Alternatives
Best MySQL alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best MySQL alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/mysql
3 direct alternatives to MySQL and 5 more tools in the same category, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- PostgreSQL is the top alternative to MySQL on our list, followed by MariaDB and CockroachDB.
- 3 of the 8 alternatives have a free plan, starting with PostgreSQL.
- Highest rated: Google Cloud Storage, 4.7 out of 5 from 2,892 ratings, Sep 2026.
- 8 alternatives
- 3 direct
- 3 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to MySQL
PostgreSQL
#1 Top pickAdvanced open source SQL database
Pricing
Free
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 1,094 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Best overall
MariaDB
#2Open-source relational database from MySQL creators
Starting price
From $65 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.4 /5 on G2 · 226 ratings, Aug 2026
Our take
Most affordable
CockroachDB
#3Distributed SQL database built for cloud
Pricing
Not published
4.3 /5 on G2 · 29 ratings, Aug 2026
MySQL vs 8 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Nov 2026) | Free plan | Rating | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Price: $178.33/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.5 out of 5, from 1,688 ratings across SourceForge and G2 (1,688) | |
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.5 out of 5, from 1,094 ratings across G2 and Capterra (1,094) | Direct alternative |
| Price: $65/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.4 out of 5, from 226 ratings on G2 (226) | Direct alternative |
| Price: Not published | Free plan: No | 4.3 out of 5, from 29 ratings on G2 (29) | Direct alternative |
 | Price: Usage-based | Free plan: No | 4.4 out of 5, from 17,730 ratings on G2 (17,730) | Same category as MySQL |
 | Price: Contact sales | Free plan: No | 4.6 out of 5, from 556 ratings on Capterra (556) | Same category as MySQL |
 | Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 3.5 out of 5, from 19,234 ratings across SourceForge, G2, Trustpilot and more (19,234) | Same category as MySQL |
 | Price: Usage-based | Free plan: No | 4.7 out of 5, from 2,892 ratings across G2 and Capterra (2,892) | Same category as MySQL |
 | Price: Usage-based | Free plan: No | 4.7 out of 5, from 2,062 ratings across G2 and Capterra (2,062) | Same category as MySQL |
Why people consider alternatives to MySQL
MySQL is the relational database that powered the web. Open source, reliable, and understood-the database behind countless applications. The ecosystem is vast. The knowledge is widespread.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- A feature or quota ceiling that a paid specialist covers and this free tool does not.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in data & databases.
The 3 direct alternatives below cover the same core job (data & databases) with different trade-offs. The 5 tools marked "Same category as MySQL" fit the category but replace MySQL less directly.
MySQL by the numbers
Toolradar data: Its head-to-head comparison pages had 72 visits in the last 30 days, ranking #3 of 15 tools with 20+ compare-page visits in Managed Databases. As of Nov 2026.
| Metric | MySQL | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | 13 of 24 have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 4 tools | 6 | #14 of 24 (joint) |
| User rating | 4.5/5 (across the web, 1,688 ratings) | 4.5/5 | #4 of 16 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 72 visits | 31 | #3 of 15 tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Visitors most often compare MySQL with MariaDB, PostgreSQL and MongoDB (last 30 days, Nov 2026).
Listed as an alternative to: #15 on 2026-10-16 to #14 on 2026-11-03 (rank among 24 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Managed Databases data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “MySQL by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Data & Databases leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Data & Databases tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 145 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DataForSEO | $1/mo |
| 2 | Drizzle Studio | $1.67/mo, billed yearly |
| 3 | JSON Editor Online | $2/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | CPFHub.io | $4/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | SQLAI.ai | $4/mo, billed monthly |
Lowest entry price, per-user plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 25 tools priced per user, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Wearables | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 1 | agmsg | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | Stackby | $4.20/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | Dolt | $5/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | Dome (YC F25) | $5/user/mo, billed monthly |
Lowest entry price, flat team plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 13 tools priced as a flat team plan, verified price.
Most media coverage, last 30 days
Number of distinct articles published in the last 30 days by independent press, blogs and newsletters that mention the tool. A story carried by several outlets counts once; the vendor's own blog, review sites, forums and republishing sites do not count.
Counted among 16 tools mentioned in the last 30 days.
| # | Tool | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Cloud | 29 articles |
| 2 | ZoomInfo | 7 articles |
| 3 | SerpAPI | 5 articles |
| 3 | SolarWinds | 5 articles |
| 5 | MongoDB | 3 articles |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 183 of 569 Data & Databases tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Data & Databases leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Data & Databases statistics.
8 alternatives to MySQL
Direct alternatives come first, ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review. Tools marked "Same category as MySQL" follow, ranked the same way.
- 1
PostgreSQL
100% free Battle-tested at scaleAdvanced open source SQL database
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 1,094 ratings, Sep 2026
Free
- 2
MariaDB
100% freeOpen-source relational database from MySQL creators
4.4 /5 on G2 · 226 ratings, Aug 2026
From $65/mo, billed monthly
- 3
CockroachDB
Free planDistributed SQL database built for cloud
4.3 /5 on G2 · 29 ratings, Aug 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
- 4
AWS
Paid Battle-tested at scaleThe cloud infrastructure that powers half the internet
4.4 /5 on G2 · 17,730 ratings, May 2026
Price not published
Same category as MySQL
- 5
Google Cloud
PaidEnterprise cloud with AI/ML strengths and BigQuery
4.6 /5 on Capterra · 556 ratings, Sep 2026
Price not published
Same category as MySQL
- 6
Oracle Cloud
Free plan Battle-tested at scaleEnterprise cloud infrastructure from the database company
3.5 /5 across SourceForge, G2, Trustpilot and more · 19,234 ratings, Sep 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
Same category as MySQL
- 7
Google Cloud Storage
Paid Higher rated by usersObject storage by Google Cloud
4.7 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,892 ratings, Sep 2026
Price not published
Same category as MySQL
- 8
AWS S3
Paid Higher rated by usersScalable object storage by Amazon
4.7 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,062 ratings, Sep 2026
Price not published
Same category as MySQL
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to MySQL?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to MySQL are PostgreSQL, MariaDB, CockroachDB. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to MySQL?
MySQL is already 100% free (no paid upgrade path). PostgreSQL is another fully free option listed here (Advanced open source SQL database). Freemium tools on this list have a free tier plus paid plans; they are not the same as 100% free.
Why do people look for MySQL alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from MySQL even though it is free: missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in data & databases. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with a different feature set.
Spotted an outdated price or a wrong fact? Suggest a correction: we check it against the vendor's own page. Work for one of these vendors? Claim your listing to update it yourself.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for MySQL versus each alternative.
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