PostgreSQL vs MySQL Review their 12 key differences

Data is basically the collection of diverse information and data. As time passed, the developers realized that managing information was more than just an optional tracking system and was essential since the world became more interconnected via the internet.

Today, businesses leverage information to study potential customers, realize their potential, reduce risks, etc.

As information consumption across the world and the ever-growing demand for reliable and flexible databases to manage data more efficiently. This article will explore the two top open source database systems for WordPress and the differences between them: PostgreSQL vs MySQL.

But firstly, what are WordPress databases?

Let's find out!

What Are WordPress Databases?

What is PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL is an open-source object-relational management database system. It is fully SQL-compliant and is designed to be feature-rich. It is also extensible, making it helpful for any user needing enterprise-grade tools. This was designed specifically for efficacy and it can be integrated with almost every software.

PostgreSQL is an object-oriented database, which makes it possible to extend the data types in order to build your custom types, and it has support for almost any database. This article will provide a detailed description of its background, capabilities and usage cases.

History

40 years ago, a young pioneer, Michael Stonebraker, the leader of the Ingres team that was working on the project, left Berkley to develop a proprietary Ingres version. Ingres. He then returned to Berkley and began a post-Ingres project which addressed various issues that other databases were facing at the time.

That project, which is now known as PostgreSQL is equipped with a variety of features required to work with multiple "object-relational" data types. This included support for rules to maintain a consistent relationship between the tables and the ability to replicate data between servers. The first release of PostgreSQL became version 6.0 on January 29, 1997. Since then, developers, support companies, and even volunteer developers have maintained PostgreSQL's database software with the open and free license.

The Main Features

PostgreSQL offers a great deal to offer in terms of an administration system for databases. It has earned its reputation for its feature-robustness and high reliability in performance, versatility, and the ease in replication.

Let's look at what makes PostgreSQL an indispensable instrument for business.

Highly Reliable

PostgreSQL has foreign keys as well as stored procedures, joins and views in several languages. It includes various data types and supports the storage of huge objects such as pictures, sounds, and videos. Since it is open-source, it's backed by developers who provide an unmatched maintenance service by continually trying to find problems and improve the software.

The system is also highly reliable thanks to the write-ahead-logging feature, which makes it possible to support online backup and point-in time recovery. The WAL database can be reverted to any moment covered by the WAL data when you install a Physical backup database.

Additionally, it is important to note that the "physical backup" doesn't have to be an instant backup of the database's current state . If it was created in the past, replaying the WAL log at that particular date will eliminate any internal contradictions.

Flexible

PostgreSQL is an open-source database. This means that the code is freely available to be modified cross-platformIt is able to work on any platform, including Windows, Solaris, OS X and Linux. In addition to that it allows for the simultaneous use of multiple users at the same time, allowing only updates that are concurrently scheduled for the same row.

Extensibility

Extensibility is an engineering software principle that talks about possible growth. PostgreSQL offers high extensibility since it operates on a catalog basis, i.e. data is saved in databases, columns or tables. Information is stored in tables, columns, databases and more. (JIT) compiling of expressions enables you to create your code using different programming languages, without having to recompile your database and defining your kinds of data. This ability to modify the operation at will makes it uniquely suited to implement new storage structure and programs quickly.

Replication

PostgreSQL has built-in synchronous replication, which ensures that the first node be waiting for every write until the duplicate node has written the data to the transaction log. The endurance of the transaction may be determined for each database, session, and user, regardless of synchronicity. This can speed the process because it doesn't need to confirm whether the transaction is reaching an synchronous standby point, particularly when some flows don't require the same guarantees.

Use Cases

PostgreSQL is pretty much everywhere , it's among the top five of the most popular databases of the moment, just behind MySQL. Major companies like Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs, as well as Nokia use PostgreSQL operating as their backend.

PostgreSQL is used in various industries and isn't limited to one specific industry. Here are a couple of instances of how PostgreSQL can be used today.

