MariaDB

Definition

MariaDB is an open-source relational database management system created as a community-driven fork of MySQL, designed to remain a fully open alternative with strong compatibility with MySQL.

Overview

MariaDB was created in 2009 by Michael "Monty" Widenius, one of the original creators of MySQL, after Oracle acquired MySQL through its purchase of Sun Microsystems. Concerned about the database's long-term openness under a large commercial owner, Widenius and the wider community forked the codebase to guarantee it would stay open-source under community governance. MariaDB retains close compatibility with MySQL—the same connectors, ports, and much of the same SQL syntax and client tools work with both—while adding its own storage engines, such as Aria and ColumnStore, and features that have sometimes appeared in MariaDB before MySQL. It's developed and stewarded by the nonprofit MariaDB Foundation, with commercial support offered separately by MariaDB plc. Because of its drop-in compatibility, MariaDB is used as a direct MySQL replacement by many Linux distributions and by cloud providers offering managed MariaDB services, and it commonly appears in LAMP-stack deployments underneath frameworks like Laravel or content platforms like WordPress. It's a common choice for teams that want relational database behavior similar to MySQL with a governance model that keeps the project fully open-source.

Key Features

• Drop-in compatibility with MySQL clients, connectors, and much of its SQL syntax
• Additional storage engines such as Aria and the analytics-focused ColumnStore
• Fully open-source governance under the nonprofit MariaDB Foundation
• Galera Cluster support for synchronous multi-master replication
• Regular performance and feature improvements often ahead of MySQL
• Wide adoption as the default database in several major Linux distributions
• Available as a managed service across major cloud providers

Use Cases

Frequently Asked Questions

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