PostgreSQL vs MySQL

[Ng King Wang]

Hello all,

I installed RedHat 8.0 before. I need to prepare a free database for clients. I know that I need to pay money for the commercial usage of MySQL. So, I would like to try PostgreSQL.

Is there any difference between PostgreSQL and MySQL? Which one is better?

Please feel free to share your experience on the database usage of RedHat Linux.

Thanks in advance :)

[Stuart Browne · Accepted solution]

Many differences, mostly in the SQL commands they support, as well as some of the extended features.

For postgres, start by reading the first few chapters of:

http://www.postgresql.com/idocs/index.php

For MySQL, do the same (Unfortunately their site is down at the time of writing, so I can't get an exact URL for you). They have a very impressive online manual.

We use MySQL here in the office for most of our non-critical things (for those we use either custom written stuff, or Interbase).

MySQL at it's core is a very simple DB, and very quick. It supports a feature rich environment, and makes SQL statements quite useful (very little need to post-process).

The newer table formats also support a decent amount of the features to make it a force to be reconed with.

Unfortunately (the last I looked) it was still lacking in things like Triggers and stored procedures. (has been a while since I updated).

I've never activly used Postgres, but I've been told it is quite good.

Poke 'em, prod 'em, see how you like 'em.

My preference is for MySQL because of it's simpler interfaces and database maintenance.. But by the same token, I've been using it for years.

[Bruce Copeland]

We use both MySQL and PostgreSQL, and we've used Interbase in the past. In general, each has its advantages and disadvantages. We find MySQL to be best for high throughput, relatively low complexity transactional databases. We prefer PostgreSQL for heavily relational or object-relational stuff because Postgre tends to support a wider subset of SQL. We sort of got fed up with Interbase back when Borland couldn't make up its mind if it really was/wasn't going to support Interbase (IMHO a common concern with many Borland products--great though they may be at any given point in time).

Make sure you really understand the license for anything you use. Last I knew you could freely use MySQL to produce commercial databases. You just couldn't binary incorporate the SQL software into a commercial product or sell a modification of the MySQL software. If they've changed their license, then you could always find and use an older version of MySQL that follows the license arrangement I just described.