This blog was originally published in June of 2023 and updated in February of 2024.
For more than a quarter of a century, people have been discussing “Which is better, MySQL vs. PostgreSQL?” — with no resolution. When people ask me which is better, I have to ask them what they want to do and how they want to do it.
I’ll explain using a bad analogy:
What type of car is best? This depends on your needs. If you want to go fast, a top fuel dragster will set you back close to a million dollars by the time you buy the chassis, spare engines, tooling, and transporter. That is for a car that goes a quarter-mile at a time. If you want fast, it will do more than 300 miles per hour for about 1,000 feet. But you cannot parallel park it or use it to run down to the store for some chips and beer.
A small economy car is better for that store run and is operated at a fraction of the cost of the dragster. You do not need to wear a flame-resistant suit to drive it or repack the parachutes each time you want to stop after a trip. For most purposes, this is enough of a car for most people. If you are a drag racer, that car will not be competitive. Before we dive into the comparisons between MySQL vs PostgreSQL, let’s first start with understanding what they are and why they are important.
What is MySQL?
MySQL is an open source relational database management system (RDBMS) based on structured query language (SQL). It is used to add, access, and manage content in a database. MySQL is well known for its dependability, scalability, and performance, making it a popular choice for both small and large applications.
Use cases of MySQL
MySQL is used across a wide spectrum of industries and for many purposes thanks to its reliability, efficiency, and open source nature. Here are some of the primary use cases and industries that typically leverage MySQL:
Web applications
MySQL is widely used in the development of web applications, particularly as part of the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl). It is used to store user data and session information, as well as facilitate transactions.
E-commerce
E-commerce platforms rely on MySQL for transaction processing, catalog management, order management, and customer data storage. Its capacity for handling large transaction volumes while maintaining data integrity makes it excellent for this industry.
Online publishing
MySQL powers content management systems (CMS) and blogging platforms like WordPress and Joomla, providing the backend database services needed for storing articles, user comments, and metadata.
Learn more: Discover key tips to improve MySQL database performance
What is PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL is well-known for its advanced handling of complex data types and optimizing performance, making it excellent for sophisticated data structures. It ensures transactional reliability with full ACID compliance, supports intricate SQL queries and international character sets, and allows for the customization of data types, operators, and indexes. Its versatile architecture supports custom functions in multiple programming languages, including C/C++, Java, .Net, Perl, Python, Ruby, Tcl, and PL/pgSQL, enhancing its utility across data processing scenarios.
Use cases of PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL, with its advanced features and open source flexibility, serves a wide range of applications across various industries. Here are some of the main use cases where PostgreSQL is particularly used:
Geospatial databases
PostgreSQL, with its PostGIS extension, is a leading choice for geospatial databases. PostGIS adds support for geographic objects, allowing PostgreSQL to store, query, and manipulate spatial data efficiently.
Enterprise applications
For enterprise applications, PostgreSQL offers robustness, performance, and scalability. Its full ACID compliance provides transactional integrity and reliability, which are crucial for enterprise-grade software systems. Its full ACID compliance ensures transactional integrity and reliability, critical for enterprise-grade software systems, and its support for advanced data types, custom procedures, and strong data protection mechanisms makes it a secure and versatile option for customer relationship management (CRM) software and financial systems.
Scientific and analytical databases
PostgreSQL’s extensibility allows for the development of custom functions and types tailored to specific scientific fields, enhancing its utility for specialized research purposes.
What are the key differences between MySQL and PostgreSQL?
MySQL is well-known for its speed and dependability, and is frequently used for web applications and online transactions due to its simple and effective data management method. PostgreSQL stands out for its advanced features, such as support for complex queries, extensibility, and SQL standard compliance, making it the preferred database for applications that require extensive data processing and analytical capabilities.
What are the key similarities between MySQL vs. PostgreSQL?
MySQL and PostgreSQL are two advanced open source relational database management systems that provide for strong data integrity, support for ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) features, and a variety of programming language interfaces. They share a commitment to providing scalable solutions for a wide range of applications, from small-scale initiatives to enterprise-level deployments, making them versatile options for both developers and organizations.
Both MySQL and PostgreSQL do the basics very well
From a high level, one relational database management system is pretty much like every other relational database management system. Pick either PostgreSQL or MySQL, and you can be happy, leading a fulfilling and satisfying life full of joy. Both store data more than adequately and will do at least eighty percent of what you want to do with ease.
However, if you have certain data processing needs, budget requirements, limitations in the skill level of support staff, or infrastructure issues, then you need to be a little pickier.
