In this article, we'll explore the differences between MySQL and MariaDB. Both are open-source relational database management systems, but there are key distinctions between the two. We'll cover the history of both systems, their major features, and performance considerations.
MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) based on Structured Query Language (SQL). It is developed and managed by Oracle Corporation and was initially released on 23 May 1995. It's widely used in many small and large-scale industrial applications and is capable of handling large volumes of data. After Oracle's acquisition of MySQL, some issues arose around its usage, leading to the development of MariaDB.
MySQL was created by MySQL AB, a Swedish company, in 1995 by Michael Widenius (Monty), David Axmark, and Allan Larsson, with the goal of providing efficient and reliable data management to home and professional users. Over half a dozen alpha and beta versions were released by 2000, compatible with almost all major platforms. MySQL's open-source status means it's available for anyone to download and use, with no licensing fees.
MySQL grew popular among home and professional users starting in 2001. By 2002 the company had 3 million users and $6.5 million in revenue, and opened US headquarters alongside its Swedish base.
In January 2008, MySQL was acquired by Sun Microsystems for $1 billion — a decision criticized by co-founders Michael Widenius and David Axmark. Sun's acquisition proved unsuccessful, and in April 2009 Oracle Corporation agreed to purchase Sun Microsystems along with the MySQL copyrights and trademark.
MariaDB is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that serves as a compatible drop-in replacement for MySQL. It is developed by the MariaDB Foundation and was initially released on 29 October 2009. MariaDB includes a significantly higher number of new features, making it stand out in terms of performance and user-orientation compared to MySQL.
MariaDB is a community-developed, commercially supported fork of MySQL, intended to remain free and open-source software under the GNU General Public License. Development is led by some of the original MySQL developers, who forked the project due to concerns over Oracle's 2009 acquisition of MySQL.
MySQL's name comes from combining "My," the name of co-founder Michael Widenius's daughter, and "SQL." MySQL was owned and sponsored by the Swedish company MySQL AB, which was bought by Sun Microsystems on 26 February 2008. In 2010, Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems. After the acquisition, Widenius forked the open-source MySQL project to create MariaDB — named after his younger daughter, Maria.
Widenius believed that after acquiring MySQL, Oracle would slowly move it from open source toward a commercial model, and that it would not remain fully open-sourced.
Oracle's treatment of MySQL and its community since acquiring Sun has, in Widenius's view, proved his original fears correct — saying Oracle "has no love for open source, working with the community, or MySQL in general."
According to Widenius, Oracle showed a disregard for open-source principles in several ways: the September 2011 announcement of commercial extensions to MySQL, the bugs database no longer being public, and a lack of test cases for new code in MySQL 5.5 and 5.6.
One key difference is licensing: MySQL uses a proprietary license, while MariaDB uses the GPL, making MariaDB more open and community-driven. Another is the storage engine — MySQL defaults to InnoDB, a robust and feature-rich engine, while MariaDB uses XtraDB, a drop-in replacement for InnoDB with better performance. MariaDB generally performs better than MySQL overall, thanks to its more modern codebase.
Major customers of MariaDB include Bandwidth, DigiCert, InfoArmor, Oppenheimer, Samsung, SelectQuote, and SpendHQ. MySQL, meanwhile, is used by thousands of well-known companies — from Fortune 100 companies to government organizations and education institutes — including Twitter, Amazon, Uber, Airbnb, Pinterest, Netflix, Shopify, and Udemy.
With a rich set of tools for managing databases, users, storage engines, access privileges, and more, MariaDB clearly leads in this respect.
While there are key differences between MySQL and MariaDB, they are both excellent relational database management systems. It's ultimately up to you to decide which one is right for your needs.