MariaDB vs MySQL: Differences and Benefits Explained

MariaDB and MySQL are both relational database systems that form the foundation of many WordPress sites, webshops, and custom applications. MariaDB originated as a fork of MySQL and is fundamentally compatible with it, but has since developed its own features, better performance for certain workloads, and a fully open development process. For most websites, MariaDB has become the default choice in modern hosting environments today, including Plesk.

What is the difference between MariaDB and MySQL

MySQL was originally developed by MySQL AB and later came under Oracle’s ownership. MariaDB was started in 2009 by the original developers of MySQL, as a response to the Oracle acquisition, and has remained fully open source ever since. The two systems are largely compatible: queries, table structures, and most functions work the same way in both systems.

Under the hood, however, differences have emerged. MariaDB has added its own storage engines, uses different query optimizations, and releases updates faster. MySQL also has some features that are only available in the commercial Enterprise version, while MariaDB often offers that functionality for free.

Advantages of MariaDB

MariaDB has become the default option in most new hosting environments, and there are concrete reasons for this:

• Better performance: MariaDB includes optimizations for query processing and caching that often result in faster performance than standard MySQL.
• Fully open source: all features are freely available, without a separate Enterprise license for advanced options.
• Compatibility: existing MySQL databases almost always work without modifications on MariaDB, including popular CMS systems like WordPress.
• Active development: security updates and new features generally appear faster than with MySQL.
• Additional storage engines: MariaDB supports engines such as Aria and ColumnStore, which offer advantages over the standard InnoDB engine in specific situations.

When to still choose MySQL

For most websites and webshops, it makes no difference which of the two systems you use, since compatibility is so extensive. Still, there are situations where MySQL is preferable:

• You use an application that has been explicitly tested or supported only with a specific MySQL version.
• You depend on a commercial MySQL Enterprise feature that is not available in MariaDB.
• You work with an external platform or API that specifically runs on MySQL replication or MySQL-specific tools.

Outside these exceptions, MariaDB is generally the logical choice for new projects, especially given its open development and performance advantages.

Choosing and migrating a database

When setting up a new website via Plesk, you can usually easily choose which database version to use. If you want to migrate an existing site, it’s wise to check beforehand whether your current database extensions and settings are compatible.

Not sure about the right approach for a migration? Read the steps for switching to Tandata or check the instructions in our knowledge base. You can also transfer your domain and email in the same move via domain names and business email.