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Software · head to head

Dgraph vs MariaDB

Dgraph logo

Dgraph

Software

The only native GraphQL database with graph backend

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MariaDB logo

MariaDB

Software

The open source relational database for the enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dgraph the GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README; MariaDB jSON support using text fields rather than native binary type; lacks MySQL's JSON syntax and functions
  • They diverge on capability: Dgraph covers Native GraphQL, MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dgraph and MariaDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Dgraph and MariaDB differ
AttributeDgraphMariaDB
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Mac, Docker, WebLinux, Unix, Windows, macOS
Founded20162009

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

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 Dgraph

  • Native GraphQL
  • Distributed Architecture
  • ACID Transactions
  • GraphQL Subscriptions
  • Full-text Search
  • Geolocation Queries
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • GraphQL

Only in MariaDB

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

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Mac support
  • Docker support

What people use each for

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

Dgraph

  • Knowledge graphsnot MariaDB
  • Fraud detectionnot MariaDB
  • Recommendation enginesnot MariaDB
  • Network analysisnot MariaDB
  • Master data managementnot MariaDB

MariaDB

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dgraph

  • The GitHub repository (dgraph-io/dgraph) is licensed Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, cloud offering, or enterprise edition mentioned anywhere in the README

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

Dgraph

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Native GraphQL
    • Graph queries
    • Full-text search
  • Cloud$39/month
    • Managed service
    • Auto-scaling
    • Enterprise support

MariaDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the MariaDB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Dgraph if

  • You need native graphql.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want distributed architecture.
Dgraph 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 Dgraph or MariaDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Dgraph 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, Dgraph or MariaDB?
Dgraph starts at Free and MariaDB at Free.
Does Dgraph or MariaDB run on more platforms?
Dgraph runs on Linux, Mac, Docker, Web. MariaDB runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Dgraph for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dgraph best used for?
Dgraph is most often used for knowledge graphs, fraud detection, recommendation engines, network analysis. Of those, knowledge graphs and fraud detection are not what MariaDB is typically brought in for.
What can Dgraph do that MariaDB cannot?
Dgraph covers Native GraphQL, Distributed Architecture, ACID Transactions, GraphQL Subscriptions. MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Aria Storage Engine, ColumnStore, Galera Cluster. Both handle Linux support, Mac support, Docker support.

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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