I don't use MySQL extensively, but I use the code within MySQL for preparing some reports and all that.
Lead Data Analyst at Ernst & Young
Easy to use, code is easy to write and understand
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is easy."
- "The user interface could be more user friendly. Mainly because most of the times we see black and white digital lines. Something like Python."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Code is easy to write and code, it's easy to understand. That's why it's widely used. The queries are very easy to understand and [write the] code. For coding, it's very easy.
What needs improvement?
The user interface could be more user friendly. Mainly because most of the times we see black and white digital lines. Something like Python.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for three years. I have been using it since 2021.
Buyer's Guide
MySQL
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about MySQL. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't experienced any bad things.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is widely adopted in our company. We have around 60% of our total employees using it.
How are customer service and support?
We have an internal support team. We usually connect to them, and they will resolve the issue. We don't need to connect to the MySQL team directly.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not very difficult. It's easy only.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is not much expensive, it's cheap only.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend it. For beginners, it is pretty much easier compared to other tools. The queries are very similar and easy to learn in a short span of time.
For beginners, it is very easy to use. It would be something easy to learn. It is a perfect tool for beginners.
Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Software Engineer / Team Lead at Techfriar
Supports Laravel PHP framework, but we need to define every table beforehand
Pros and Cons
- "MySQL is the best option for the Laravel PHP framework."
- "In MySQL, we need to define every table beforehand."
What is our primary use case?
We use MySQL in multiple projects for storing, task management apps, and dating apps.
What is most valuable?
MySQL is the best option for the Laravel PHP framework. It supports multiple model systems, and it's very easy to call MySQL compared to other languages like MongoDB. I prefer MySQL for the Laravel PHP framework.
The solution's security features depend on where we host our server and database. We have some preventive measures to reduce attacks. We have taken authentication and only allow a particular IP address.
What needs improvement?
In MySQL, we need to define every table beforehand.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MySQL for four to five years.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In MySQL, we need to define every table beforehand. However, we don't need to do so in MongoDB. We can add a new row or column in MongoDB anytime, making it much easier. If you purchase MongoDB's plan, it supports many security features, and you don't need to check about security. They will handle everything.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is very easy. For the first time, the solution's implementation will take some time. However, you can use it multiple times after you configure it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
MySQL is a cheap solution.
What other advice do I have?
Maintaining the database is a task. We take a weekly backup for each database so that we can upload it to the server if anything happens to the data. We created a cron job so that the data can be taken and then uploaded to a specific space so that we can go back to the particular big data whenever we want. I prefer MongoDB for scalability because it's much easier to maintain MongoDB.
Just one person is enough to maintain the solution. The solution has good documentation available on Google.
Overall, I rate the solution six and a half out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
MySQL
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about MySQL. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
886,011 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Managing Director at NaMax Limited
A reliable, free, and easy-to-use solution
Pros and Cons
- "For starters, it's free, which is always nice, and it's also pretty straightforward to use. It's a nice conventional database."
- "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."
What is our primary use case?
Mostly, we're using it as a database behind a machine learning application.
What is most valuable?
For starters, it's free, which is always nice, and it's also pretty straightforward to use. It's a nice conventional database. We don't need the sort of flexibility that you get with most SQL databases and stuff like that, so we are happy with a good old-fashioned relational database. It's totally good for that.
It works. It's reliable. We haven't done any configuration management for probably about two years, but as far as I remember, that was pretty straightforward as well. It's doing what it needs to do as far as we're concerned.
What needs improvement?
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. There were a couple of things that I've found difficult to do in the past, and I remember they were fiddly. I set them into ChatGPT, which is GPT 3.5, and it gave first-class answers.
I find it clunky. It just doesn't feel very modern. It feels as if you have to go through multiple steps to get to places, and it's not clear, but operationally, I find it fine.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for about five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's reliable. I never lost any data, which you anyways shouldn't. I'd rate it a ten out of ten in terms of stability because we never had the slightest problem. We are not in a challenging environment, but I haven't had any problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We've had absolutely no limitations. However, we haven't got enormous data. It's not very vast, so scalability hasn't been an issue. At our level, it's not even a question. It's absolutely perfect. I'd rate it an eight out of ten in terms of scalability, which I describe as very good
How are customer service and support?
I've never contacted them, but technical support within the environment itself isn't good. I'd rate it a three out of ten, but now if I can use my own technical support with GPT 3.5, it comes up to about an eight out of ten. It's a kind of hybrid support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We weren't using a similar solution previously. We would prototype from things like Excel or straight-off .TXT files. I had some experience and so did my business partner, and we just decided this looked like the right answer.
How was the initial setup?
That was pretty straightforward as I remember. It was a while ago now, but I don't remember any difficulties at all. I'd rate it a nine out of ten in terms of the ease of setup.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's free.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did look at MongoDB, but it wasn't what we needed, so we decided we go with something a little more conventionally established, and MySQL absolutely fitted the bill. We didn't need anything else. We got some colleagues who used Oracle, but it's expensive and quite difficult to use.
