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Database & Data Management · head to head

MariaDB vs Monday.com

MariaDB logo

MariaDB

Database & Data Management

The open source relational database for the enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Monday.com logo

Monday.com

Technology

A platform built for a new way of working

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: MariaDB jSON support using text fields rather than native binary type; lacks MySQL's JSON syntax and functions; Monday.com expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size
  • They diverge on capability: MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Monday.com covers Customizable workflows.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MariaDB and Monday.com actually diverge.

Attributes where MariaDB and Monday.com differ
AttributeMariaDBMonday.com
PlatformsLinux, Unix, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryDatabase & Data ManagementTechnology
Founded20092012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 MariaDB

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

Only in Monday.com

  • Customizable workflows
  • Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar)
  • Automation engine
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Mobile apps
  • Forms
  • Dashboards
  • Workload management

What people use each for

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

MariaDB

  • Transaction processingnot Monday.com
  • Data storagenot Monday.com
  • Application backendnot Monday.com
  • Reportingnot Monday.com
  • Data analyticsnot Monday.com

Monday.com

  • Project managementnot MariaDB
  • Sales CRMnot MariaDB
  • Marketing campaignsnot MariaDB
  • HR processesnot MariaDB
  • IT ticketingnot MariaDB

Where each one falls short

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

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

Monday.com

  • Expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size
  • Limited free plan with only 2 users and 3 boards
  • Mobile app provides reduced functionality compared to web version
  • Email CC/BCC limitations for looping in stakeholders without full board access
  • WorkForms can only create new items, not update existing ones

Pricing, plan by plan

MariaDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the MariaDB review.

Monday.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Monday.com review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Monday.com if

  • You need customizable workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multiple views (kanban, gantt, calendar).
Monday.com review

Questions people ask

Is MariaDB or Monday.com better?
Neither clearly leads. MariaDB starts at Free and Monday.com at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MariaDB or Monday.com?
MariaDB starts at Free and Monday.com at Free.
Does MariaDB or Monday.com run on more platforms?
MariaDB runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS. Monday.com runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use MariaDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is MariaDB best used for?
MariaDB is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Monday.com is typically brought in for.
What can MariaDB do that Monday.com cannot?
MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Aria Storage Engine, ColumnStore, Galera Cluster. Monday.com covers Customizable workflows, Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar), Automation engine, Real-time collaboration.

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
Monday.com: Does Monday.com have a free plan?

Yes, Monday.com offers a free plan limited to 2 users and 3 boards. Paid plans start at around $9 per seat per month and require a minimum of 3 seats.

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
Monday.com: Can I use Monday.com on mobile?

Monday.com is available on iOS and Android, but the mobile app lacks the full depth of the desktop version, making complex board management more difficult on the go.

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
Monday.com: Does Monday.com support offline work?

Monday.com is primarily a cloud-based platform and does not have robust offline capabilities. You need an internet connection to access and edit boards.

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
Monday.com: What is Monday.com's pricing based on?

Pricing is based on the number of seats and which product module you choose (Work Management, Sales CRM, Dev, or Service). Each module has different features and pricing.

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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