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Database & Data Management · head to head

PostgreSQL vs MySQL

PostgreSQL logo

PostgreSQL

Database & Data Management

The world's most advanced open source relational database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MySQL logo

MySQL

Database & Data Management

The world's most popular open source database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments; MySQL hot online backup is not in the free Community Server; MySQL Enterprise Backup is a paid Enterprise Edition component
  • They diverge on capability: PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, MySQL covers ACID compliance.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PostgreSQL and MySQL actually diverge.

Attributes where PostgreSQL and MySQL differ
AttributePostgreSQLMySQL
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, BSD, UnixWindows, Macos, Linux, Unix
CategoryDatabase & Data ManagementUnknown
Founded19961995

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 PostgreSQL

  • ACID Compliance
  • JSON/JSONB Support
  • Full-text Search
  • Extensibility
  • Advanced Indexing
  • pgAdmin
  • DBeaver
  • Prisma

Only in MySQL

  • ACID compliance
  • SQL support
  • Multi-version concurrency control
  • Stored procedures
  • Triggers
  • Views
  • PHP
  • Python

Both cover

  • Partitioning
  • Replication

What people use each for

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

PostgreSQL

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

MySQL

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

PostgreSQL

  • Requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • Performance tuning requires deep knowledge of database internals
  • No built-in graphical admin interface; command-line tools are primary method

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

Pricing, plan by plan

PostgreSQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL review.

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

Which should you pick?

Choose PostgreSQL if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
  • You also want json/jsonb support.
PostgreSQL review

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

Questions people ask

Is PostgreSQL or MySQL better?
Neither clearly leads. PostgreSQL starts at Free and MySQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PostgreSQL or MySQL?
PostgreSQL starts at Free and MySQL at Free.
Does PostgreSQL or MySQL run on more platforms?
PostgreSQL runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix. MySQL runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix.
Can I use PostgreSQL for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is PostgreSQL best used for?
PostgreSQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what MySQL is typically brought in for.
What can PostgreSQL do that MySQL cannot?
PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, JSON/JSONB Support, Full-text Search, Extensibility. MySQL covers ACID compliance, SQL support, Multi-version concurrency control, Stored procedures. Both handle Partitioning, Replication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PostgreSQL: Is PostgreSQL completely free?

Yes. PostgreSQL is completely free and open source with no licensing fees or restrictions on use.

Source
PostgreSQL: What platforms does PostgreSQL run on?

PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems including Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, and commercial Unix variants, and has been proven highly scalable managing terabytes to petabytes of data.

Source
PostgreSQL: What procedural languages are supported?

PostgreSQL supports stored functions and procedures in multiple languages including PL/pgSQL, Perl, Python, Tcl, Java, JavaScript, R, and Rust.

Source
PostgreSQL: What is ACID compliance in PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL has been ACID-compliant since 2001, ensuring data integrity through atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability guarantees for all transactions.

Source
PostgreSQL: Does PostgreSQL support JSON data?

Yes. PostgreSQL supports JSON and JSONB data types for storing and querying JSON documents, along with XML and other document formats.

Source

Related pages

More on PostgreSQL

More on MySQL

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