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Database & Data Management · head to head

Databox vs MariaDB

Databox logo

Databox

Database & Data Management

KPI dashboards for business performance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MariaDB logo

MariaDB

Database & Data Management

The open source relational database for the enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Databox data sources are the billing unit, and the $159 Pro plan still includes only 3 before charging $5.60 for each additional one; MariaDB jSON support using text fields rather than native binary type; lacks MySQL's JSON syntax and functions
  • They diverge on capability: Databox covers Pre-built Dashboards, MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databox and MariaDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Databox and MariaDB differ
AttributeDataboxMariaDB
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, TvLinux, Unix, Windows, macOS
CategoryUnknownDatabase & Data Management
Founded20112009

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 Databox

  • Pre-built Dashboards
  • Goal Tracking
  • Alerts
  • Scorecards
  • Mobile App
  • HubSpot
  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook

Only in MariaDB

  • MySQL Compatibility
  • Aria Storage Engine
  • ColumnStore
  • Galera Cluster
  • MaxScale
  • Spider Engine
  • Temporal Tables
  • phpMyAdmin

What people use each for

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

Databox

  • Building business dashboards from multiple SaaS data sourcesnot MariaDB
  • Tracking KPIs and metrics across marketing, sales and finance toolsnot MariaDB

MariaDB

  • Transaction processingnot Databox
  • Data storagenot Databox
  • Application backendnot Databox
  • Reportingnot Databox
  • Data analyticsnot Databox

Where each one falls short

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

Databox

  • Data sources are the billing unit, and the $159 Pro plan still includes only 3 before charging $5.60 for each additional one
  • The $64 Analyst plan is capped at 5 data sources and a single user
  • The free plan allows 3 data sources, 10 custom metrics and one user
  • AI credits are metered monthly, from 50 on free to 4,000 on Growth
  • Every published price assumes annual billing, with monthly costing 20% more

MariaDB

  • JSON support using text fields rather than native binary type; lacks MySQL's JSON syntax and functions
  • Galera Cluster maximum performance limited to the slowest node in cluster
  • InnoDB tables limited to 1,017 columns and 64 secondary indexes
  • Transaction size limits in Galera (128K rows and 2GB by default)
  • Less strict SQL type checking than PostgreSQL; allows implicit conversions

Pricing, plan by plan

Databox

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 Data Sources
    • Basic Features
    • Community Support
  • Starter$72/month
    • 10 Data Sources
    • Alerts
    • Forecasting

MariaDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the MariaDB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Databox if

  • You need pre-built dashboards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Tv.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Databox review

Choose MariaDB if

  • You need mysql compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want aria storage engine.
MariaDB review

Questions people ask

Is Databox or MariaDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Databox starts at Free and MariaDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databox or MariaDB?
Databox starts at Free and MariaDB at Free.
Does Databox or MariaDB run on more platforms?
Databox runs on Web, Mobile, Tv. MariaDB runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Databox for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Databox best used for?
Databox is most often used for building business dashboards from multiple saas data sources, tracking kpis and metrics across marketing, sales and finance tools. Of those, building business dashboards from multiple saas data sources and tracking kpis and metrics across marketing, sales and finance tools are not what MariaDB is typically brought in for.
What can Databox do that MariaDB cannot?
Databox covers Pre-built Dashboards, Goal Tracking, Alerts, Scorecards. MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Aria Storage Engine, ColumnStore, Galera Cluster.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MariaDB: Is MariaDB completely free and open source?

Yes. MariaDB Server is licensed under GPLv2 and guaranteed to remain perpetually free and open source, independent of any commercial entities.

Source
MariaDB: Is MariaDB backward compatible with MySQL?

Yes. MariaDB was designed as a drop-in replacement for MySQL. Every application, driver, and configuration that worked with MySQL works with MariaDB without code changes.

Source
MariaDB: What are the storage engine options in MariaDB?

MariaDB supports multiple storage engines including InnoDB (transactional, default), Aria (crash-safe, good for read-heavy workloads), and MyISAM. The Aria engine is faster than InnoDB for certain read-heavy queries and full table scans.

Source
MariaDB: How much does MariaDB cost?

MariaDB Community Server is completely free to download and use. MariaDB offers paid enterprise support and managed cloud services for organizations needing professional support.

Source
MariaDB: Does MariaDB support native JSON storage?

MariaDB stores JSON using text fields (the JSON type is an alias for LONGTEXT), not as a native binary type like MySQL does. JSON support exists but is less sophisticated than MySQL's JSON functions and syntax.

Source
MariaDB: What scaling options does MariaDB provide?

MariaDB supports both scaling up (more cores, memory, storage) and scaling out (read replication, Galera Cluster with multi-node replication). However, Galera Cluster performance cannot exceed the slowest node in the cluster.

Source
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