MySQLMariaDB

MySQL and MariaDB are widely used open-source relational database management systems that store data in structured tables and expose SQL for querying. They share a common lineage: MySQL was created in 1995 by MySQL AB and, after a series of corporate changes, became the core of Oracle's database offerings. In 2009, the original developers who created MySQL forked the project to form MariaDB to preserve open development and community governance. Since then, MariaDB has evolved independently, adding new features and storage engines, while maintaining compatibility goals with MySQL.

Both projects are designed to power web applications and other data-driven software, and they support standard SQL, ACID transactions, and various replication and high-availability configurations. MariaDB aims to remain compatible with MySQL through shared client libraries and data formats, facilitating migrations, but differences in default engines, feature sets, and syntax mean that not every MySQL application runs unchanged on MariaDB.

Licensing and governance differ. MySQL's community edition is GPL but Oracle also offers commercial licenses and additional tools; MariaDB Server is developed under the MariaDB Foundation and is released under the GPL v2, with some components under compatible licenses. This has made MariaDB a popular choice in open-source stacks and many Linux distributions.

Each system has its own ecosystem of storage engines, tools, and integrations. MySQL emphasizes strong tooling and integration with Oracle products, while MariaDB has integrated options such as alternative storage engines and built-in clustering options like Galera, alongside broader community contributions. Typical deployments include LAMP-style stacks, content management systems, e-commerce platforms, and data warehouses, chosen for reliability, performance, and scalability.