What is the difference between MySQL and MariaDB?

The Differences between MySQL and MariaDB

MySQL and MariaDB are both popular open-source relational database management systems (RDBMS), but they have some key differences that are important to understand.

Origins and Ownership

MySQL was originally developed by the Swedish company MySQL AB, which was later acquired by Sun Microsystems and then by Oracle Corporation. MariaDB, on the other hand, was created by the original developers of MySQL after Oracle acquired the MySQL project. The goal of MariaDB was to provide a community-driven, open-source alternative to MySQL.

Licensing

MySQL is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which means that any modifications or derivatives of the MySQL code must also be released under the GPL. MariaDB, on the other hand, is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), which is a more permissive license that allows for the creation of proprietary derivatives.

Feature Differences

While MySQL and MariaDB share a lot of core functionality, there are some differences in the features they offer. MariaDB has introduced several new features that are not available in MySQL, such as the ColumnStore storage engine, the Spider storage engine for distributed databases, and the MaxScale proxy for load balancing and high availability.

graph TD A[MySQL] -- Developed by --> B[MySQL AB] B -- Acquired by --> C[Sun Microsystems] C -- Acquired by --> D[Oracle Corporation] E[MariaDB] -- Created by --> F[Original MySQL Developers] F -- Goal is --> G[Provide Community-Driven, Open-Source Alternative to MySQL] A -- Licensed under --> H[GNU General Public License (GPL)] E -- Licensed under --> I[GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL)] A -- Features --> J[Core Functionality] E -- Features --> K[ColumnStore Storage Engine, Spider Storage Engine, MaxScale Proxy]

Performance and Compatibility

In terms of performance, both MySQL and MariaDB are generally comparable, as they share a lot of the same underlying code. However, some users have reported that MariaDB may have a slight performance edge in certain workloads.

Regarding compatibility, MySQL and MariaDB are largely compatible, as MariaDB was designed to be a drop-in replacement for MySQL. However, there may be some minor differences in syntax or behavior, especially when it comes to newer features or storage engines.

Community and Support

Both MySQL and MariaDB have large and active communities, but the MariaDB community is generally seen as more community-driven and focused on innovation. Oracle, the owner of MySQL, is a commercial company, while MariaDB is a non-profit organization.

In terms of support, both MySQL and MariaDB offer commercial support options, but the support models may differ. MySQL support is primarily provided by Oracle, while MariaDB support is available from various vendors and the MariaDB Foundation.

Use Cases

Both MySQL and MariaDB are widely used in a variety of applications, from small web applications to large-scale enterprise systems. However, some users may prefer MariaDB if they value the more community-driven approach, the more permissive licensing, or the additional features introduced by the MariaDB project.

In summary, while MySQL and MariaDB share a lot of similarities, there are some key differences in terms of origins, licensing, features, performance, compatibility, and community support. Depending on the specific needs of your project, one database may be a better fit than the other.