MySQL vs PostgreSQL comparison

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MySQL

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

PostgreSQL and MySQL are widely used open-source relational database management systems that compete in the database market. PostgreSQL seems to have the upper hand in terms of advanced functionalities and SQL compliance, while MySQL is noted for its speed and performance, particularly in web applications.

Features: PostgreSQL is known for following SQL standards closely and offers advanced features such as full-text search, GIS capabilities, and extensive support for various programming languages. It excels in scalability and robustness for handling large datasets. MySQL, on the other hand, is celebrated for its speed in web applications and provides flexibility with multiple storage engines, making it a favored choice for small to medium applications.

Room for Improvement: PostgreSQL could enhance its handling of certain SQL operations, such as 'INSERT IGNORE' and add support for unsigned integer data types. It has a reputation for a steeper learning curve. MySQL lacks some features like robust replication and transaction handling, and it faces performance issues with intensive InnoDB use compared to MyISAM, which are areas under development.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both PostgreSQL and MySQL are versatile in deployment, supporting various environments with increased popularity in cloud settings. PostgreSQL offers community-based support, though it can lack formal customer service. MySQL also benefits from a large community, but additional support might be necessary for enterprise setups. Both rely on external resources for technical support.

Pricing and ROI: PostgreSQL is completely open-source, providing a high ROI due to the absence of licensing fees, appealing to cost-conscious organizations. Costs may arise in training and support. MySQL is also open-source for base deployment, but enterprise features might incur additional expenses. Both solutions present excellent ROI, making them suitable for startups and businesses looking to avoid proprietary software costs.

To learn more, read our detailed MySQL vs. PostgreSQL Report (Updated: July 2025).

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MySQL vs. PostgreSQL

July 2025

Helped 861,481 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

MySQL

Ranking in Open Source Databases

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

149

Ranking in other categories

Relational Databases Tools (5th)

PostgreSQL

Ranking in Open Source Databases

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

125

Ranking in other categories

Vector Databases (12th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Open Source Databases category, the mindshare of MySQL is 9.7%, down from 16.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PostgreSQL is 17.7%, down from 20.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Open Source Databases

Featured Reviews

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.

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PavithrarajShetty

Software Architect at Tetherfi

Offers simplicity and is cheaply priced

I haven't gone through the scalability aspect since I was using MySQL Server. I haven't worked to a high level in PostgreSQL, but with MySQL Server, I have managed clustering and partitioning. I think I haven't put much focus on PostgreSQL, so I am not sure how it behaves or how it works.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We are completely comfortable with the database’s performance and it is a mature product. My organization was looking for an open-source database for our smaller customers like the community edition. For bigger customers, we can scale into commercial and supported editions."

"A lot of the software components have been trialed and tested for often more than 10 years."

"The most valuable feature is the on-premises data encryption facilities."

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

"The fact that it is free is what appeals to me the most."

"It is very easy to install and has all basic database features."

"MySQL is the best option for the Laravel PHP framework."

"The solution is a small application and is very easy to deploy."

More MySQL pros

"We use the solution to store tables. It is stable and performs well."

"It is very scalable and comes with a bonus: no licensing issues as you scale with your databases."

"I like that you can move any relational database from Oracle to PostgreSQL. I also like that it's pretty stable."

"The most valuable features are the price, stability, it is scalable and is used by our clients in small business environments, and it is a simple product to use."

"The built-in code procedural language is the most valuable. It has a built-in layer for code procedures. Its installation is very easy and quick, and it is free. It is also stable, and its performance is also good."

"The product is very similar to the SQL Server."

"The product's deployment is easy."

"We are able to create many different types of jobs and items with this solution making it one of the most valuable features."

Cons

"Scalability could be improved."

"I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. It does break down a little at times."

"The product is a little bit complex and it is difficult to find sufficient documentation."

"Sometimes, not because the version is not the latest version, there are some issues with it. Sometimes there's an issue with the server which creates issues with it."

"MySQL needs improvements on its diagnostic features."

"The solution is expensive."

"As for areas that could be improved, the tool is often used as a local database on laptops. But now, we're moving to cloud-based solutions that are more scalable and highly available. I think the tool should offer a cloud database option. This would let users keep a local copy of data if needed, but also have their data available across different regions through a cloud account."

"The tool needs to improve table visualization."

More MySQL cons

"It could be improved by using parallelization. You want basically, distributed computing."

