MySQL vs SAP SQL Anywhere comparison

Oracle and SAP are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Oracle is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.2, while SAP is ranked #17 with an average rating of 10.0. Oracle holds a 7.6% mindshare in SQL, compared to SAP’s 1.1% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Oracle users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of SAP users who would recommend it.

MySQL

Read 150 MySQL reviews

9,581 Views
4,599 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

SAP SQL Anywhere

Read 6 SAP SQL Anywhere reviews

724 Views
702 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

MySQL

SAP SQL Anywhere

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

SAP SQL Anywhere and MySQL are both database management systems catering to different business needs, with MySQL often seen as superior due to its feature-rich offerings that justify its cost for a broader user base.

Features: SAP SQL Anywhere includes features like synchronization and mobile application support, making it ideal for remote and embedded environments. MySQL offers extensive scalability, data replication, and benefits from a strong community-driven development platform, making it broadly applicable.

Room for Improvement: SAP SQL Anywhere could improve its pricing model to be more competitive and expand its scalability options. It may also enhance community support as it relies on vendor support. MySQL, on the other hand, could simplify its deployment process for smaller setups, improve documentation for niche use cases, and enhance mobile app integration features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SAP SQL Anywhere provides an easier setup for smaller implementations, favoring those in need of lightweight databases. MySQL's complex architecture supports large-scale deployments, benefiting from an extensive community providing abundant resources. SAP offers direct vendor support, which is more tailored.

Pricing and ROI: SAP SQL Anywhere involves higher upfront costs but may offer better ROI for specialized deployments due to tailored support. MySQL, being open-source, usually incurs lower setup costs with its extensive features and scalability, resulting in efficient operations and potentially superior long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed MySQL vs. SAP SQL Anywhere Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

MySQL vs. SAP SQL Anywhere

September 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:

Categories and Ranking

MySQL

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

150

Ranking in other categories

Open Source Databases (1st)

SAP SQL Anywhere

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

17th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of MySQL is 7.6%, down from 7.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP SQL Anywhere is 1.1%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
MySQL	7.6%
SAP SQL Anywhere	1.1%
Other	91.3%

Relational Databases Tools

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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Crewmem67

IT Consultant at College Notre Dame de Nazareth

Reliable and able to expand but needs to be more secure

It is not as good as a SQL Server. I prefer to work with the SQL Server for Microsoft or Oracle. These are better as there are some comments on SQL Anywhere that makes me feel that I'm blocked. We'd like to have them update to a new version. They should update more often. I find I can't move to a new version without running tests as there are chances of bugs that can get into my system. The initial setup is not simple or straightforward, and it took a while to deploy. It is not as secure as it could be. This is an aspect they need to improve. There needs to be more encryption.

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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

"MySQL is an easy-to-use solution that provides stability, reliability, flexibility, performance, security, and high availability."

"The replication feature is the most valuable. We are replicating our servers."

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

"We use MySQL for enterprise data storage as well as part of the back-end of websites and web applications."

"MySQL is an open-source product and has good community support. If you encounter any problem, you can easily ask other members of the community to help. They help you a lot. On top of being free, MySQL is a cross-platform database, meaning it can work on both Windows and Linux. It is very good for us."

"It's a mature solution that's been around for decades."

"I use MySQL for employee service in an OLTP database."

"I like MySQL because of its community."

More MySQL pros

"We've found the solution very reliable overall. It's very fast."

"The auto-backup replication is a perfect feature. That is the feature I liked the most."

"SAP SQL Anywhere is very helpful."

"It works well in general."

"The most valuable features of SAP SQL Anywhere are the ease of use and the user interface is intuitive."

Cons

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

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

"If the customer is already using or has already used Oracle for a long time they will know the look and feel and the character of this database that can fit into their business."

"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."

"Documentation is definitely required when running multiple databases on a cluster system."

"The workbench could be improved. In particular, error messages can be improved, which are horrific and completely unhelpful. I'd like to see improved parsing of errors. When you write SQL and it crashes, it usually is something completely irrelevant and not helpful. I've started to use GPT 3.5 for finding out how to do things. I got to do something a bit different, and that I found to be very useful. If there was some way to tie it into one of the new AI tools, that would probably be a good idea."

"MySQL is not easily scalable on cost effective consumer grade hardware."

"It could be a little bit simpler to use."

More MySQL cons

"SAP SQL Anywhere needs to incorporate functionalities like SAP S/4HANA."

"We have had some stability issues with SAP SQL Anywhere, but I am not sure if it is an application or network issue. We sometimes have a large amount of data being queried and it cannot handle it."

"It is not as secure as it could be."

"A problem we are experiencing now is when doing a backup in SQL 2012 and 14."

"The interface is not easy in comparison to the SQL Server. It could be more user-friendly."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is open-source."

"I don't pay for a license."

"The pricing is not much expensive, it's cheap."

"The tool is open source."

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

"There is not a license required for this solution."

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

"I think that MySQL is a premium product."

More MySQL pricing and cost advice

"SQL Anywhere cost us about $400."

"SAP SQL Anywhere is affordable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	73
Midsize Enterprise	31
Large Enterprise	61

No data available

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...

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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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about SAP SQL Anywhere?

SAP SQL Anywhere is very helpful.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP SQL Anywhere?

SAP SQL Anywhere is affordable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP SQL Anywhere?

SAP SQL Anywhere needs to incorporate functionalities like SAP S/4HANA.

See all answers

Comparisons

Firebird SQL vs MySQL

Compared 23% of the time

PostgreSQL vs MySQL

Compared 14% of the time

SAP HANA vs MySQL

Compared 8% of the time

SQL Server vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

MariaDB vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

More MySQL Competitors

SQL Server vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 32% of the time

SAP HANA vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 21% of the time

Oracle Database vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 19% of the time

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 13% of the time

More SAP SQL Anywhere Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

MySQL

August 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

August 2025

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Also Known As

No data available

Sybase SQL Anywhere

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

SAP SQL Anywhere enables companies to develop custom mobile and IoT application and rapidly design and deploy embedded database applications. The RDBMS solutions can provide secure, reliable data management and synchronization for thousands of mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, and remote environments. They let business users work uninterrupted, even without a network connection.

SAP

Sample Customers

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

AOK Bundesverband, Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, Molson Coors Brewing Company, City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International, Wªrth Group, Takisada-Osaka Co. Ltd., Coelba, RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association, TALLY WEiJL

Buyer's Guide

MySQL vs. SAP SQL Anywhere

September 2025

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