PostgreSQL is a more feature-rich relational database with advanced capabilities like JSON support, full-text search, and window functions, while MySQL prioritizes simplicity and raw speed for web applications. PostgreSQL excels in complex queries and data integrity, whereas MySQL remains the preferred choice for high-concurrency read-heavy workloads.
MySQL vs PostgreSQL — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Oracle-backed relational database management system with wide enterprise adoption and strict compatibility focus.
Advanced open-source relational database with extensive features for complex queries, data integrity, and analytical workloads.
ACID Compliance. Advanced Data Types. Query Performance (Simple Reads). Full-Text Search. Replication Complexity. Market Adoption (2024). Enterprise Support Cost (Annual)
Choose PostgreSQL if you need complex queries, advanced data types, strong data integrity guarantees, and sophisticated reporting—it's ideal for analytics, business applications, and systems requiring JSON handling. Choose MySQL if you prioritize simplicity, maximum read throughput, easy horizontal scaling, and rapid development for web applications—it remains superior for high-traffic read-heavy systems like content management and caching layers.
MySQL: Partial (InnoDB only) | PostgreSQL: Complete (all operations)
MySQL: ~28,000 (MySQL 8.4) | PostgreSQL: ~25,000 (PostgreSQL 18)
MySQL: ~450 (5-table join) | PostgreSQL: ~320 (5-table join)
MySQL: JSON functions only | PostgreSQL: JSONB with full indexing
MySQL: ~80 (minimal config) | PostgreSQL: ~150 (minimal config)
MySQL: Via third-party extensions | PostgreSQL: Native pgvector
MySQL: Limited, basic support | PostgreSQL: Comprehensive native support
MySQL: Standard table partitioning | PostgreSQL: TimescaleDB extension native
MySQL: $13.50 (MySQL 8.4) | PostgreSQL: $15.25 (PostgreSQL 18)
MySQL: 5 (8.0-8.4 active) | PostgreSQL: 5 (14-18 active)
MySQL: 5-50 (binary log) | PostgreSQL: 10-100 (WAL)
MySQL: Oracle, multiple vendors | PostgreSQL: EDB, multiple vendors
MySQL: 151 (default, configurable) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 140 TB per table | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: Yes - TCP/IP protocol | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: Yes - master-slave, group replication | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 5-50 ms (indexed queries) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: Full ACID across multiple tables (since v5.7) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: Manual sharding (theoretical unlimited) | PostgreSQL: Manual sharding required
MySQL: Fixed schema, requires migration for changes | PostgreSQL: Rigid, requires ALTER TABLE migrations
MySQL: 3-5ms for simple queries | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 8-12GB working set | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 25+ years (MySQL 1.0 released 1995) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 10,000-50,000 ops/sec | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 46% of web applications (Stack Overflow 2024) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 240-480 minutes | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: $50-200 (self-hosted) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: Manual configuration required | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: Third-party tools only | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: $0 (open-source) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 64TB (hardware dependent) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: Unlimited (with sharding complexity) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: User-dependent (no guarantee) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 5+ (on-prem, cloud, edge, containers, hybrid) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 2.8s (MySQL 8.0) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 4.2s (MySQL 8.0) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: 2 (InnoDB, MyISAM) | PostgreSQL: N/A
MySQL: $2,500-$50,000 (Oracle) | PostgreSQL: N/A
Annual Enterprise Support Cost (per server)
MySQL: 45ms (MySQL) | PostgreSQL: 52ms (PostgreSQL)
Complex Analytical Query Speed (Aggregate + Join)
MySQL: 1,200ms (MySQL) | PostgreSQL: 850ms (PostgreSQL)
MySQL: Yes, since 5.7 (basic operations only) | PostgreSQL: Yes, comprehensive with operators and indexing
MySQL: Basic (limited language support, no stemming) | PostgreSQL: Native with ranking, stemming, 15+ languages
MySQL: Since 8.0 (limited implementation) | PostgreSQL: Full support with 20+ window functions
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 35,000 writes/sec
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 1 (single instance)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Manual, typically 5-15 minutes
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: $0 (open-source)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: $0 (infrastructure cost only)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 15,000-25,000 docs/sec
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Full multi-statement ACID
Query Language Complexity (learning curve)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 1-2 months (SQL standardized, widely taught)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Free open-source; commercial support available
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 20+ (B-tree, hash, BRIN, GiST, partial indexes)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: ~10,000 (single node)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Full compliance, all operations
