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Web Development · head to head

MySQL vs RavenDB

MySQL logo

MySQL

Web Development

The world's most popular open source database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RavenDB logo

RavenDB

Databases

The fully transactional NoSQL document database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; RavenDB the free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • They diverge on capability: MySQL covers ACID compliance, RavenDB covers ACID Transactions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MySQL and RavenDB actually diverge.

Attributes where MySQL and RavenDB differ
AttributeMySQLRavenDB
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, UnixLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
CategoryWeb DevelopmentDatabases
Founded19952010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 MySQL

  • ACID compliance
  • SQL support
  • Multi-version concurrency control
  • Replication
  • Partitioning
  • Stored procedures
  • Triggers
  • Views

Only in RavenDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Auto-indexing
  • Full-text Search
  • Graph Queries
  • Distributed Counters
  • Time Series
  • Document Compression
  • .NET

Both cover

  • Python
  • Java
  • Node.js

What people use each for

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

MySQL

  • Web application backendnot RavenDB
  • E-commerce platformsnot RavenDB
  • Content management systemsnot RavenDB
  • Data warehousingnot RavenDB
  • Business applicationsnot RavenDB

RavenDB

  • Running a distributed document database with ACID transactionsnot MySQL
  • Self hosting a multi node database cluster on your own hardwarenot MySQL
  • Replicating operational data out to analytics systems through ETLnot MySQL

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

RavenDB

  • The free Developer licence bars commercial use and expires every 6 months, requiring renewal
  • The free Community licence caps a customer at 60 cores and forces you to stay on the latest major version
  • The Professional licence is limited to a single database, a 5 node cluster, 40 cores and 240 GB RAM
  • Sharding across nodes, ETL to OLAP, Elasticsearch and Kafka, and data archival are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise and AI licence pricing is contact us only with no published rate

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

RavenDB

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • 3 cores
    • 6GB RAM
    • Community support
  • Professional$499/year
    • Production use
    • Professional support
    • Advanced features

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.
MySQL review

Choose RavenDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want auto-indexing.
RavenDB review

Questions people ask

Is MySQL or RavenDB better?
Neither clearly leads. MySQL starts at Free and RavenDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MySQL or RavenDB?
MySQL starts at Free and RavenDB at Free.
Does MySQL or RavenDB run on more platforms?
MySQL runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix. RavenDB runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, 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 RavenDB is typically brought in for.
What can MySQL do that RavenDB cannot?
MySQL covers ACID compliance, SQL support, Multi-version concurrency control, Replication. RavenDB covers ACID Transactions, Auto-indexing, Full-text Search, Graph Queries. Both handle Python, Java, Node.js.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MySQL: Does MySQL cost money?

MySQL is primarily open-source and free to use. Commercial editions and support services are available but pricing is not published on the main website.

Source
RavenDB: Is RavenDB free or open source?

RavenDB is open source under the AGPLv3 license and available on GitHub. It also offers a free developer license with enterprise-level features limited to 9 cores, 36GB max RAM, 3 nodes, and non-commercial use.

Source
MySQL: How do I get MySQL pricing information?

For MySQL commercial editions and support pricing, customers can contact MySQL sales directly at +1-866-221-0634 or navigate to individual product pages.

Source
RavenDB: Can I use RavenDB commercially for free?

RavenDB offers a free Community License that permits commercial deployment with unlimited databases and sizes, subject to a 60-core maximum per customer and requirement to run the latest major version.

Source
RavenDB: What commercial licensing options does RavenDB offer?

RavenDB offers Professional, Enterprise, and AI tiers for commercial use. Pricing for these tiers requires contacting their sales team at [email protected].

Source
RavenDB: Does RavenDB offer a cloud hosting option?

RavenDB Cloud provides a fully managed cloud database with maintenance, failover, and backups included. Pricing is available at cloud.ravendb.net/pricing.

Source
RavenDB: Is there a refund window if I purchase RavenDB?

RavenDB offers a 30-day refund window for purchased licenses.

Source
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