What other advice do I have?
If you don't have any unusual requirements or absolutely vast databases, it's ideal. We certainly have no problems at all. It just works.
Overall, I'd rate it a nine out of ten. Nothing is perfect, but it's as good as we could have asked for.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Associate Cloud Engineer at Rishabh Software
Provides powerful data querying.
Pros and Cons
- "MySQL gives us a very user-friendly workspace in which to query the database."
- "We have encountered some performance issues, and the solution takes time for performing complex queries."
What is our primary use case?
We are developers working on different types of projects. We use relational databases in some projects and non-relational databases in others. When we use relational databases, we use MySQL. When we use non-relational databases, we use our DynamoDB or MongoDB.
What is most valuable?
- Ease of Use: MySQL is relatively easy to set up, configure, and manage, especially with tools like MySQL Workbench and command-line utilities. Its widespread popularity also means there is ample documentation, tutorials, and community support available for users.
- Open Source and Cost-effective: MySQL is open-source software, which means it is free to use and can be customized according to specific requirements. This makes it a cost-effective choice for startups, small businesses, and projects with budget constraints.
What needs improvement?
Compared to some other database systems, MySQL may have limitations in terms of advanced features and functionalities, especially when it comes to complex data relationships and transactions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MySQL for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In my past two years of MySQL experience, I found no bugs or breakdowns. It works completely fine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Many cloud providers offers managed mysql service with scalable architecture ,automated backups , monitoring and scaling. Leveraging this can solve the scalability problem.
How was the initial setup?
MySQL is very easy to install and use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
As it is an open source and there is community edition available so if you have small or medium use case it is much cheaper to use.
What other advice do I have?
Below are some thing to consider while working with mysql.
1. Regular maintenance
2. Security consideration
3. Version compatibility
You can try MySQL if you have any use cases of relational databases. It is very easy for somebody to learn to use MySQL for the first time. The solution worked fine for me, with no breakdowns or scalability issues.
Overall, I rate MySQL eight and a half or nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Consultant at Tata Consultancy
Enables a wide range of features and benefits, including high performance, scalability and security
Pros and Cons
- "While MySQL offers strong basic functionality."
- "MySQL lacks a feature akin to Oracle's Real Application Clusters, which ensures continuous database availability within the same data center or nearby data centers."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to meet the requirements of our customers while optimizing performance and reliability within the constraints provided.
How has it helped my organization?
The performance and scalability of our project have been influenced positively by MySQL. From what I've observed, performance has been satisfactory, and I haven't received any complaints from teams that have implemented it.
What is most valuable?
While MySQL offers strong basic functionality.
What needs improvement?
MySQL lacks a feature akin to Oracle's Real Application Clusters, which ensures continuous database availability within the same data center or nearby data centers. Without this capability, MySQL's suitability for mission-critical applications is diminished. Until MySQL incorporates a similar feature at the application level, its appeal for high availability remains limited. Historically, we've relied on external security measures for data protection, such as encryption. However, when encryption methodologies are employed within MySQL, there may be a slight performance degradation due to the computational overhead associated with processing large volumes of data in the database.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with it for twelve years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability is crucial, and it's influenced not just by the inherent features of the database system, but also by how the application team writes queries. If queries are poorly written or not optimized, it can affect stability significantly. While logging can help, improper usage, such as logging entire tables instead of specific fields, can also impact stability. Therefore, ensuring stability requires a holistic approach that considers both the database infrastructure and how the application interacts with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is not as straightforward with MySQL compared to Oracle. I would rate it seven out of ten. Our clientele typically includes small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. I would rate it nine out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
For the MySQL installation, it's crucial to have a broader understanding of the solution we're implementing. Sometimes, we may need to address OS-level issues, especially when dealing with OS-level addressing like OSFlow. In such cases, thorough testing at the voice level is essential to ensure a smooth installation process. Implementing MySQL in a single-node setup may uncover additional challenges that need to be addressed.
Typically, our focus is on implementing the product rather than the database or operating system level. While I oversee infrastructure aspects, the implementation process is heavily influenced by the specific application being deployed. From setting up voice-level deployment and alerting to handling licensing and the database infrastructure, this entire process usually takes four to six weeks, depending on the complexity of the functionality. Once we complete the initial deployment, subsequent enrollments become more streamlined, and the application is handed over for production use. Any further adjustments or configurations are managed separately.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing falls within the moderate range. I would rate it four out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
Rather than recommending specific servers or operating systems, decisions are driven by how the application behaves and what functionalities it requires. This approach streamlines the process as pre-tested systems are already available, reducing the time and investment required for testing. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Programmer at Ministry of Interior
Provides good indexing and supports multiple data types, but performance needs to be improved
Pros and Cons
- "I would use MySQL for a medium project, with around 1,00,000 hundred thousand users, because of the indexing and stored procedures."
- "MySQL's performance needs to be improved for enterprise-level applications compared to Oracle and Postgres."
