Comparing the most popular open source databases

PostgreSQL and MySQL are undoubtedly the most popular open source databases. You can check the latest developer surveys from StackOverflow and JetBrains, or DB-Engines’ popularity index if you are not convinced. Their popularity is fueled by their vibrant communities and their track record of successful deployments across IT sectors.

They look similar

From a high level standpoint, PostgreSQL and MySQL look quite similar. They both support the SQL language. They both support the relational model as the main paradigm. Their feature set is also fairly comparable (both offer triggers, user defined functions, XML and JSON support).

Even when going further into some implementation details, we might be tempted to think that they are more similar than they actually are. For example, they both rely on B-Tree-like structures for indexing and they both use Multi Version Concurrency Control to support concurrent changes or reads on the same data.

Yet, they are different

Despite the apparent similarities, there are a lot of structural differences between PostgreSQL and MySQL. Knowing those differences can help you make an informed decision when picking the best database for your use case.

Join the webinar

In this webinar, we will dive into the differences between these two popular databases and what those differences mean from a performance, operability and community engagement perspective and how Canonical can support you in adopting, securing and scaling open-source databases.

Join us on 29 August to learn more.