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#8

MariaDB is ranked #8 on the top 10 Relational Databases leaderboard based on a comprehensive analysis performed by SelectHub research analysts. Compare the leaders with our In-Depth Report.

MariaDB Pricing

Based on our most recent analysis, MariaDB pricing starts at $0 (Free, Open-Source).

Price
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$
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Starting From
$0
Pricing Model
Free, Open-Source
Free Trial
No

Training Resources

MariaDB is supported with the following types of training:

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars

Support

The following support services are available for MariaDB:

Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Help Desk
Knowledge Base
Tickets
Training
24/7 Live Support

MariaDB Benefits and Insights

Why use MariaDB?

Key differentiators & advantages of MariaDB

  • Open Source: MariaDB is open source, allowing businesses to access and modify the source code to suit their specific needs without incurring licensing fees.
  • High Performance: With features like the Aria storage engine and thread pooling, MariaDB offers fast query processing and efficient resource management, enhancing application performance.
  • Scalability: MariaDB supports horizontal scaling through sharding and replication, enabling businesses to handle increasing data loads seamlessly.
  • Security: It includes advanced security features such as data encryption, user role management, and auditing, ensuring robust protection of sensitive information.
  • Compatibility: MariaDB maintains compatibility with MySQL, allowing for easy migration and integration with existing MySQL applications and tools.
  • Community Support: A vibrant community of developers and users contributes to continuous improvements and provides extensive support resources, fostering innovation and problem-solving.
  • Cross-Platform Support: MariaDB runs on various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, offering flexibility in deployment environments.
  • Advanced Analytics: With features like window functions and JSON support, MariaDB facilitates complex data analysis and manipulation, empowering data-driven decision-making.
  • Cost Efficiency: As a free and open-source solution, MariaDB reduces total cost of ownership, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.
  • High Availability: Features such as Galera Cluster provide synchronous multi-master replication, ensuring data availability and reliability even during failures.
  • Regular Updates: Frequent updates and patches from the MariaDB Foundation ensure the software remains secure and up-to-date with the latest technological advancements.
  • Customizability: MariaDB's plugin architecture allows businesses to extend functionality and tailor the database to meet specific operational requirements.
  • Data Integrity: With ACID compliance, MariaDB ensures reliable transactions and maintains data integrity, crucial for mission-critical applications.
  • Ease of Use: User-friendly interfaces and comprehensive documentation make MariaDB accessible to both novice and experienced database administrators.
  • Enterprise Features: MariaDB offers enterprise-grade features such as columnar storage and distributed SQL, supporting complex and large-scale business applications.

Industry Expertise

MariaDB is particularly well-suited for companies that require high performance, scalability, and reliability in their database management systems. It is a popular choice for web applications, e-commerce platforms, data warehousing, and enterprise applications, especially those seeking a robust and feature-rich alternative to MySQL.

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Based on an aggregate of MariaDB reviews taken from the sources above, the following pros & cons have been curated by a SelectHub Market Analyst.

Pros

  • Performance: MariaDB is often praised for its speed and efficiency, especially when managing large datasets. This makes it a strong option for businesses with demanding database requirements.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: As a free and open-source platform, MariaDB eliminates software licensing costs, making it a budget-friendly choice for businesses of all sizes.
  • Ease of Migration: MariaDB's similarity to MySQL simplifies the migration process for businesses already familiar with MySQL, reducing transition challenges and costs.
  • Open-Source Flexibility: The open-source nature of MariaDB provides businesses with the flexibility to customize the platform to their specific needs, fostering innovation and tailored solutions.

Cons

  • Configuration Complexity: Setting up and configuring MariaDB, particularly for clustered environments, can be intricate and may necessitate advanced technical expertise.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues: While generally compatible with MySQL, certain versions of MariaDB might present compatibility challenges with specific tools or libraries, potentially requiring workarounds or alternative solutions.

Researcher's Summary:

Is MariaDB the real deal? User reviews from the last year suggest that MariaDB is a robust and reliable database management system, especially favored by those familiar with MySQL. Users consistently highlight its speed and stability as major advantages, with some even claiming it surpasses MySQL in performance. For instance, one user noted that MariaDB's "extra smoothness" enhances their workflow compared to MySQL. This advantage is particularly important for businesses with high-traffic websites or applications that demand quick data processing.

However, some users have pointed out that MariaDB's setup and security processes could be more user-friendly, particularly for those new to database management. This complexity might pose a challenge for smaller businesses or individuals without dedicated IT support. Despite this drawback, MariaDB's cost-effectiveness, being a free and open-source alternative to proprietary databases, makes it a compelling choice. Its compatibility with MySQL, including similar SQL statements and formatting, further sweetens the deal, allowing for a relatively seamless transition. Overall, MariaDB appears to be a solid choice for businesses of all sizes, especially those seeking a powerful, cost-effective, and reliable database solution. Its compatibility with MySQL makes it a particularly attractive option for those already familiar with the latter, while its active community support ensures users have access to resources and assistance when needed.

Key Features

Notable MariaDB features include:

  • Open Source: MariaDB is fully open source, allowing users to access, modify, and distribute the source code freely.
  • Compatibility with MySQL: It maintains compatibility with MySQL, making it easy to switch between the two without significant changes to applications.
  • Storage Engines: Offers a variety of storage engines like Aria, InnoDB, and MyRocks, each optimized for different use cases.
  • Galera Cluster: Provides synchronous multi-master replication, ensuring high availability and data consistency across nodes.
  • JSON Support: Includes robust support for JSON data types, enabling efficient storage and querying of JSON documents.
  • Dynamic Columns: Allows for flexible schema design by enabling columns to be added dynamically without altering the table structure.
  • Thread Pooling: Enhances performance by managing database connections more efficiently, particularly under high load.
  • Security Features: Implements advanced security measures such as data encryption, user authentication plugins, and role-based access control.
  • Optimizer Improvements: Features an advanced query optimizer that improves execution plans and query performance.
  • Virtual Columns: Supports virtual columns that compute values dynamically, reducing storage requirements and improving query efficiency.
  • Temporal Data Types: Offers extensive support for temporal data types, including date, time, and timestamp with time zone.
  • GIS Support: Provides geographic information system (GIS) capabilities, allowing for spatial data storage and querying.
  • Replication and Backup: Includes tools for both asynchronous and semi-synchronous replication, as well as backup utilities like Mariabackup.
  • Pluggable Authentication: Supports pluggable authentication modules, enabling integration with various authentication systems.
  • ColumnStore: Offers a columnar storage engine for analytical workloads, optimizing performance for large-scale data processing.
  • Cross-Engine Joins: Allows for joining tables across different storage engines, providing flexibility in data management.
  • Window Functions: Implements window functions for complex analytical queries, enhancing data analysis capabilities.
  • Common Table Expressions (CTEs): Supports CTEs for simplifying complex queries and improving readability.
  • Data Masking: Provides data masking features to protect sensitive information by obfuscating data in query results.
  • Audit Plugin: Includes an audit plugin for tracking database activities, aiding in compliance and security monitoring.
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