• Government GIS data: PostgreSQL contains a strong extension called "PostGIS." This extension comes with a variety of functions to help in processing geometric types such as lines, points and has been optimized to minimize the size of disks and memory footprints, thus improving query performance. Emergency services, electricity, as well as water infrastructure services are primarily dependent on GIS for locating crew members and guide them to accurate destinations, often under challenging conditions which is why it comes in handy for the government.
• Manufacturing Many industries in the manufacturing sector demand a lot of data storage facilities with very high efficiency. PostgreSQL is an excellent option for improving the performance of supply chains and storage. It is the preferred choice since it is ACID-compliant and is able to be set up for auto failover, total redundancy, as well as upgrades with almost no downtime. The new Oracle licensing policy makes it more difficult for smaller businesses to sustain the costs of Oracle, PostgreSQL is preferred.
• Technology for Web PostgreSQL does not just a relational database; it could also function as a NoSQL-style data store. It is possible to combine both- the relational and the document-oriented realm -- within one product. It works with a variety of contemporary frameworks, including Django (Python), Hibernate (Java), Ruby on Rails, PHP, etc. Due to its replication ability, websites can easily be expanded to include any number of databases servers necessary.
• Scientific data research and scientific projects may generate massive amounts of data, which must be handled efficiently possible. PostgreSQL has excellent analytical capabilities as well as a strong SQL engine. Therefore, processing large amounts of data will not cause problems. PostgreSQL is also extensible without difficulty. You can integrate Matlab and R to carry out a variety of mathematical and aggregation tasks.

What exactly is MySQL?

MySQL is a simple relational database system. It's extremely efficient and easy to use, which makes it one of the most recognizable technology. By using SQL you will be able to quickly learn a variety of Structured Query Language concepts (SQL) concepts to build robust data storage systems. It's free to download and open source although it's also available under a variety of licensed proprietary agreements.

In this section, we will go over its history, its main features, and use cases. Let's dig in!

History

MySQL was created by a Swedish company, MySQLAB, in 1995 by Michael "Monty" Widenius, Swedes David Axmark, and Allan Larsson. Sun Microsystems then acquired MySQLAB.

The purpose of MySQL was to give an efficient and reliable database management tools to companies and home users alike. Alpha and beta versions of the platform came out in 2000 and the majority of them were compatible with popular platforms.

Around the same time that it was open-source. This allowed third-party developers to make significant changes to the MySQL system. The open-source model, however, led to a decline in revenues, but that was eventually recuperated as MySQL started gaining popularity.

Two million installations had been completed at the close of 2001. For the sake of comparison this is almost as many people of Slovenia! Since the beginning of 2002 The company grew its business and opened its first headquarters in the US. By then, the platform already had 3 million users, with revenue amounting to $6.5 million, and it's only continued to gain in popularity since then.

Principal Highlights

MySQL server supports multithreaded multitasking, and is built to run on high-load production systems. It is a transactional as well as non-transactional engine and is among of the most simple database systems to set up. MySQL is well-liked by its people because it is easy to use, reliable, and speedy.

Once you've figured out the process by which MySQL was created we'll look into some of the features that MySQL is famous for.

User-Friendliness

MySQL rose to popularity because due to its simplicity of use. It provides a range of functions, such as triggers, stored procedures and other similar features. It also includes various utilities including a backup software for the event of a crash, mysqladmin as an administrative client, as well as an GUI (MySQL Workbench) for management. If you are a novice, it provides a wide range of options with a comprehensive GUI which makes it one of the top five databases that are used currently.

High Flexibility

MySQL is a reliable and secure transactions that are suitable for big-scale projects. It's flexible enough for use in an ever-changing environment. As it's open-source software, the code is freely available to modify according to your preferences.

Reliability and Security

Like PostgreSQL, MySQL also adheres to the ACID model. Hence, there is no need to fret when making transactions. MySQL provides the security of your data with point-in-time recovery and auto-commit capabilities.

In the event that the system fails and it is unable to recover to the previous checkpoint which means that no information is deleted. Additionally, because of it being open-source, there's a large community of developers that ensure that the system is working fine and extend their assistance in forums and work to fix problems.

In addition, it ensures security for data by allowing foreign key constraints, averting the possibility of data inconsistent across tables. Since it has an encryption system for passwords that is secure, it provides a safe connection and ensures that the password is verified by comparing the host to ensure that it is valid before entering the database. The password is encrypted while connecting to the database server.

