Softwr

Web Development · head to head

MySQL vs Nginx

MySQL logo

MySQL

Web Development

The world's most popular open source database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nginx logo

Nginx

Web Development

High-performance web server and reverse proxy

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; Nginx open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • They diverge on capability: MySQL covers ACID compliance, Nginx covers High-performance web server.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MySQL and Nginx actually diverge.

Attributes where MySQL and Nginx differ
AttributeMySQLNginx
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, UnixWindows, macOS, Linux
Founded19952011

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 Nginx

  • High-performance web server
  • Reverse proxy
  • Load balancing
  • HTTP caching
  • SSL/TLS termination
  • Gzip compression
  • Rate limiting
  • Static file serving

Both cover

  • Access control

What people use each for

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

MySQL

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

Nginx

  • HTTP web server and static file servingnot MySQL
  • Reverse proxy and load balancernot MySQL
  • TLS/SSL termination (SNI, HTTP/2, HTTP/3)not MySQL
  • Content cachingnot MySQL
  • Kubernetes Ingress Controller backendnot MySQL
  • TCP/UDP stream proxyingnot 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

Nginx

  • Open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • No official built-in GUI or dashboard for management or live metrics in the open-source edition
  • Advanced capabilities such as active health checks, dynamic upstream reconfiguration without reload, and a full API gateway feature set are exclusive to the paid NGINX Plus product, not open-source nginx
  • No published list price for NGINX Plus on the current F5 product page; pricing requires contacting sales

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

Nginx

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Web server
    • Reverse proxy
    • Load balancing

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 Nginx if

  • You need high-performance web server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want reverse proxy.
Nginx review

Questions people ask

Is MySQL or Nginx better?
Neither clearly leads. MySQL starts at Free and Nginx at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MySQL or Nginx?
MySQL starts at Free and Nginx at Free.
Does MySQL or Nginx run on more platforms?
MySQL runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix. Nginx runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Nginx is typically brought in for.
What can MySQL do that Nginx cannot?
MySQL covers ACID compliance, SQL support, Multi-version concurrency control, Replication. Nginx covers High-performance web server, Reverse proxy, Load balancing, HTTP caching. Both handle Access control.

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
Nginx: How much does nginx cost?

nginx is free and open source software distributed under the 2-clause BSD License. Enterprise distributions, commercial support, and training are available from F5 Inc. at custom pricing.

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
Share

Related pages

More on MySQL

More on Nginx

Keep looking

Other head to heads