Firebird SQL vs MySQL comparison

Firebird and Oracle are both solutions in the Open Source Databases category. Firebird is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.0, while Oracle is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3. Firebird holds a 12.5% mindshare in OSD, compared to Oracle’s 9.7% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of Firebird users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

Firebird SQL

Read 15 Firebird SQL reviews

6,346 Views
6,092 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

MySQL

Read 153 MySQL reviews

8,855 Views
5,136 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Firebird SQL

MySQL

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Firebird SQL and MySQL are both robust database management systems, yet they cater to different user needs. MySQL appears to have the upper hand due to its extensive feature set.

Features: Firebird SQL is simple and resource-efficient, offering multi-version concurrency control and native Windows compatibility. MySQL stands out with strong data security, full-text search, and a wide range of storage engines.

Room for Improvement: Firebird SQL could improve on handling large data volumes, enhance cryptography, and expand its feature set. MySQL may improve on its complexity for new users, reduce memory usage in high-context operations, and refine scaling capabilities for smaller projects.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Firebird SQL offers straightforward deployment and strong community support, ideal for those needing a simplified setup. MySQL provides extensive deployment options and robust commercial support, suitable for enterprise needs.

Pricing and ROI: Firebird SQL is cost-effective with a lower setup cost, providing solid ROI for budget-conscious businesses. MySQL's setup cost can be higher but is justified by advanced functionalities and scalability, potentially yielding a higher ROI for larger implementations.

To learn more, read our detailed Firebird SQL vs. MySQL Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Firebird SQL vs. MySQL

February 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Firebird SQL

Ranking in Open Source Databases

3rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Embedded Database (3rd)

MySQL

Ranking in Open Source Databases

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

153

Ranking in other categories

Relational Databases Tools (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Open Source Databases category, the mindshare of Firebird SQL is 12.5%, down from 18.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MySQL is 9.7%, down from 12.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Open Source Databases Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
MySQL	9.7%
Firebird SQL	12.5%
Other	77.8%

Open Source Databases

Featured Reviews

reviewer1991775

Chapter Lead at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees

An open-source database to hold customer data, but its performance should be improved

Firebird SQL significantly improved our data management in many parts of our self-developed ERP system. I rate the solution's performance and speed a six out of ten. Two or three database administrators are needed to maintain the solution. A few years ago, migrating data to or from Firebird SQL was a little bit difficult because the identifier names for tables or stored procedures were limited to 20 to 30 characters. Transferring the structure to Firebird SQL was difficult, but they fixed it in version 3, which was much easier. We are developing software with Delphi, and Delphi is also by Embarcadero. Using InterBase or Firebird SQL databases is very common, and you have some good tools for developing with Firebird SQL. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Read full review

Pranay Jain

Senior software developer at Simplifyvms

Robust relational data foundation has supported rapid growth and improved user data management

MySQL can be improved in several ways. It has connectivity errors and administration troubles that sometimes occur, though not consistently. MySQL has slow queries; sometimes when I run a query, it scans the whole table, and if the data is very large, it takes too much time to retrieve the data. There can be resource bottlenecks with RAM and CPU usage being a little lower than ideal. Monitoring system metrics is crucial because we need to identify and address these types of issues. Schema designing is another area for improvement, as a poorly designed schema can lead to data redundancy in the future. If I haven't initially planned for a 20 lakh user database and am only working with a 1,000 user case, it will be very problematic because in the future, it will affect the whole table structure, and we will need to change everything. Thorough thinking is necessary before even creating the table. MySQL documentation could be better. Sometimes when I need to find something related to MySQL, the documentation is not very comprehensive. If I have a problem with it, I have to go to Stack Overflow or something similar to get the full detail. Additionally, sometimes when we are connecting to local MySQL, it says we cannot connect to SQL, and I don't know the reason. The error messages are not very helpful, so we have to investigate those cases manually. There are multiple instances of this occurring. Documentation can be better overall. The integration capabilities could be improved slightly. Whatever I have used is working fine for me currently, but it could be a little better. The UI of MySQL Workbench, which I use, is not appealing to me, so it could be improved. MySQL overall is very good, and the foundation is very strong. We can develop features around it and different types of things inside it, which will make it better in the future.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution is very useful for stock management."

"The most valuable feature of Firebird SQL is the creation of databases."

"The reliability and ease of management are very valuable."

"The documentation is very well written."

"I find the ease of deployment to be the most valuable aspect of this solution."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is reliable, offers good performance, and is easy to use."

"It helps us in detecting all kinds of problems in the code, such as bad quality, unclear code, or any violation in the code or best practices."

"I can deploy it on Linux, Mac OS, and Windows — it's very easy."

More Firebird SQL pros

"Compared to other databases, MySQL is cheaper and we were using the community edition which was free of cost. ML is fully integrated with the database in HeatWave. It has also many other features. MySQL is a far better solution in terms of pricing."

