Web Development · head to head
MySQL vs PHP
P
PHP
Web Development
A popular general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited to web development
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: MySQL hot online backup is not in the free Community Server; MySQL Enterprise Backup is a paid Enterprise Edition component; PHP distributed under the Modified BSD License, also called the PHP License version 4, per php.net/license/; there is no paid tier or vendor price to compare
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MySQL and PHP actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Web Development).
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 MySQL
- ACID compliance
- SQL support
- Multi-version concurrency control
- Replication
- Partitioning
- Stored procedures
- Triggers
- Views
Only in PHP
Nothing recorded that MySQL does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
MySQL
- Web application backendnot PHP
- E-commerce platformsnot PHP
- Content management systemsnot PHP
- Data warehousingnot PHP
- Business applicationsnot PHP
PHP
No use cases recorded yet. See the PHP review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
MySQL
- Hot online backup is not in the free Community Server; MySQL Enterprise Backup is a paid Enterprise Edition component
- Transparent Data Encryption, data masking and de-identification are Enterprise Edition only
- MySQL Enterprise Firewall, which guards against SQL injection, and MySQL Enterprise Audit are both paid components
- External authentication against PAM or Windows Active Directory requires MySQL Enterprise Authentication
- The thread pool ships as MySQL Enterprise Scalability rather than in the community build
PHP
- Distributed under the Modified BSD License, also called the PHP License version 4, per php.net/license/; there is no paid tier or vendor price to compare
- PHP 8.2 lost active support on 31 Dec 2024 and enters full end of life on 31 Dec 2026, with only security fixes since, per php.net/supported-versions.php (Aug 2026)
Pricing, plan by plan
MySQL
Free- Community EditionFree
- Open source license
- Full SQL support
- InnoDB storage engine
- Standard Edition$2000/year
- Commercial license
- Oracle Premier Support
- MySQL Enterprise backup
- Enterprise Edition$5000/year
- Advanced security
- MySQL Enterprise Monitor
- High Availability
PHP
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the PHP review.
Which should you pick?
Choose MySQL if
- You need acid compliance.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix.
- You also want sql support.
Questions people ask
- Is MySQL or PHP better?
- Neither clearly leads. MySQL starts at Free and PHP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, MySQL or PHP?
- MySQL starts at Free and PHP at Free.
- Does MySQL or PHP run on more platforms?
- MySQL runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix. PHP runs on Web.
- Can I use MySQL for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is MySQL best used for?
- MySQL is most often used for web application backend, e-commerce platforms, content management systems, data warehousing. Of those, web application backend and e-commerce platforms are not what PHP is typically brought in for.
- What can MySQL do that PHP cannot?
- MySQL covers ACID compliance, SQL support, Multi-version concurrency control, Replication.