"It still needs to be more mature and have some backup feature. We are normally dealing with Oracle's data, and we have very strong online tools to back up the data and do other things. PostgreSQL still needs to do more in this area as well as in the high availability area. There are many external tools that you can use for PostgreSQL's high availability, but there is no embedded tool within PostgreSQL for high availability. It could have a feature similar to Oracle for working on a distributed system. It can have some scripts to improve the monitoring and some tools to do performance analysis. We have a workaround for most of such requirements except for the support for a distributed system, which is very difficult to have. This area should be included in the core of the database itself."

"I had some issues when I integrated with the Jupyter Notebook."

"I don't think PostgreSQL supports bulk databases, so it needs to have more capabilities in terms of managing the bulk data."

"Sometimes, the views create problems. If you don't have the view, sometimes what happens is you need to have the drivers properly set up for PostgreSQL."

"Postgres should focus on building a stronger knowledge base. They also need to expand their integration capabilities, so more tools and resources are available to manage it."

"We have to set up event API, which takes a lot of events from the user."

"The pricing could be better."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It has a community version."

"We are using the free community edition of MySQL."

"The price of the solution is good because we have a good partner."

"I think that MySQL is a premium product."

"It is an open source platform."

"MySQL is cheaper than Microsoft SQL Server."

"There is a license needed for this solution."

"This product has a good price point."

More MySQL pricing and cost advice

"It is an open-source platform."

"The need for our customers to pay for licences is contingent on their projects and budgets."

"It is free. There is no license on it."

"PostgreSQL is a free and open-source database."

"The tool is cheaply priced compared to other RDBMS providers in the market."

"This solution can offer a cheaper choice for customers since it is open-source."

"PostgreSQL is open-source, so if capable admins are available then the setup cost can be $0."

"It is free. In terms of operating costs, it basically needs the same platform on which Oracle runs."

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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 you move information over a network without encryption, you are endangering it, m...

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 versions. So back in my day, it was all free, it was open-source and the best among sim...

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 it was free, everyone was on their own, seeking tutorials and how-to videos onli...

How does Firebird SQL compare with PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL was designed in a way that provides you with not only a high degree of flexibility but also offers you a cheap and easy-to-use solution. It gives you the ability to redesign and audit yo...

What do you like most about PostgreSQL?

It's a transactional database, so we use Postgres for most of our reporting. That's where it's helping.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PostgreSQL?

The tool is free of cost. For now, it's not about making money. But once we perfect it, we can offer it to customers willing to pay for support and other services. Most of my deployments are free.

Firebird SQL vs PostgreSQL

Comparisons

Firebird SQL vs MySQL

Compared 25% of the time

SAP HANA vs MySQL

Compared 8% of the time

MariaDB vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

SQL Server vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

Oracle Database vs MySQL

Compared 5% of the time

More MySQL Competitors

Compared 35% of the time

EDB Postgres Advanced Server vs PostgreSQL

Compared 10% of the time

Chroma vs PostgreSQL

Compared 8% of the time

MariaDB vs PostgreSQL

Compared 8% of the time

LanceDB vs PostgreSQL

Compared 4% of the time

Product Reports

Download MySQL product report

MySQL

June 2025

Download PostgreSQL product report

June 2025

Overview

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

PostgreSQL is a versatile and reliable database management system commonly used for web development, data analysis, and building scalable databases.

It offers advanced features like indexing, replication, and transaction management. Users appreciate its flexibility, performance, and ability to handle large amounts of data efficiently. Its robustness, scalability, and support for complex queries make it highly valuable.

Additionally, PostgreSQL's extensibility, flexibility, community support, and frequent updates contribute to its ongoing improvement and stability.

Sample Customers

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

1. Apple 2. Cisco 3. Fujitsu 4. Instagram 5. Netflix 6. Red Hat 7. Sony 8. Uber 9. Cisco Systems 10. Skype 11. LinkedIn 12. Etsy 13. Yelp 14. Reddit 15. Dropbox 16. Slack 17. Twitch 18. WhatsApp 19. Snapchat 20. Shazam 21. SoundCloud 22. The New York Times 23. Cisco WebEx 24. Atlassian 25. Cisco Meraki 26. Heroku 27. GitLab 28. Zalando 29. OpenTable 30. Trello 31. Square Enix 32. Bloomberg