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Database & Data Management · head to head

MariaDB vs ScyllaDB

MariaDB logo

MariaDB

Database & Data Management

The open source relational database for the enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ScyllaDB logo

ScyllaDB

Database & Data Management

The real-time big data database compatible with Cassandra

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; ScyllaDB aWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in
  • They diverge on capability: MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MariaDB and ScyllaDB actually diverge.

Attributes where MariaDB and ScyllaDB differ
AttributeMariaDBScyllaDB
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsLinux, Unix, Windows, macOSLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web
Founded20092015

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

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 ScyllaDB

  • Cassandra Compatible
  • DynamoDB Compatible
  • 10x Throughput
  • Low Latency
  • Auto-tuning
  • Lightweight Transactions
  • Change Data Capture
  • Cassandra Drivers

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Docker support

What people use each for

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

MariaDB

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

ScyllaDB

  • Real-time applicationsnot MariaDB
  • Content managementnot MariaDB
  • User profilesnot MariaDB
  • Mobile backendsnot MariaDB
  • Cachingnot 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

ScyllaDB

  • AWS Marketplace lists ScyllaDB Enterprise (sold directly by ScyllaDB, Inc) at $1.63 per hour for the recommended i3.4xlarge instance size, license and enterprise support bundled in

Pricing, plan by plan

MariaDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the MariaDB review.

ScyllaDB

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full features
    • Community support
    • Self-managed
  • Cloud$0.3/hour
    • Managed service
    • Pay per hour
    • Enterprise support

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 ScyllaDB if

  • You need cassandra compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
  • You also want dynamodb compatible.
ScyllaDB review

Questions people ask

Is MariaDB or ScyllaDB better?
Neither clearly leads. MariaDB starts at Free and ScyllaDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MariaDB or ScyllaDB?
MariaDB starts at Free and ScyllaDB at Free.
Does MariaDB or ScyllaDB run on more platforms?
MariaDB runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS. ScyllaDB runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
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 ScyllaDB is typically brought in for.
What can MariaDB do that ScyllaDB cannot?
MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Aria Storage Engine, ColumnStore, Galera Cluster. ScyllaDB covers Cassandra Compatible, DynamoDB Compatible, 10x Throughput, Low Latency. Both handle Linux 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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