High Performance

MySQL is extremely fast, reliable, and affordable due to its exceptional storage engine architecture. It can offer high performance without losing all the essential features of the software. It's capable of loading quickly due to its cache memory.

In the past, MySQL has improved in its performance by ensuring features like B-tree disk tables which include index compression, improved thread-based allocation of memory. Locking at the row level and continuous reads from the storage engine offer additional performance benefits for multi-user concurrency.

Scalable

Additionally, as they are free and open-source, MySQL programs can be developed in multiple languages. The MySQL connector/NET makes it possible for developers to connect their information to the database. Connector/J provides MySQL support to Java client applications that utilize JDBC associations. A client library developed in C can be used by clients written in C or C++ or any programming language with C bindings.

APIs are available for C, C++, Eiffel, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Tcl are available. It is also one of the most preferred databases that can be used in Linux, Windows, Solarix as well as other platforms. All this shows that it is applicable in nearly every operating system, making it highly adaptable.

Open Source License

MySQL is accessible to users with an open-source license. This permits users to use and modify the source code in order in order to allow it to be compatible with different domains.

As an open-source program, it offers a significant amount of support from developers who assure that bugs and security problems are addressed quickly. MySQL offers forums, user groups as well as support, to offer a built-in network to address issues as soon as possible and provide education regarding the database.

Use Cases

Below are some use cases of MySQL that prove it to be a reliable and efficient database system.

• Transactions with OLTP are a necessity for transactions that require speed and accuracy. MYSQL can be scaled to 1,000s of requests per second using efficiency and ease. The transaction needs to ensure Atomicity consistency, Isolation, and Durability (ACID). MySQL is also a adherence to ACID guidelines, which makes it suitable for crucial transactions. In the event that a system malfunctions during the course of a transaction, it can roll over to a checkpoint.
• LAMP open-source stack: MySQL is essential for a variety of applications running on the LAMP open-source software stack (LAMP is a combination of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP/Python/Perl). LAMP is a universal solution for web-based services and is generally regarded as the medium of choice for dynamic websites as well as advanced web-based applications.
• eCommerce applications: MySQL is one of the top machine for transactions on eCommerce platforms. It's useful in managing customer data, transactions, and product catalogs. When it comes to e-commerce, MySQL is often used in conjunction with non-relational databases, including document and key-value stores to sync order information and for storing information that isn't related to products.

PostgreSQL vs MySQL: Head-to-Head Comparison

If you're unsure which database is best that's right for your organization This section can help you choose the best route. While PostgreSQL and MySQL are both practical, useful, and popular however, you must choose the one more specifically tailored to your needs.

Want to know the ways we have increased traffic over 1000 percent?

Join the 20,000+ who receive our weekly newsletter that contains insider WordPress tips!

This section will provide a deep dive into the various distinctions between these two databases.

Syntax

In terms of syntax, both Postgresql as well as MySQL have the same syntax. This is how a select query will look like in both:

SELECT * FROM STUDENTS;

However, MySQL isn't able to support subqueries such as "LIMIT" as well as "ALL." It also does not allow the standard SQL clauses such as "INTERSECT" and "OUTER Join."

MySQL isn't as fully SQL-compliant in the same way as PostgreSQL it does provide all the above sub-queries. If you're looking to make use of these subqueries frequently for your business, then PostgreSQL would be a better choice.

Languages Supported

PostgreSQL and MySQL provide support for several of the same languages with a few differences.

PostgreSQL, on its own, provides the ability to support a wider array of programming languages:

• C/ C++
• Delphi
• Erlang
• Go
• Java
• Javascript
• Lisp
• .NET
• Python
• R
• Tcl
• Other programming languages

Here's a list of languages that MySQL can support:

• C/C++
• Delphi
• Erlang
• Go
• Java
• Lisp
• Node.js
• Perl
• PHP
• R

Speed

Both PostgreSQL as well as MySQL are known as being among the fastest DBMS solutions floating in the market. But there's no definitive winner in this category. It is easy to find tests that suggest one system based on setup, the test and the hardware. Some databases may have the advantage hand on concurrency, while one might be more efficient on a single-core machine with limited memory.

Ultimately, it comes down to how you use them. MySQL is acknowledged to be the fastest with read-only commands at the cost of concurrency. PostgreSQL works better with large datasets, read-write operations and complex queries.