Storage Overhead (vs Equivalent Relational)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 1x baseline (normalized)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: No (requires partitioning/third-party)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Full SQL with unlimited JOIN depth and CTEs
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Required (schema-on-write)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 2-4 hours (widely supported, simpler setup)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 120-1440 minutes (self-hosted)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: $20-50 (cloud VM minimum)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 0 (requires third-party)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Not native - requires extensions
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Unlimited (petabyte+ capable)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Not included - manual setup required
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Zero - 100% portable SQL
Supported Concurrent Connections (Free Tier)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Unlimited (depends on installation)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: $0 (self-hosted only)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 240-1440 minutes (4-24 hours)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Unlimited (self-hosted)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Unlimited (hardware dependent)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Manual or third-party tools required
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Customizable via WAL archiving
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: $50-200+ (self-hosted infrastructure) or $100-500 (managed provider)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Manual; requires 5-60 minutes intervention
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Unlimited (hardware-dependent)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: Trivial (native format, zero lock-in)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 500+ (all available from PostgreSQL ecosystem)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 0 seconds (always running)
MySQL: N/A | PostgreSQL: 10,000,000+ deployments globally
How to choose between MySQL and PostgreSQL
MySQL vs PostgreSQL — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for MySQL vs PostgreSQL. Contains 106 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
MySQL vs PostgreSQL — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for MySQL vs PostgreSQL.
For simple read queries, MySQL is 15-20% faster with lower latency (~45ms vs ~52ms for 1M row scans). However, PostgreSQL dominates complex analytical queries with aggregate functions and joins, executing them 30-40% faster (~850ms vs ~1,200ms). Choice depends on your workload: MySQL for read-heavy web apps, PostgreSQL for analytics and reporting.
Both support JSON, but PostgreSQL's implementation is far superior. PostgreSQL offers native JSON and JSONB data types with indexing, operators, path queries, and full integration with SQL. MySQL's JSON support (added in 5.7) is basic—primarily for storage and basic operations. If JSON is core to your application, PostgreSQL is the clear winner.
Which requires less maintenance and resources?
MySQL requires significantly fewer resources: 50MB minimum memory vs PostgreSQL's 100MB, and smaller default connection pools. MySQL is easier to set up and configure with simpler administration. PostgreSQL demands more tuning and larger infrastructure but rewards you with better reliability and query optimization for complex workloads.
Is one more reliable or secure than the other?
Both are reliable and secure when properly configured. PostgreSQL enforces stricter data integrity with CHECK constraints, exclusion constraints, and deterministic foreign key behavior. MySQL's data integrity depends on the storage engine (InnoDB is solid, but MyISAM is not). PostgreSQL is generally recommended for mission-critical systems where data integrity is paramount.
Which scales better for large applications?
MySQL scales horizontally better for read-heavy workloads through simple master-slave replication. PostgreSQL scales vertically better and excels at handling complex distributed queries. For massive datasets with complex analytics, PostgreSQL wins. For high-traffic read-only services (social media feeds, product listings), MySQL wins with easier horizontal scaling.
How to Choose Between MySQL and PostgreSQL
ACID Compliance: MySQL has Full ACID with all storage engines (InnoDB default), while PostgreSQL has Full ACID compliance by default.
Advanced Data Types: MySQL has JSON, Arrays, Ranges, UUID, Geometric types, while PostgreSQL has Basic data types only (JSON added in 5.7).
Consider: Query Performance (Simple Reads)
Query Performance (Simple Reads): MySQL has ~15-20% faster on simple SELECT queries, while PostgreSQL has Slower on simple queries, optimized for complex ones.
Full-Text Search: MySQL has Native full-text search with ranking and relevance, while PostgreSQL has Basic full-text search capability.
Replication Complexity: MySQL has Statement-based, Row-based, or Mixed replication, while PostgreSQL has Logical and physical replication with streaming.
Market Adoption (2024): MySQL has 53% of surveyed developers use MySQL, while PostgreSQL has 44% of surveyed developers use PostgreSQL.
Consider: Enterprise Support Cost (Annual)
Enterprise Support Cost (Annual): MySQL has Free (open-source) or ~$1,000-5,000 for commercial support, while PostgreSQL has Free (open-source) or ~$2,000-8,000 for enterprise support.