Choosing the right database is one of the most critical decisions in any software project. Get it wrong, and you’ll face performance bottlenecks, scaling headaches, and expensive migrations down the road.
In 2026, three open-source relational databases dominate the market: MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL. Each has its strengths, its ideal use cases, and its trade-offs. Let’s compare them head-to-head.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | MySQL | MariaDB | PostgreSQL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | Oracle Corporation | MariaDB Foundation | PostgreSQL Global Dev Group |
| License | GPL v2 (dual license) | GPL v2 (truly open) | PostgreSQL License (MIT-like) |
| Current Version (2026) | MySQL 9.x | MariaDB 11.x | PostgreSQL 17.x |
| SQL Compliance | Partial | Partial | Most Complete |
| ACID Compliance | Yes (InnoDB) | Yes (InnoDB/Aria) | Yes (always) |
| JSON Support | Native JSON type | JSON (alias for LONGTEXT) | JSONB (binary, indexable) |
| Full-Text Search | Basic (InnoDB) | Basic (InnoDB/Mroonga) | Advanced (tsvector, GIN) |
| Replication | Async, Semi-sync, Group | Async, Semi-sync, Galera | Streaming, Logical |
| Partitioning | Yes | Yes | Yes (Declarative) |
| Stored Procedures | SQL/PSM | SQL/PSM + Oracle mode | PL/pgSQL + Python, Perl, Tcl |
| GIS/Spatial | Basic (Spatial Index) | Basic (Spatial Index) | PostGIS (industry leader) |
| Extensions | Plugins (limited) | Plugins + Storage Engines | Rich (pg_stat, pgvector, PostGIS) |
| Read Performance | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Write Performance | Fast | Fast | Good (MVCC overhead) |
| Learning Curve | Easy | Easy | Medium |
| Best For | Web apps, CMS, read-heavy | MySQL replacement, open-source | Complex apps, analytics, GIS |
MySQL — The Web’s Most Popular Database
Best for: Traditional web applications, WordPress/Drupal sites, read-heavy workloads, LAMP stack projects, and teams familiar with the MySQL ecosystem.
MySQL is the world’s most deployed open-source database. It powers everything from small WordPress blogs to massive platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Now owned by Oracle, it continues to evolve with each release — though its dual licensing model raises concerns for some organizations.
Key Strengths:
- Proven at scale — Facebook, Uber, Airbnb, and Netflix all use MySQL in production
- Blazing read performance — Optimized for high-throughput SELECT queries with InnoDB buffer pool
- Massive ecosystem — The most tools, hosting options, and managed services (AWS RDS, Azure Database, Google Cloud SQL)
- Group Replication — Built-in multi-primary clustering for high availability
- MySQL Shell — Modern admin tool with JavaScript and Python scripting
- X Protocol — Document store capabilities for NoSQL-style operations
Limitations:
- Owned by Oracle — community concerns about future direction
- Less SQL-standard compliant than PostgreSQL
- Weaker JSON support compared to PostgreSQL’s JSONB
- No built-in logical replication (before MySQL 8.0.23)
- Limited stored procedure language compared to PL/pgSQL
Recommended MySQL Books:
- MySQL Fundamentals — €18.90
- PHP & MySQL Web Applications — €21.90
- SQL for Absolute Beginners — €9.90
MariaDB — The Community-Driven MySQL Fork
Best for: Organizations seeking a truly open-source MySQL-compatible database with additional features, better storage engines, and no Oracle dependency.
MariaDB was created in 2009 by Michael “Monty” Widenius, the original creator of MySQL, after Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems. It started as a drop-in replacement for MySQL but has since diverged with unique features like Galera Cluster, Aria storage engine, and Oracle-compatible PL/SQL support.
Key Strengths:
- True open source — No corporate dual-licensing concerns. Governed by the MariaDB Foundation
- MySQL compatible — Drop-in replacement for most MySQL applications. Same client protocol, same SQL syntax
- Galera Cluster — Synchronous multi-master replication built-in. True high availability with automatic failover
- Extra storage engines — Aria (crash-safe MyISAM replacement), ColumnStore (analytics), Spider (sharding), Mroonga (full-text search)
- Oracle PL/SQL compatibility — Run Oracle stored procedures with minimal changes. Huge for enterprise migration
- Faster development — Releases features faster than Oracle’s MySQL, community-driven roadmap
- Default on major distros — RHEL, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, and SUSE all ship MariaDB by default
Limitations:
- Diverging from MySQL — some newer MySQL features aren’t available
- Smaller managed-service ecosystem than MySQL
- JSON support is less mature (stored as LONGTEXT internally)
- Smaller community than both MySQL and PostgreSQL
Recommended MariaDB Books:
- MariaDB Administration — €23.90
- MariaDB Fundamentals — €10.90
- SQL for Absolute Beginners — €9.90
PostgreSQL — The Advanced Open-Source Database
Best for: Complex applications requiring advanced data types, full-text search, JSONB, geospatial queries, analytics, data warehousing, and strict SQL compliance.
PostgreSQL is often called the “world’s most advanced open-source relational database.” It has been in active development since 1986 and is known for its rock-solid reliability, extensibility, and adherence to SQL standards. In recent years, it has surpassed MySQL in developer preference surveys.