Architecture

MySQL is a strictly relational database. PostgreSQL is an object-relational database. PostgreSQL provides more advanced data types and let objects inherit characteristics. On the flip side this also means it's more complex to work with PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL has a single ACID-compliant storage system. MySQL supports 15 different storage engines apart from the default one, InnoDB. The wide range of storage engine options allows users to easily leverage them for other use scenarios.

PostgreSQL generates a fresh system procedure through memory allocation for every connection that is made by a client. It requires lots of memory in systems that host multiple connections to clients. In contrast, MySQL utilizes a single process , and has one thread per connection. This means that MySQL the more suitable option for smaller-than-enterprise scope.

Performance

PostgreSQL was built to meet standards, features-rich and extensible. In the past, PostgreSQL performance was on the same level as MySQL -- reads were usually slower than MySQL however, it was able to write large volumes of data with greater efficiency. On top of this, PostgreSQL handled concurrency better than MySQL.

The gap between their capabilities has been significantly narrowed since the last couple of years. MySQL is still pretty fast in reading data, even if you're using the old MyISAM engine. The engine has been further optimized to catch up to PostgreSQL regarding heavy data writes.

When selecting a suitable tool for your specific needs, speed isn't a determining factor in the majority of garden-variety software. Both PostgreSQL and MySQL generally equal in performance.

Replication & Clustering

Replication is a method that lets developers replicate data from a database to its databases in duplicate. This ensures that every user has the same level of data. The replication process also offers advantages such as fault tolerance scalability, automated backups, as well as the capability to run lengthy queries, without impacting the main cluster.

Both MySQL and PostgreSQL provide replication. PostgreSQL offers synchronous replication, meaning that it runs two databases running simultaneously, and the primary database is linked to the second database. It is possible to perform the cascading and synchronous replication using PostgreSQL. In MySQL this, replication happens in a single direction. This means that one database server functions as the main one and the others are replicas.

Both MySQL and PostgreSQL both support clustering, too. Clustering leverages the shared storage to replicate an equal set of data for each node within an environment. It allows databases to withstand failures because of the redundancy that results from duplicating data on different nodes of an environment.

Structure of Tables and Data

JSON support remains one of the most popular NoSQL functions incorporated by MySQL. However, PostgreSQL supports user-defined types such as arrays, hstore and XML. The main benefit of having the ability to work with a variety of data types is the increased flexibility. In particular, by accepting arrays as a data type, PostgreSQL can also provide host functions that are compatible with these arrays.

But, despite the benefits that alternative formats offer for storing data however, it is more difficult to implement these data formats, given that they are not based on a long-standing benchmark. Therefore, components used in tandem with the database could not all adhere to PostgreSQL formats.

MySQL is only partly SQL-compliant with regards to SQL compliance because it doesn't offer all the features, such as the no-check constraint. However MySQL does offer numerous extensions.

However, PostgreSQL is more SQL-compliant in comparison to MySQL it supports many of the primary SQL capabilities -for example, 160 of 179 features that are mandatory, to be precise.

Extensibility

PostgreSQL is considered to be an extremely extensible software because it is able to handle sophisticated data types one cannot discover in MySQL. It supports network address types, native UUID Geometric/GIS, JSON that can be indexable and also timezone-aware time stamps. If none of this makes PostgreSQL the clear winner in this particular round, you may add your operators, data types and index types.

Therefore, if your app deals with unstructured data, or other distinct data types available, PostgreSQL might be the better suitor. But if you just handle basic numeric or characters Both databases will work perfectly.

Indexes

In order to improve the performance of databases, you can use indexes by speeding up SQL queries while dealing with massive table of data. Without indexes the queries will be slow, and would create a huge load on the DBMS.

Both PostgreSQL and MySQL offer distinct indexing options. Index types for PostgreSQL include these:

• Partially-indexed indexes which only present data from one portion of the table
• B-tree Indexes as well as Hash Indexes
• Expression indexes produce an index resulting from express functions rather than column values

MySQL, on the other hand, offers an index that includes the following options:

• Indexes stored on R-trees, for instance, indexes in spatial data types
• Indexes stored on B-trees, including PRIMARYKEY, INDEX, FULLTEXT and the UNIQUE
• Inverted lists and hash indexes for use with FULLTEXT indexes

Security

Both PostgreSQL as well as MySQL provide group and user management. They also grant SQL privileges to various positions. MySQL has native window services, PAM and LDAP for user authentication as well, and PostgreSQL has IP-based client authentication and filtering using Kerberos and PAM. Both databases are neck and neck regarding security.

