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MariaDB

UnclaimedEditor reviewed

Open-source relational database from MySQL creators

Data & DatabasesManaged Databases
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Reviews onG2Capterra
296 reviews tracked·3 press mentions

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free, no paid tier

Biggest pro

MySQL fork, compatible

Biggest con

Diverging from MySQL

TL;DR - MariaDB

  • MariaDB is an open-source relational database forked from MySQL
  • It provides enhanced performance and features while maintaining MySQL compatibility
  • Free and open-source, Enterprise plans available
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups
4.5/5 across review platforms

What is MariaDB?

Editorial review
MariaDB provides MySQL compatibility with community-driven development. The fork that emerged when MySQL's future seemed uncertain-relational database with open governance. The compatibility is high. The features extend MySQL. The community is engaged. Teams wanting MySQL compatibility with open-source governance choose MariaDB.

Available on: Linux

how we evaluateSourcemariadb.org ↗

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • MySQL fork, compatible
  • Open source
  • Active development
  • Good performance
  • Enterprise features free

Cons

  • Diverging from MySQL
  • Smaller ecosystem
  • Some tools MySQL-only
  • Documentation gaps
  • Less cloud support

Ratings Across the Web

4.5(296 reviews)
G2224 reviews
4.4/5
Capterra72 reviews
4.7/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

Relational databaseMySQL forkEnterprise featuresColumnar engineGalera clusteringOpen source

Pricing Plans

Most Popular

Community

Free

Open source

  • MySQL compatible
  • Storage engines
  • Replication

SkySQL

$65/month

Managed

  • Cloud hosted
  • Auto-scaling
  • Support
Calculate your costView full pricing

How MariaDB's pricing compares

At $65/mo, MariaDB is mid-range of its 2 direct competitors ($0.18 to $178.33/mo across the set).

CockroachDB
$0.18
MariaDB
$65
MySQL
$178.33

Entry paid plan, monthly.

Reviews

4.5/5

Across 296 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra

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Best MariaDB Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

MySQL logo
MySQLFree

Popular open-source relational database

4.5
PostgreSQL logo
PostgreSQLFree

Advanced open source SQL database

4.5
CockroachDB logo
CockroachDBFreemium

Distributed SQL database built for cloud

4.3
See all Data & Databases tools →

Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

MariaDB vs MySQLHead-to-head: features, pricing, who winsMariaDB vs PostgreSQLHead-to-head: features, pricing, who winsMariaDB vs CockroachDBHead-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

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MariaDB FAQ

Is MariaDB free?

MariaDB Community Server is free and open source. SkySQL cloud service has paid plans. Enterprise support available.

What is MariaDB?

MariaDB is a MySQL fork created by MySQL's original developers. Drop-in replacement with additional features. Community-driven development.

MariaDB vs MySQL?

MariaDB has more features and better performance in some cases. MySQL has Oracle backing. Both are compatible for most uses.

Can I switch from MySQL to MariaDB?

Yes, it's a drop-in replacement for most applications. Same SQL syntax and tools work. Migration is usually straightforward.

Source: mariadb.org