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ArchivesSpace vs MySQL

ArchivesSpace logo

ArchivesSpace

Libraries

Open source archives information management application

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MySQL logo

MySQL

Web Development

The world's most popular open source database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ArchivesSpace requires Java 17 or 21 (or Java 11/17 for older versions), adding infrastructure complexity; MySQL hot online backup is not in the free Community Server; MySQL Enterprise Backup is a paid Enterprise Edition component
  • They diverge on capability: ArchivesSpace covers Accession management, MySQL covers ACID compliance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArchivesSpace and MySQL actually diverge.

Attributes where ArchivesSpace and MySQL differ
AttributeArchivesSpaceMySQL
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsUbuntu Linux, macOS, WindowsWindows, Macos, Linux, Unix
CategoryLibrariesWeb Development
Founded20131995

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ArchivesSpace

  • Accession management
  • Resource description
  • Digital object management
  • Agent and subject authorities
  • Location management
  • Assessment module
  • Public user interface
  • EAD/MARCXML export

Only in MySQL

  • ACID compliance
  • SQL support
  • Multi-version concurrency control
  • Replication
  • Partitioning
  • Stored procedures
  • Triggers
  • Views

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ArchivesSpace

  • Digital archive managementnot MySQL
  • Repository managementnot MySQL
  • Cultural heritage preservationnot MySQL

MySQL

  • Web application backendnot ArchivesSpace
  • E-commerce platformsnot ArchivesSpace
  • Content management systemsnot ArchivesSpace
  • Data warehousingnot ArchivesSpace
  • Business applicationsnot ArchivesSpace

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ArchivesSpace

  • Requires Java 17 or 21 (or Java 11/17 for older versions), adding infrastructure complexity
  • Mandatory Solr 9 (or 8 for older versions) for all production deployments since v3.2.0
  • Production deployments must use external MySQL 5.x or 8.x; embedded database only for testing
  • Minimum 1 GB RAM required, 2 GB recommended; Docker installation recommended as of v4.0.0 due to complexity

MySQL

  • Hot online backup is not in the free Community Server; MySQL Enterprise Backup is a paid Enterprise Edition component
  • Transparent Data Encryption, data masking and de-identification are Enterprise Edition only
  • MySQL Enterprise Firewall, which guards against SQL injection, and MySQL Enterprise Audit are both paid components
  • External authentication against PAM or Windows Active Directory requires MySQL Enterprise Authentication
  • The thread pool ships as MySQL Enterprise Scalability rather than in the community build

Pricing, plan by plan

ArchivesSpace

Free
  • Very Small$300/year
    • Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Very Small, etc.)
    • Non-Academic: 0-50 FTE staff
  • Small$1000/year
    • Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Small, etc.)
    • Non-Academic: 51-150 FTE staff
  • Medium$3000/year
    • Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Medium, etc.)
    • Non-Academic: 151-300 FTE staff
  • Large$5000/year
    • Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Large, etc.)
    • Non-Academic: 301-400 FTE staff

MySQL

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Open source license
    • Full SQL support
    • InnoDB storage engine
  • Standard Edition$2000/year
    • Commercial license
    • Oracle Premier Support
    • MySQL Enterprise backup
  • Enterprise Edition$5000/year
    • Advanced security
    • MySQL Enterprise Monitor
    • High Availability

Which should you pick?

Choose ArchivesSpace if

  • You need accession management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ubuntu Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want resource description.
ArchivesSpace review

Choose MySQL if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix.
  • You also want sql support.
MySQL review

Questions people ask

Is ArchivesSpace or MySQL better?
Neither clearly leads. ArchivesSpace starts at Free and MySQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArchivesSpace or MySQL?
ArchivesSpace starts at Free and MySQL at Free.
Does ArchivesSpace or MySQL run on more platforms?
ArchivesSpace runs on Ubuntu Linux, macOS, Windows. MySQL runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix.
Can I use ArchivesSpace for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ArchivesSpace best used for?
ArchivesSpace is most often used for digital archive management, repository management, cultural heritage preservation. Of those, digital archive management and repository management are not what MySQL is typically brought in for.
What can ArchivesSpace do that MySQL cannot?
ArchivesSpace covers Accession management, Resource description, Digital object management, Agent and subject authorities. MySQL covers ACID compliance, SQL support, Multi-version concurrency control, Replication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ArchivesSpace: Is ArchivesSpace free to use?

ArchivesSpace application is free to download and use. However, community membership is required and costs $300-$7,500 annually depending on organization type and size.

Source
MySQL: Does MySQL cost money?

MySQL is primarily open-source and free to use. Commercial editions and support services are available but pricing is not published on the main website.

Source
ArchivesSpace: How much does ArchivesSpace membership cost?

Membership costs range from $300/year (Very Small institutions) to $7,500/year (Very Large institutions). Costs are based on FTE staff size for non-academic archives (0-50 staff: $300; 400+ staff: $7,500) or JSTOR/Artstor classification for academic institutions.

Source
MySQL: How do I get MySQL pricing information?

For MySQL commercial editions and support pricing, customers can contact MySQL sales directly at +1-866-221-0634 or navigate to individual product pages.

Source
ArchivesSpace: When does the ArchivesSpace membership year run?

ArchivesSpace membership runs from July 1 to June 30 each year and renews annually. New members joining outside this period receive prorated fees for their initial term.

Source
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