MySQL vs PostgreSQL comparison

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MySQL

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

PostgreSQL and MySQL compete in the open-source database management system category. PostgreSQL appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced feature set and strong performance under high workloads.

Features: PostgreSQL offers comprehensive SQL compliance, advanced data types like JSONB, and support for complex queries and operations. It is recognized for superior scalability and extensibility. On the other hand, MySQL focuses on speed and compatibility, making it well-suited for small to medium-sized applications. It supports multi-threaded architecture, LAMP/WAMP integration, and provides excellent performance and stability in various environments.

Room for Improvement: PostgreSQL could benefit from improved documentation and support, as well as enhancements in multi-master replication and partitioning features. MySQL, while easy to use, faces challenges with scalability and lacks advanced analytical capabilities compared to enterprise solutions. It also needs to enhance support for complex data operations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both PostgreSQL and MySQL are widely deployed across on-premises and cloud environments. PostgreSQL boasts a strong open-source community that offers extensive support, whereas MySQL, also backed by community forums, is noted for its ease of deployment. However, both lack centralized official support and primarily rely on community or third-party assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Both PostgreSQL and MySQL are open-source, minimizing software costs. PostgreSQL's rich features offer significant ROI for enterprises requiring advanced database functionalities, despite potentially higher personnel costs. MySQL, distributed under GPL, provides rapid ROI with lower overhead, appealing particularly to budget-constrained projects needing simple database solutions.

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

MySQL vs. PostgreSQL

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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:

Categories and Ranking

MySQL

Ranking in Open Source Databases

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

152

Ranking in other categories

Relational Databases Tools (4th)

PostgreSQL

Ranking in Open Source Databases

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

125

Ranking in other categories

Vector Databases (11th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Open Source Databases category, the mindshare of MySQL is 9.0%, down from 12.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PostgreSQL is 14.7%, down from 18.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Open Source Databases Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
MySQL	9.0%
PostgreSQL	14.7%
Other	76.3%

Open Source Databases

Featured Reviews

Prabir Kumar Kundu

SR AVP–Presales Cloud & Platform Management Services at Path Infotech ltd

Offers robust security and availability with impressive replication capabilities

Regarding their documentation and interface, there is room for improvement. Documentation is definitely required when running multiple databases on a cluster system. The load balancer, MySQL LB, which is used to connect to the application, lacks clear documentation. When there are multiple application servers connecting to the MySQL cluster and going through the MySQL load balancer, the documentation is not user-friendly. It's there, but only technical persons with deep knowledge of the MySQL database can implement it. Most of the community users or ISVs who use MySQL don't have many technical persons or DBA experts, so they face some challenges for the high availability of connecting high available databases from high available applications. That documentation should be simplified.

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Akhilesh Chipre

Senior Assosiate Consultant at Applied Materials

Real-time data capture optimizes database performance but Views create problems

One of the most valuable features is real-time data capture; it optimizes database performance. I think using real-time data capture reduces job running time and the amount of data sent at once with batch loads. Replicating the same data daily isn't optimal, so real-time reception improves application performance and reduces latency.

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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

"For starters, it's free, which is always nice, and it's also pretty straightforward to use. It's a nice conventional database."

"MySQL is a very useful database which is used by a lot of companies, so it should be really good."

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

"This is a lightweight product that is not demanding on the resources, which is what I think gives it the edge."

"I rate the solution's stability a ten out of ten since it has been running flawlessly."

"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."

"MySQL is easy to integrate. It works with just about every language."

"The initial setup was easy. I work in an agile way, which means coding and deploying quickly."

More MySQL pros

"Initial setup is simple."

"It's a standard reliable database management system."

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

"What I like is that it's quite powerful in terms of performance."

"Clustering will be the number 1 feature. It is also open-source so it is free. It can also be clustered, to allow fault tolerance."

"The community support and the open-source community for it are good."

"The PostgreSQL database is similar to the SQL Server but has a slightly different technology that has similar resources as well. If the customer has the confidence using SQL Server, they will be fairly comfortable using this solution."

"We often use PostgreSQL for operations monitoring because we are a manufacturing company."

