Software · head to head
MariaDB vs PostgreSQL
MariaDB
Software
The open source relational database for the enterprise
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
PostgreSQL
Software
The world's most advanced open source relational database
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
- They diverge on capability: MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MariaDB and PostgreSQL actually diverge.
| Attribute | MariaDB | PostgreSQL |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS | Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix |
| Founded | 2009 | 1996 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 MariaDB
- MySQL Compatibility
- Aria Storage Engine
- ColumnStore
- Galera Cluster
- MaxScale
- Spider Engine
- Temporal Tables
- phpMyAdmin
Only in PostgreSQL
- ACID Compliance
- JSON/JSONB Support
- Full-text Search
- Extensibility
- Advanced Indexing
- Partitioning
- Replication
- pgAdmin
Both cover
- DBeaver
- Prisma
- Sequelize
- Linux support
- Windows support
- Mac support
- Docker support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
MariaDB
- Transaction processing
- Data storage
- Application backend
- Reporting
- Data analytics
PostgreSQL
- Transaction processing
- Data storage
- Application backend
- Reporting
- Data analytics
Both are used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting, data analytics, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
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
PostgreSQL
- Requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
- Performance tuning requires deep knowledge of database internals
- No built-in graphical admin interface; command-line tools are primary method
Pricing, plan by plan
MariaDB
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the MariaDB review.
PostgreSQL
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL 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.
Choose PostgreSQL if
- You need acid compliance.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
- You also want json/jsonb support.
Questions people ask
- Is MariaDB or PostgreSQL better?
- Neither clearly leads. MariaDB starts at Free and PostgreSQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, MariaDB or PostgreSQL?
- MariaDB starts at Free and PostgreSQL at Free.
- Does MariaDB or PostgreSQL run on more platforms?
- MariaDB runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS. PostgreSQL runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
- 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.
- What can MariaDB do that PostgreSQL cannot?
- MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Aria Storage Engine, ColumnStore, Galera Cluster. PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, JSON/JSONB Support, Full-text Search, Extensibility. Both handle DBeaver, Prisma, Sequelize, Linux 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.
SourcePostgreSQL: Is PostgreSQL completely free?
Yes. PostgreSQL is completely free and open source with no licensing fees or restrictions on use.
SourceMariaDB: 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.
SourcePostgreSQL: What platforms does PostgreSQL run on?
PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems including Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, and commercial Unix variants, and has been proven highly scalable managing terabytes to petabytes of data.
SourceMariaDB: 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.
SourcePostgreSQL: What procedural languages are supported?
PostgreSQL supports stored functions and procedures in multiple languages including PL/pgSQL, Perl, Python, Tcl, Java, JavaScript, R, and Rust.
SourceMariaDB: 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.
SourcePostgreSQL: What is ACID compliance in PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL has been ACID-compliant since 2001, ensuring data integrity through atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability guarantees for all transactions.
SourceMariaDB: 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.
SourcePostgreSQL: Does PostgreSQL support JSON data?
Yes. PostgreSQL supports JSON and JSONB data types for storing and querying JSON documents, along with XML and other document formats.
SourceMariaDB: 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