MySQL was criticized for years for doing dumb things with data such as allowing bad calendar dates, truncating data without warning, and other idiosyncrasies that its users learned to avoid. These problems have been rectified, but the old reputation lives on in the annals of the Internet and the memories of critics. It does not follow the SQL Standard as closely as other databases, and some useful functions such as MERGE() are missing.
PostgreSQL has enjoyed a reputation of being the open source database closest to the SQL Standard, but close might not be good enough for you. When you look at the multi-version concurrency control (MVCC) design that PostgreSQL uses and compare it to the designs of other databases, it looks chaotic. Dealing with dead tuples can be tricky but is much improved with automatic vacuuming, as long as the automated process runs well. And frankly, index bloat seems like something that should have been fixed years ago.
Neither is perfect, and each has its peccadillos that must be honored. Those will be covered a little later herein, but first, in honest fashion, you should ask yourself: “What do I need in a database?”
Determining whether MySQL vs. PostgreSQL better suits your needs
The vast majority of databases being used today do not get close to using all of their capabilities. Most of the work is CRUD — Create, Read (SELECT), Update, and Delete queries — which will probably never scratch the surface of the advanced features found in that database. Both of the databases being considered here do this type of work exceedingly well.
If you need a feature found in one but not the other, such as JSON_TABLE() in MySQL or MERGE() in PostgreSQL, then your choice has been made for you, maybe. JSON_TABLE() may make it into PG 17 in 2024 after being dropped at the last moment from PG 15. Or if you process a lot of JSON formatted data, you have two choices in PostgreSQL with JSON or JSONB that have their quirks while MySQL has one JSON datatype.
The question becomes this: Is either database good enough for your needs? And these: Does it have the functions you need? Window Functions are great for analytics, but is that something you are going to use? Both MySQL and PostgreSQL have Window Functions, but PostgreSQL is a little more elaborate in its offerings. Both have various ways of replicating data to other servers, but the implementation details of one particular approach might be unpalatable for you. The more exacting your needs, the easier it becomes to identify your choice.
If at this point you realize that you could conceivably use either database, at least in some abstract theoretical way, then we should make the next big step — to the care and feeding of your database.
Care and feeding — which database is easier to manage?
Databases are the toddlers of the software world. While other products can be installed and ignored without worry, databases need attention, constant attention, and lots of it. Ignoring your database can be disastrous.
MySQL is easier to take care of and administer in most cases. MySQL distributions, like Percona’s, tend to be one-stop offerings. The server, client, connectors, etc., are usually offered in one place.”
With PostgreSQL, it can be harder to get all the requisite components because you might have to visit several websites. There are several options for connection poolers, load balancers, and replication packages from various. Installing extensions to the server is easy, but does that new extension work with other parts of your server? In this case, you have to do the testing, whereas MySQL tests its components as a group.
PostgreSQL has benefitted from a lot of engineering in the past several years, which helps make it perform overhead tasks much easier. MySQL has automated most of those overhead tasks so you do not have to worry about them. For example, in PostgreSQL, copies of outdated rows in a table must be vacuumed separately to avoid bloat while InnoDB in MySQL handles this automatically. That alone makes MySQL easier to administer than PostgreSQL.
There are differences in connecting to the server to submit a query. MySQL uses a pool of threads, which is much less work for the server than PostgreSQL’s needing to fork off a process to make the connection. That is a higher load on the server, but it can be rectified by using a connection pooler.
Backups are a necessary part of owning a database. Both databases have many backup tools, which again requires you to make another choice. In the MySQL arena, Percona XtraBackup is the best tool hands down, and I am not just saying that as a Percona employee, but as someone who has used the product.
PostgreSQL has many options, but no one product stands head and shoulders above the rest. If your database instance is in the cloud, then you can peruse the feature set of your cloud vendor’s offering. But I advise you to make copies of your backups off-premise or off-cloud, no matter your choice.
I used to be the Certification Manager for MySQL AB (and Sun Microsystems and Oracle) and spoke frequently to hiring managers who routinely told me it was very hard to find qualified MySQL DBAs. And they said it was impossible to find qualified PostgreSQL DBAs. If you and your staff have experience and skill in one of the databases, then you will probably skew your criteria in that direction
MySQL’s InnoDB Cluster is the best thought-out and easiest-to-implement replication architecture. PostgreSQL is playing catchup, as its alternatives are not as simple to implement. Both do logical replication well, but Oracle’s product is more polished.
PostgreSQL is a richer environment with more data types and more operators, and it’s closer to the SQL standard implementation. I am a big fan of the MERGE() function, as I spent part of my career in the processing of cash register transaction logs where this function shines. This might seem like a trivial thing unless you are processing similar data and then it becomes of major importance. PostgreSQL has an almost embarrassing number of index types and the ability to index only some values in a column.
