is that it comes free and also works fine on the technical side."

"It has a lot of features. The RDBMS, consistency, and multi-user features are valuable."

"MySQL is a scalable tool. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...The solution's technical support is good. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten."

"The initial setup was pretty straightforward. I would have worked with our IT team in terms of the initial setup."

"The product is flexible and easy to use."

"It has a community version. When I have to create a new database, I have no problems with licenses."

"The solution is very simple. It's easy to use. That's the most important feature."

"This product is a good teaching tool for students who want to learn about networked databases."

More MySQL pros

Cons

"I think the engine itself could be improved. If you miss a partition key, it should be able to be modeled. This is where AI could be really helpful. For example, if a user is from Australia, the system should know to look for their data there first instead of searching in the US or another continent."

"I find the serverless offer a bit confusing."

"We are looking for more features to support distributed high availability and geo-partitioning."

"I would like CockroachDB to have more compatibility with PostgreSQL, especially with the connection string and technical integrations."

"The platform could be more extensible."

"Cockroach does not support all types of protocols. I need to improve it myself to support a CouchDB on my network."

"CockroachDB needs to improve store processes."

"The initial setup and pricing could be improved."

More CockroachDB cons

"MariaDB could improve by adding support for non-relational structures and new data types."

"The dashboard and pricing need improvement."

"The only potential area for improvement could be the pricing model, which might benefit from being more flexible or a bit cheaper."

"I would like to see more compatibility going forward. This would help if there is a need to change databases."

"There is not much support available."

"While MariaDB is a good relational database, it can be inflexible for complex use cases."

"I would like to see a better user interface which would make the tool less complex."

"The GUI could be improved a bit. The user interface needs to be improved."

More MariaDB cons

"Oracle should start putting in some of the enterprise features in the standard feature. There are some key features that should be part of the standard."

"We face certain integration issues, especially when we integrate the database with security solutions like IBM QRadar, which affects database performance."

"The backup methods need improvement."

"The data masking functionality should be improved as well as the native encryption functionality in the MySQL database."

"The replication needs improvement. It's becoming a native cloud product like Oracle DB or Cockroach DB."

"MySQL's performance needs to be improved for enterprise-level applications compared to Oracle and Postgres."

"It does not stand out regarding scalability. When the company size increases, the user base having actual experience with (very) large MySQL solutions is reduced."

"The technical support should be more knowledgeable and available worldwide."

More MySQL cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is good but can be made cheaper. I would rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"The solution's pricing is not cheap. However, the good thing is that customers are willing to pay for it if they want it."

"I've used CockroachDB at a small scale on the free accounts because we are only testing."

"The product's price depends on the user's company and the contract model they enter into with CockroachDB. Depending on the contract model one enters into with CockroachDB, the product may or may not be expensive."

"The platform is affordable even for the enterprise version. It provides value for investment in terms of performance."

"It is free of charge."

"I rate the product's price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price, and ten is high price since there are some support costs involved, even though it isn't an open-source solution."

"The tool is open-source."

"We pay for a yearly license."

"We use the solution's free version."

"The product is not expensive."

"My company uses the free version of the solution."

"There is a monthly subscription to use MariaDB."

More MariaDB pricing and cost advice

"I use the open-source free community version."

"We are using the free community version of the solution."

"Microsoft licensing for SQL Server is probably ten times more expensive. I used to work for the government, and I remember when we were looking into upgrading to the enterprise version of SQL Server 2019, the licensing was going to cost 350,000. To get the equivalent in the cloud, it was going to be about four grand to get the same processing power and everything else. With MySQL, it was going to be about 300 for the same licensing. Cost-wise, for sure, there is a huge difference. Would you prefer to pay 300 a month or 3,000 to have the same amount of data resources? You might lose a few options that you need, but it isn't worth the price difference."

"The solution is open source so is free."

"We are using the free version of MySQL. We prefer paying for a yearly license."

"It is open source. We prefer it for POCs because it saves the license cost."

"MySQL is very cheap. It could be free. It also has a yearly licensing option."

"MySQL is released under an open-source license, so you have nothing to pay to use it."

More MySQL pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

36%

Computer Software Company

13%

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about CockroachDB?

The subset of SQL that my client is using is completely supported.

What needs improvement with CockroachDB?

I would like CockroachDB to have more compatibility with PostgreSQL, especially with the connection string and techni...

What is your primary use case for CockroachDB?