Cons

"When I run into issues, I really have to research how to fix them."

"The solution is expensive."

"It isn't as reliable as an SQL Server."

"The interface could be improved."

"We have encountered some performance issues, and the solution takes time for performing complex queries."

"MySQL tutorials and guides could be improved. Often they are too complex for someone with no database experience to understand."

"The solution could improve the monitoring. At the present time, you need to use third-party monitoring solutions."

"The documentation is pretty weak and should be improved."

More MySQL cons

"The price could be better."

"The pricing could be better."

"The interface could be much better."

"They need to have a better graphical interface. There is a tool called pgAdmin 4 that they use, which is free. It is written in Java, and it is slow. They need to have a better product that is similar to Toad for Oracle, but, of course, it is hard to get something that's really great and free. Other than that, it is great."

"There could be a plugin to distribute the data on servers for the product."

"PostgreSQL uses high memory compared to its counterparts when a highly demanding load is involved, especially one that makes many concurrent connections to the database."

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

"The user interface for the clients could be easier to use as they are small businesses. From a technical support perspective, the documentation could be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is open-source."

"Can range from free to quite expensive, depending on the environments and requirements, so better to really set goals ahead of setting it up."

"The pricing falls within the moderate range."

"My company uses MySQL's corporate licenses."

"We do have a couple of clients who choose to use the paid, enterprise version of the solution and who take full advantage of it."

"MySQL is free."

"There is no cost involved, no licensing fees."

"I am not paying, but I am not sure about the exact licensing requirements."

More MySQL pricing and cost advice

"The licensing model is good."

"It is free, but if you need support, you can go for the commercial version called EnterpriseDB. They provide paid support, and they can even do hosting for you if you want standby and support."

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

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

"We do not pay for licensing."

"It is open source. There is no licensing."

"There is an annual license."

"We use the open-source version of PostgreSQL and not the enterprise edition."

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	74
Midsize Enterprise	32
Large Enterprise	62

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	57
Midsize Enterprise	26
Large Enterprise	46

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 22% of the time

MariaDB vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

SQL Server vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

SAP HANA vs MySQL

Compared 5% of the time

Oracle Database vs MySQL

Compared 4% of the time

More MySQL Competitors

Compared 26% of the time

MariaDB vs PostgreSQL

Compared 7% of the time

Chroma vs PostgreSQL

Compared 5% of the time

LanceDB vs PostgreSQL

Compared 5% of the time

EDB Postgres Advanced Server vs PostgreSQL

Compared 4% of the time

Product Reports

MySQL

Download MySQL product report

Download PostgreSQL product report

Overview

MySQL is an open-source database known for its ease of use and high performance. It offers features like replication and clustering, making it ideal for diverse applications. Its cost-effectiveness and LAMP integration are key advantages for businesses.

MySQL supports a variety of languages and platforms, providing reliable, scalable data management. Its graphical interface and LAMP architecture integration enhance its usability, while community support further strengthens its appeal. Challenges include scalability issues with large databases, lack of advanced clustering, and limited high-availability features. Complex queries may affect performance, and integration can pose difficulties. The outdated interface and insufficient documentation are also concerns, along with replication and backup reliability issues.

What are MySQL's key features?

Open-source nature: Freely available and customizable.
Cross-platform compatibility: Supports multiple operating systems.
Scalability: Capable of handling large volumes of data.
Replication and clustering: Ensure data redundancy and load balancing.
Full-text search: Provides powerful search capabilities.
LAMP integration: Seamlessly integrates with Linux, Apache, and PHP.

What benefits should users consider?

Cost-effectiveness: Reduces expenses due to its open-source nature.
High performance: Efficiently processes large volumes of data.
Active community support: Access to a wide range of resources and expertise.
Versatile use cases: Suitable for varied applications including web development and IoT.

MySQL is widely implemented in industries such as web development, e-commerce, and finance. It's used for managing dynamic websites, powering e-commerce platforms, and supporting financial applications. Its compatibility with PHP and cost-effectiveness make it suitable for CMS platforms like WordPress. With cloud services integration, MySQL is a backend choice for scalable applications in various sectors.

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

MySQL vs. PostgreSQL