The PostgreSQL and MySQL communities
Both MySQL and PostgreSQL have large, thriving communities. There are meetups, conferences, mailing lists, slack channels, and tutorials galore for both. One big difference is that PostgreSQL is pretty much developed by contributors using mailing lists while MySQL is mainly produced by Oracle’s MySQL Engineers. The difference is also notable in that Oracle determines the future of upstream MySQL, while PostgreSQL is vendor-neutral.
In both cases, a few hundred individuals work on the main server code. The main difference in the development is that PostgreSQL’s new functionality is open for observation (if you are on the right mailing list) while Oracle often provides little or no notice of something new.
Factors to consider when choosing between MySQL vs PostgreSQL
Choosing an appropriate database management system is critical to your application’s performance, scalability, and dependability. When comparing MySQL versus PostgreSQL, several key factors come into play, each with unique implications for your project’s needs.
Performance and speed
MySQL is frequently praised for its speed and efficiency, particularly in read-intensive activities. It is optimized for quick read operations, making it a popular choice for web applications. PostgreSQL, on the other hand, excels at performing complicated queries and write-intensive processes.
Licensing and cost
MySQL is released under the GPL license, which might be restrictive for some commercial applications. In contrast, PostgreSQL’s open source license offers more flexibility for commercial use.
Features and extensibility
PostgreSQL stands out for its comprehensive functionality and adaptability, accommodating an extensive array of data types such as JSON, XML, and arrays, alongside robust extensions like PostGIS. Additionally, its adherence to SQL standards surpasses that of MySQL, positioning it as the preferred option for applications demanding complex queries, data warehousing, and sophisticated data analysis tasks.
Replication and concurrency
MySQL has a variety of replication setups (primary-replica, primary-primary, etc.), making it easy to set up and utilize for scaling read operations. PostgreSQL’s replication capabilities, notably logical replication, provide greater flexibility and enable more complicated deployment architectures. For concurrency, PostgreSQL uses Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC) without read locks, which is useful for applications with a high number of concurrent transactions.
Do I choose PostgreSQL or MySQL?
Right now, both PostgreSQL and MySQL are great choices for a database. MySQL is easier to implement and run but might lack the features you need. PostgreSQL is feature-rich but needs more care to configure and operate.
Another option is Percona software for MySQL, which has enterprise features such as data basking, at-rest encryption, RocksDB, and an improved connection pooler. The software is also freely available. Percona software for PostgreSQL is also a high-quality offering with many of the most popular extensions already available, making it easier to run PostgreSQL in your production and mission-critical environments.
Learn more about Percona software for MySQL
Learn more about Percona software for PostgreSQL
MySQL vs. PostgreSQL FAQs
What are the main differences between MySQL vs. PostgreSQL?
MySQL and PostgreSQL differ most notably in terms of features, performance, and extensibility. MySQL excels in terms of speed and simplicity, making it ideal for web-based applications that require fast performance. PostgreSQL provides a more comprehensive feature set, including advanced data types and extensive query capabilities, making it excellent for applications that require detailed data processing and analytical tasks.
Can you compare the performance of MySQL vs PostgreSQL for large databases?
MySQL is frequently faster at read-intensive processes, making it ideal for large databases with simple queries. PostgreSQL performs better in complex processes and large databases that require advanced queries and write-intensive workloads.
Which database is better for spatial and geographic data, MySQL or PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL, with its PostGIS extension, is superior for spatial and geographic data due to its extensive support for GIS operations and complex spatial queries.
Which database offers more flexibility for custom functions, MySQL or PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL has greater flexibility for custom functions due to its support for multiple procedural languages such as PL/pgSQL, Python, Perl, and others, which allows for sophisticated extension and customization.
How do backup and recovery features compare between MySQL and PostgreSQL?
Both MySQL and PostgreSQL have robust backup and recovery tools, but PostgreSQL offers more comprehensive options, such as point-in-time recovery (PITR), which allows for more precise control over data restoration.
Can MySQL and PostgreSQL be used interchangeably in projects?
MySQL and PostgreSQL are similar but not interchangeable due to differences in features, performance characteristics, and compatibility.
What are the scalability options like in MySQL vs PostgreSQL?
MySQL is well-known for its replication and sharding capabilities, which are simple and effective ways to scale read operations. PostgreSQL provides complex scalability features, such as built-in replication, partitioning, and foreign data wrappers, which can scale both read and write operations.