I am studying how to deploy CockroachDB and YugaByteDB, and learning some basic information about them. I am testing ...

What do you like most about MariaDB?

The integration with other products is seamless.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MariaDB?

I have found the price of commercial MariaDB to be pretty steep, although not as high as Oracle. Customers often pref...

What needs improvement with MariaDB?

The only potential area for improvement could be the pricing model, which might benefit from being more flexible or a...

Why are MySQL connections encrypted and what is the biggest benefit of this?

MySQL encrypts connections to protect your data and the biggest benefit from this is that nobody can corrupt it. If y...

Considering that there is a free version of MySQL, would you invest in one of the paid editions?

I may be considered a MySQL veteran since I have been using it since before Oracle bought it and created paid version...

What is one thing you would improve with MySQL?

One thing I would improve related to MySQL is not within the product itself, but with the guides to it. Before, when ...

Citus Data vs CockroachDB

Comparisons

Neon vs CockroachDB

Compared 26% of the time

Compared 15% of the time

YugabyteDB vs CockroachDB

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Database vs CockroachDB

Compared 9% of the time

IBM Db2 Database vs CockroachDB

Compared 3% of the time

More CockroachDB Competitors

Firebird SQL vs MariaDB

Compared 24% of the time

SQL Server vs MariaDB

Compared 24% of the time

PostgreSQL vs MariaDB

Compared 13% of the time

Oracle Database vs MariaDB

Compared 9% of the time

Amazon Aurora vs MariaDB

Compared 2% of the time

More MariaDB Competitors

Firebird SQL vs MySQL

Compared 25% of the time

PostgreSQL vs MySQL

Compared 13% of the time

SAP HANA vs MySQL

Compared 8% of the time

SQL Server vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

Oracle Java DB vs MySQL

Compared 2% of the time

More MySQL Competitors

Product Reports

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CockroachDB

July 2025

Download MariaDB product report

MySQL

Download MySQL product report

Overview

CockroachDB is a distributed SQL database built on a transactional and strongly-consistent key-value store. It scales horizontally; survives disk, machine, rack, and even datacenter failures with minimal latency disruption and no manual intervention; supports strongly-consistent ACID transactions; and provides a familiar SQL API for structuring, manipulating, and querying data.

CockroachDB is inspired by Google’s Spanner and F1 technologies, and it’s completely open source.

Cockroach

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.

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.”

MySQL is a cost-efficient and scalable relational database management system widely used in web, mobile applications, and academic projects.

MySQL is utilized for backend operations, data analysis, reporting, financial transactions, and ERP databases. It supports deployment on local servers, Cloud, and Kubernetes. Its free, open-source nature along with strong community support make it popular among companies. MySQL's compatibility with multiple platforms and programming languages enhances its appeal. While it remains stable and easy to use, areas such as replication, clustering, and backup require improvement to better serve enterprise applications. Enhanced security, error messages, and monitoring tools are also desired for a better user experience.

What are the most important features of MySQL?

Free and Open-Source: No licensing costs, perfect for budget-conscious projects.
Compatibility: Works with multiple platforms and programming languages.
High Performance: Efficient performance across large datasets.
Scalability: Easily scales to meet growing business needs.
Clustering and Replication: Ensures data availability and redundancy.
Easy Installation: Quick setup process on various operating systems.
Community Support: Extensive resources and community assistance.
Cross-Platform: Operates seamlessly on different operating systems.
Data Management Interface: Simplifies data handling and manipulation.

What are the benefits of using MySQL?

Cost Efficiency: Reduce expenses with a free, open-source database.
Scalability: Adapt to increasing data demands effortlessly.
Performance: Handle large datasets with ease and speed.
Community Support: Access a vast pool of knowledge and resources.
Flexibility: Integrate with various platforms and languages for diverse use cases.
Data Reliability: Clustering and replication for high data availability.

In multiple industries, MySQL supports internal applications, billing systems, academic teaching purposes, and ERP databases. Companies leverage MySQL for Cloud and local deployments, ensuring effective data manipulation and backend operations in diverse projects. Its role in financial transactions and reporting further emphasizes its versatility.

Oracle

Sample Customers

Baidu, Kindred, Tierion, Heroic Labs, Gorgias

Google, Wikipedia, Tencent, Verizon, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, Telefónica, Huatai Securities

Facebook, Tumblr, Scholastic, MTV Networks, Wikipedia, Verizon Wireless, Sage Group, Glassfish Open Message Queue, and RightNow Technologies.

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