Best MariaDB Alternatives 2026

MariaDB is an enhanced, open-source drop-in replacement for MySQL. The perfect choice, if you have a strong preference for Open Source and are on MySQL. Very popular migration path.

MariaDB delivers enhanced performance, security, and feature set compared to MySQL. Its community-driven development ensures its continued availability and improvement. It offers compatibility with MySQL deployments, making it a seamless alternative. An excellent Open Source choice.

7
Top Alternatives
3
User Reviews
4.1
Avg. Rating

Recent Reviews

AB
Alice Brown
Database Administrator

"MariaDB has been a lifesaver for our organization. Migrating from MySQL was seamless, and we immediately noticed perform..."

BJ
Bob Johnson
Software Engineer

"MariaDB is a solid database option and works well for most of our projects. The compatibility with MySQL is a definite p..."

CD
Carol Davis
Data Analyst

"As a data analyst, I appreciate MariaDB's speed and efficiency when querying large datasets. The performance is noticeab..."

MariaDB

mariadb.org

MariaDB is a community-developed, commercially supported fork of the MySQL relational database management system. It is intended to remain free.

Platform Highlights

  • Open-source and free
  • MySQL compatibility
  • Enhanced performance and security
  • Smaller community than MySQL
  • Less enterprise support compared to MySQL
Global Rank
#8
Monthly Users
75M+
Founded
2009
Model
Open Source
Revenue Share
0%
Content Policy
N/A
Creator Satisfaction 73%

Based on 3,500+ creator reviews

MariaDB Alternatives

Compare top databases platforms with detailed reviews and ratings

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1

PostgreSQL

Recommended Free

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source relational database system. It offers reliability, data integrity, and a wide range of features, making it suitable for various applications and workloads.

Linux, Windows, macOS
Free Option
postgresql.org
4.7 (10 reviews)
85% recommend
AM
Alice Miller
Data Engineer

"PostgreSQL is the backbone of our data infrastructure. Its robustness, scalability, and adherence to SQL standards are u..."

Match Score
56%
2

SQLite

Free

SQLite is a self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration, transactional SQL database engine. It's popular for embedded systems and client-side storage, known for its portability.

Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Free Option
sqlite.org
4.6 (10 reviews)
90% recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Software Engineer

"SQLite is a fantastic embedded database. It's incredibly lightweight and requires zero configuration, making it perfect..."

Match Score
52%
6

MySQL

Freemium

MySQL is a popular open-source relational database management system. It's known for its speed, reliability, and ease of use, making it suitable for web applications.

Linux, Windows, macOS
Freemium Option
mysql.com
4.2 (10 reviews)
78% recommend
AB
Alice Brown
Database Administrator

"MySQL has been the backbone of our data infrastructure for years. The stability and performance are truly remarkable. We..."

Match Score
49%
3

Redis

Freemium

Redis is an in-memory data structure store, used as a database, cache, and message broker. It offers high performance and versatility for various applications.

Linux, Windows, macOS, Cloud
Freemium Option
redis.io
4.5 (3 reviews)
82% recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Software Engineer

"Redis has been a game-changer for our caching strategy. Its speed and in-memory data storage capabilities have significa..."

Match Score
45%
5

MongoDB

Freemium

MongoDB is a NoSQL document database designed for scalability and developer agility. It offers flexible schemas and a rich query language, suitable for modern applications.

Linux, Windows, macOS, Cloud
Freemium Option
mongodb.com
4.3 (10 reviews)
80% recommend
JS
John Smith
Developer

"Great product with excellent features and user-friendly interface. The performance is outstanding and customer support i..."

Match Score
43%
7

Microsoft SQL Server

Professional

Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. It offers a wide range of features and tools for data management and analysis.

Windows, Linux, Cloud
Paid Option
microsoft.com
4.0 (3 reviews)
72% recommend
AB
Alice Brown
Database Administrator

"SQL Server has been a cornerstone of our data infrastructure for years. The robust feature set, especially around securi..."

Match Score
37%
4

Amazon DynamoDB

Professional

Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service. It offers extreme scalability, high availability, and fast performance for various applications.

Cloud
Paid Option
aws.amazon.com
4.4 (3 reviews)
77% recommend
AB
Alice Brown
Senior Data Engineer

"DynamoDB has been a game-changer for our high-throughput applications. The ability to scale horizontally with virtually..."

Match Score
29%
User Reviews

What users say about MariaDB

Real experiences from our community of users who have tried MariaDB and its alternatives.

4.1
Average Rating
3
Total Reviews
73%
Would Recommend
AB
Alice Brown
Database Administrator • 1 month ago
Expert Reviewer

MariaDB has been a lifesaver for our organization. Migrating from MySQL was seamless, and we immediately noticed performance improvements, especially with large datasets. The active community and frequent updates provide a sense of security and ensure we are always using the latest features and security patches. Replication is straightforward, and the monitoring tools are comprehensive, making administration significantly easier. I highly recommend MariaDB for its reliability, performance, and community support.

Verified Purchase
BJ
Bob Johnson
Software Engineer • 1 month ago
Verified User

MariaDB is a solid database option and works well for most of our projects. The compatibility with MySQL is a definite plus, allowing for easy migration and utilization of existing tools and knowledge. However, I've encountered occasional issues with certain advanced features, requiring more in-depth troubleshooting than expected. The documentation could be improved in some areas, particularly regarding complex configurations. Overall, a good choice, but be prepared to do some extra research for specialized use cases.

Verified Purchase
CD
Carol Davis
Data Analyst • 1 month ago
Community Contributor

As a data analyst, I appreciate MariaDB's speed and efficiency when querying large datasets. The performance is noticeably better than some other open-source databases I've used. The integration with various BI tools is also a major advantage. However, setting up advanced security features can be a bit complicated, and the learning curve for some of the more niche functionalities can be steep. Despite these minor drawbacks, MariaDB has become an indispensable tool for my data analysis workflow, allowing me to extract valuable insights more quickly and easily.