Key Strengths:
- JSONB — Binary JSON with GIN indexing. Query JSON data at near-native speed. The best of relational and document databases
- Full-Text Search — Built-in
tsvector/tsquerywith ranking, stemming, and language support. No need for Elasticsearch in many cases - PostGIS — The industry-standard geospatial extension. Used by NASA, IGN, and every major mapping application
- pgvector — Vector similarity search for AI/ML embeddings. Store and query embeddings directly in your database
- Advanced Data Types — Arrays, hstore, ranges, inet/cidr, UUID, composite types, and custom types
- CTEs and Window Functions — The most complete implementation of analytical SQL functions
- Extensibility — Write functions in SQL, PL/pgSQL, Python, Perl, Tcl, or C. Create custom data types and operators
- MVCC — Multi-Version Concurrency Control ensures readers never block writers
- Logical Replication — Selective table replication, cross-version replication, zero-downtime upgrades
Limitations:
- Higher memory usage than MySQL/MariaDB
- VACUUM maintenance required (autovacuum handles most cases)
- Steeper learning curve for advanced features
- Simple read-heavy workloads may be marginally slower than MySQL
- No built-in multi-master replication (requires extensions like Citus or BDR)
Recommended PostgreSQL Books:
Performance Benchmarks
Performance depends heavily on workload type. Here are typical results on a standard 4-core VPS with 8GB RAM:
| Benchmark | MySQL 9 | MariaDB 11 | PostgreSQL 17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple SELECT (TPS) | ~18,000 | ~17,500 | ~15,000 |
| Complex JOIN queries | ~4,200 | ~4,000 | ~5,500 |
| INSERT (bulk, TPS) | ~12,000 | ~11,500 | ~8,000 |
| JSONB Query | ~3,500 | ~2,000 | ~8,000 |
| Full-Text Search | ~2,800 | ~2,500 | ~6,000 |
| Concurrent Connections | ~500 (thread-per-conn) | ~500 (thread pool) | ~1,000+ (with pgBouncer) |
Note: These benchmarks are approximate and depend on hardware, configuration, indexes, and query complexity. Always benchmark with your actual workload.
Cloud & Managed Services
| Provider | MySQL | MariaDB | PostgreSQL |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | RDS, Aurora | RDS | RDS, Aurora PostgreSQL |
| Google Cloud | Cloud SQL | Cloud SQL | Cloud SQL, AlloyDB |
| Azure | Azure Database | Azure Database | Azure Database, Cosmos DB |
| Specialized | PlanetScale, Vitess | SkySQL (MariaDB) | Neon, Supabase, Crunchy Bridge |
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose MySQL if:
- You’re running WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla
- You need maximum read performance for simple queries
- Your team already knows MySQL
- You need the widest managed-service support
- You’re building a LAMP/LEMP stack web app
Choose MariaDB if:
- You want a truly open-source MySQL alternative (no Oracle)
- You need Galera Cluster for multi-master replication
- You’re migrating from Oracle Database (PL/SQL compatibility)
- Your Linux distro ships MariaDB by default (RHEL, Debian)
- You want faster release cycles and community-driven development
Choose PostgreSQL if:
- You need JSONB for flexible, indexable document storage
- You need full-text search without a separate search engine
- You’re building geospatial applications (PostGIS)
- You need AI vector search (pgvector)
- You want the most SQL-compliant open-source database
- You’re building complex analytical queries with CTEs and window functions
- You need custom data types or procedural languages beyond SQL
DBA Salary Comparison (EU, 2026)
| Level | MySQL DBA | MariaDB DBA | PostgreSQL DBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | €35,000 - €45,000 | €33,000 - €43,000 | €38,000 - €50,000 |
| Mid-Level | €48,000 - €65,000 | €45,000 - €60,000 | €52,000 - €72,000 |
| Senior | €68,000 - €90,000 | €62,000 - €85,000 | €75,000 - €105,000 |
PostgreSQL DBAs command the highest salaries due to the database’s growing dominance in cloud, analytics, and AI workloads.
Migration Paths
MySQL → MariaDB: Near-seamless. Same protocol, same tools. Just swap binaries and restart. Test stored procedures if using MySQL-specific syntax.
MySQL → PostgreSQL: Moderate effort. Use pgloader for data migration. Rewrite stored procedures (SQL/PSM → PL/pgSQL). Adjust data types and quoting.
MariaDB → PostgreSQL: Similar to MySQL → PostgreSQL. pgloader handles most of the heavy lifting.
Further Reading on Dargslan
- MySQL vs PostgreSQL in 2026: Which Database Should You Choose?
- MariaDB vs MySQL in 2026: Which Database Fork Should You Use?
- PostgreSQL Performance Tuning: From Slow to Lightning Fast
- 10 SQL Queries Every Database Administrator Should Master
- How to Migrate from MySQL to PostgreSQL: A Complete Guide
- Database Administrator Career Path: Skills, Salary, and How to Get Started
- Book of the Week: PostgreSQL Database Setup — The Complete Guide
Final Verdict
Need proven simplicity? Go with MySQL — the most widely deployed database with the largest ecosystem and tooling support.
Want true open source? Go with MariaDB — same MySQL compatibility, no Oracle, plus Galera Cluster and faster releases.
Need advanced features? Go with PostgreSQL — the most powerful open-source database with JSONB, full-text search, PostGIS, pgvector, and the highest DBA salaries.
