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MariaDB vs Timescale

MariaDB logo

MariaDB

Software

The open source relational database for the enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Timescale logo

Timescale

Software

PostgreSQL platform for time-series and analytical workloads

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MariaDB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MariaDB jSON support using text fields rather than native binary type; lacks MySQL's JSON syntax and functions; Timescale it is built on Postgres, so it inherits Postgres's vertical-scaling limits compared to purpose-built distributed time-series systems.
  • They diverge on capability: MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Timescale covers Hypertables.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MariaDB and Timescale actually diverge.

Attributes where MariaDB and Timescale differ
AttributeMariaDBTimescale
Starting priceFree$30/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Unix, Windows, macOSweb, api
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Timescale

  • Hypertables
  • Native compression
  • Continuous aggregates
  • Point-in-time recovery
  • Read replicas
  • Private networking

What people use each for

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

MariaDB

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

Timescale

  • IoT and sensor data storagenot MariaDB
  • Operational and infrastructure metricsnot MariaDB
  • Time-series analytics dashboardsnot MariaDB
  • Financial and market tick datanot 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

Timescale

  • It is built on Postgres, so it inherits Postgres's vertical-scaling limits compared to purpose-built distributed time-series systems.
  • The free trial is time-limited (30 days) rather than a permanent free tier.
  • Enterprise features like HIPAA compliance and cross-region backups require custom-priced Enterprise plans, not available on entry tiers.
  • Multi-node horizontal scaling and read replicas are gated behind the higher-priced Scale plan.

Pricing, plan by plan

MariaDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the MariaDB review.

Timescale

$30/month
  • Performance$30/month
    • 4 database services
    • Up to 8 CPU / 32GB memory per service
    • Up to 16TB disk per service
  • Scale$36/month
    • Unlimited database services
    • Up to 32 CPU / 128GB memory per service
    • Up to 64TB disk per service
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Up to 64 CPU / 256GB memory per service
    • Cross-region backups
    • SAML SSO, HIPAA compliance

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 Timescale if

  • You need hypertables.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want native compression.
Timescale review

Questions people ask

Is MariaDB or Timescale better?
Neither clearly leads. MariaDB starts at Free and Timescale at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MariaDB or Timescale?
MariaDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MariaDB and $30/month for Timescale.
Does MariaDB or Timescale run on more platforms?
MariaDB runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS. Timescale runs on web, api.
Can I use MariaDB for free?
Yes. MariaDB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Timescale starts at $30/month.
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 Timescale is typically brought in for.
What can MariaDB do that Timescale cannot?
MariaDB covers MySQL Compatibility, Aria Storage Engine, ColumnStore, Galera Cluster. Timescale covers Hypertables, Native compression, Continuous aggregates, Point-in-time recovery.

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
Timescale: What does Timescale (Tiger Data) cost?

Tiger Cloud starts at $30/month for the Performance plan (4 database services, up to 8 CPU/32GB RAM), $36/month for Scale (unlimited services, multi-node HA), and custom Enterprise pricing for larger deployments.

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
Timescale: Is there a free trial and what does it include?

New users get a 30-day trial of the Performance plan with no credit card required, letting them test hypertables, compression and continuous aggregates before paying.

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
Timescale: How is usage billed?

Billing is monthly in arrears with hourly-metered compute and storage based on average GB consumed per hour; mid-month plan changes are pro-rated and customers can cancel anytime.

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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