Support & Community

Both PostgreSQL and MySQL have communities that are helpful and help users.

PostgreSQL has a huge community of volunteers who offer help for users at no cost via mailing lists and IRC. In addition, you can even purchase premium support from third-party suppliers. It is also possible to troubleshoot issues by going through the various useful PostgreSQL manuals and guides available in the marketplace.

MySQL is also home to a vast active community of volunteers that dedicates their time to help you out with free recommendations and support. You can avail this kind of support on the Percona and MySQL websites. In addition to the no-cost community-based support, Oracle also offers 24/7 paid support for the commercial versions of its products. Similar to PostgreSQL You can solve your problems through the many free and helpful MySQL manuals, guides, and tutorials.

PostgreSQL vs MySQL vs Alternatives

Naturally, MySQL and PostgreSQL aren't the only databases you can work with or even your only two open-source databases. Enough about PostgreSQL or MySQL. Let's talk about other options which can give them an opportunity to compete!

1. MongoDB

MongoDB serves as the foundation of every business, regardless of whether you're building critical applications or pushing the boundaries of your customer experience. Here are a few important characteristics of MongoDB which helped to establish it as a viable alternatives to PostgreSQL or MySQL:

• Sharding: MongoDB allows its users to grow their applications horizontally by sharding, which is which is a technique used to spread huge datasets among multiple collection. MongoDB users are able to use a Shard key (a primary key with single or various replicas) to establish the data distribution within the collection. It also allows you to divide the data into different ranges over the shards.
• Ad-hoc query: Ad-hoc queries are stand-in commands that offer various returns when implementing queries. MongoDB can also support regular expression (Regex), range query as well as field searches.

2. MariaDB

With a prestigious clientele that includes Nasdaq, Deutsche Bank, DBS Bank, ServiceNow, Verizon, and Walgreens (among other companies), MariaDB is known for delivering unparalleled operational agility without abandoning key enterprise features including complete SQL and ACID compliance.

Here are the top aspects of MariaDB that makes it a must-have instrument:

• Virtual columns The ability to support virtual columns is among MariaDB's most essential features. MariaDB. Virtual columns are able for calculations that are executed at the database level. When more than one app connects to a single column, users don't have to write the calculations in every app independently. The database performs it on their behalf.
• Views of databases Views are great tools for optimizing performance of databases. MariaDB follows a different path in comparison to MySQL when involving virtual tables when processing of queries for a view.
• Thread pooling thread pooling can help speed up the work of MariaDB when dealing with multiple connections to databases in your pipeline. Instead of creating a distinct thread to handle each one, thread pooling lets you have the possibility of having a number of threads open.

PostgreSQL or MySQL What Should You Select?

To summarize the discussion, choosing between the two databases can be a bit difficult. Because there's no right or incorrect answers the issue comes down to context.

If you're searching for an advanced database with features that will effortlessly handle a variety of database and complicated queries, while giving you the ability to extend any application to enterprise scope then you must choose PostgreSQL.

But, if you're a beginner looking for a database that's easier to manage and set up while still being reliable, fast, and well comprehended, consider MySQL.

Summary

In this article we've explained the major difference between PostgreSQL vs MySQL. They covered key factors such as speed and performance, syntax, flexibility, security, as well as community support, indexing and even architecture for you to make an informed choice about the tool that fits your specific business needs.

We found that there is an up-and-down battle between these two systems in that both PostgreSQL as well as MySQL each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The "right" decision will eventually be determined by your personal preferences and the way you intend for your business.

Between PostgreSQL against MySQL What will you choose in your next endeavor, and why? We'd like to hear about your ideas! Comment in the comment area below.

Reduce time, money and increase site performance:

• Instant help 24/7 support from WordPress Hosting experts 24/7.
• Cloudflare Enterprise integration.
• Global audience reach with 32 data centers around the world.
• Optimization through the integrated Application to monitor performance.