What is most valuable?
I would use MySQL for a medium project, with around 1,00,000 hundred thousand users, because of the indexing and stored procedures.
What needs improvement?
MySQL's performance needs to be improved for enterprise-level applications compared to Oracle and Postgres. That's the only drawback I found in MySQL. When the table storage is full, the solution's performance becomes slow. The solution's security needs improvement as DB2 is more secure than MySQL.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MySQL for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
MySQL has good stability.
I rate the solution a six or seven out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 150 users are using the solution daily in our organization.
I rate the solution a six out of ten for scalability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Oracle. We switched to MySQL because Oracle's license was costly.
How was the initial setup?
It's really easy to set up MySQL. On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup an eight out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution in our organization through a consultant. It took a few hours to set up everything. Around one to two people were needed to deploy the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
MySQL is a cheap solution.
What other advice do I have?
When you compare Oracle and DB2 with SQL Server and MySQL, all these come under RDBMS (Relational Database Management System). Since the licensing for Oracle and DB2 is costly, people will go for either MySQL or Postgres. People go for MySQL because it is better than Postgres in indexing and supports multiple data types compared to Postgres.
Just one person is needed to maintain MySQL. We didn't face any challenges using MySQL because of many open communities. If you have MySQL's commercial license, you will get good support. I would recommend MySQL to users who are going for medium enterprise applications.
Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Back End Developer at Agnos Inc.
Easy to use and can be used to store data
Pros and Cons
- "MySQL is an easy-to-use solution that provides stability, reliability, flexibility, performance, security, and high availability."
- "MySQL could introduce more indexing strategies."
What is our primary use case?
MySQL is an open-source relational database management system used to store data.
What is most valuable?
MySQL is an easy-to-use solution that provides stability, reliability, flexibility, performance, security, and high availability.
What needs improvement?
MySQL could introduce more indexing strategies. There are a couple of strategies where you can index things to be more searchable and visible. We lack that kind of functionality. For example, if your name is indexed correctly with a certain strategy, it can improve the search results faster. The solution’s interface could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MySQL for my entire career.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
MySQL is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
MySQL is a scalable solution.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
MySQL is a free and open-source solution.
What other advice do I have?
MySQL is deployed on the cloud in our organization. Big companies like Netflix, Uber, and Facebook use the solution. Since MySQL is an old product, many people might have faced similar issues, posted them online, and got a resolution. MySQL's performance and scalability features have supported our database growth.
New users can follow the documentation to use the solution, as it is straightforward. You need to be very clear about why you want to use the solution. MySQL is a relational database management system that cannot be used as a dynamic database management system.
MySQL is generally faster and more efficient than other relational database management systems. Hence, it is our preferred choice for applications that require high performance.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
CEO at csm
Good service provider, agile and quick deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup was easy. I work in an agile way, which means coding and deploying quickly."
- "MySQL's performance requires attention. For optimal performance, one should review and sometimes revise the code, particularly when using server-side scripting."
What is our primary use case?
I've used MySQL in the past for a variety of tasks.
I once used MySQL when I created a PostgreSQL database for club management tasks. This included handling registrations, events, and mailing notifications for payments and event details. It served as a source service provider.
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
The response time for support could be faster.
MySQL's performance requires attention. For optimal performance, one should review and sometimes revise the code, particularly when using server-side scripting. To optimize performance, it's crucial to pay attention to your code. Sometimes, you may need to review your code to ensure it's efficient and doesn't unnecessarily access the database multiple times.
The performance issues I encountered were not due to MySQL itself but were related to my coding approach.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MySQL for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
For my use case, it is okay. Basically, it's just me for development. Previously, all clients or members of the club accessed it. When there was an event, maybe 30 to 40 people would try to access the system simultaneously.
I'm using SiteGround for hosting the website and its servers. I've chosen a package with more than enough CPU and memory to avoid trouble.
How are customer service and support?
I've used technical support for several times. Most of the time, it was quite okay with quick responses. Once, I had performance issues. It took some time to convince them, but they guided me on improving performance by changing some database functions in MySQL. It was a longer process, but it was eventually resolved.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy. I work in an agile way, which means coding and deploying quickly. We had a few internal users but many external users accessing the website, though not the back office.
The back office was developed over years. It's not just about having an idea and executing it; it's more about testing and adapting the process, unlike the waterfall method, where you end up with something that may not be immediately usable.
What about the implementation team?
As the main user, our deployment process wasn't as strict as in a big company. I conducted tests, had a testing process with use cases to review, and then deployed. It was less rigid than in larger companies, where there are separate testing and development environments.
What was our ROI?
I have seen value and impact from using MySQL
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't pay for a license.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
With my previous employer, we used Oracle.
What other advice do I have?
Don't just use MySQL on its own. Always use it with other software around it. MySQL is very stable, but pay attention to the software you use with it, whether you develop everything from scratch or use open-source systems like CMS.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. I would recommend using the solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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