"I like the simplistic view of MySQL to build custom queries and things like that as compared to SQL Server, which seems more cluttered. SQL Server has a query analyzer. MySQL pretty much does the same, and performance-wise, it has less overhead for connecting to our ERP system. It seems more responsive and cleaner. With MySQL, you get what you need without any overbloating, for which Microsoft is known. That's why they have so many constant security patches for everything because there is so much stuff, which degrades performance."

"It is a scalable solution."

"The solution is free to use, which is its most valuable aspect."

"It creates a unified view of the entire architecture and performance factor, helping to manage the network more easily."

"It is a stable solution."

"I like MySQL's feature that helps to automate things."

"It is pretty simple to use and I don't have anything really bad to say about it."

More MySQL pros

Cons

"Technical support and performance could be better. We have some problems with this solution, but we don't know if the problem is with the database or the configuration. For example, sometimes, the users can't access the database."

"It would be good to have more automation and integration with the tools from other vendors."

"This solution isn't very user-friendly, or intuitive, which could be improved when it is developed."

"It would be nice to have a graphical user interface to handle the product."

"On large databases, we have some difficulties."

"We would like to improve the management of very large databases."

"It would be interesting if they added functionality with redundancy, reputation, and variability."

"The main feature I expect is to be able to work with different databases at the same time because that's a wishlist item for me."

More Firebird SQL cons

"I am looking for the Temporal SQL feature, which basically means that there is complete history for each table. This feature is currently available in MariaDB. PostgreSQL has something called a foreign-data wrapper, which is another way to access external data from inside. MySQL could have a similar feature."

"We require more ease of use, scalability, and high availability. These are some of the critical features that we use and look for in a product. It should be easier to manage clusters. Scalability is very important for us because our projects and concurrency requirements are quite big. We also require high availability of the server, application, and other things. It should also have more performance-based features or enhancements from the performance point of view. When we divide a database, it should be able to handle the queries very fast."

"The licensing cost of the solution is expensive, which MySQL needs to consider improving."

"This solution needs to be improved when it comes to working with desktop applications on the developer side."

"Rather than going in-depth about the technical features, which a technical person can directly tell, I would say that MySQL should be able to adapt to the next framework. The 5G framework means an unstructured framework. So if MySQL becomes smoother and more adaptable, it'll be easier."

"The integration with other systems can be improved as can the integration between other databases."

"The licensing of the solution is on the expensive side."

"The manuals or documentation could be better."

More MySQL cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no licensing cost for this solution, as it is open-source."

"I was using the free version of Firebird SQL."

"The tool is open source."

"It is a public domain system as every customer can install it on their system without paying any license fee."

"It is okay."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is freely available."

"Firebird SQL is an open-source solution, which means it is a free product."

"There is a yearly maintenance fee for the use of the solution."

More Firebird SQL pricing and cost advice

"We're using the open-source version right now, which is free. I do see some value in some of the more enterprise functions. We're using the open-source version right now, and I was interested in the MySQL Enterprise version really for the tools that they provide, but we decided not to make the purchase."

"There is a licensing cost because we are going for a proprietary product. There are some other versions for which there is no licensing cost."

"There is not a license required for this solution."

"I am using the Community Edition, which is available free of charge."

"It is free. It is an open-source platform."

"We are using the free version of MySQL. We prefer paying for a yearly license."

"I would rate the solution’s pricing a six out of ten. The solution is not cheap but it’s a fair value. The pricing depends on the use cases of our customers. Some of our customers use the community edition which is license free and a good fit for their use cases. However, we encourage our bigger customers to sign up because of the scalability issues. The paid versions get direct technical support from Oracle."

"It is open source. We prefer it for POCs because it saves the license cost."

More MySQL pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	75
Midsize Enterprise	32
Large Enterprise	62

Questions from the Community

How does Firebird SQL compare with PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL was designed in a way that provides you with not only a high degree of flexibility but also offers you a cheap and easy-to-use solution. It gives you the ability to redesign and audit yo...

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What do you like most about Firebird SQL?

Firebird SQL is an open-source solution.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Firebird SQL?

It's open-source and free.

See all answers

Why are MySQL connections encrypted and what is the biggest benefit of this?

MySQL encrypts connections to protect your data and the biggest benefit from this is that nobody can corrupt it. If you move information over a network without encryption, you are endangering it, m...

See all answers

Considering that there is a free version of MySQL, would you invest in one of the paid editions?

I may be considered a MySQL veteran since I have been using it since before Oracle bought it and created paid versions. So back in my day, it was all free, it was open-source and the best among sim...

See all answers

What is one thing you would improve with MySQL?

One thing I would improve related to MySQL is not within the product itself, but with the guides to it. Before, when it was free, everyone was on their own, seeking tutorials and how-to videos onli...

See all answers

Comparisons

PostgreSQL vs Firebird SQL

Compared 32% of the time

MariaDB vs Firebird SQL

Compared 15% of the time

SQLite vs Firebird SQL

Compared 12% of the time

DuckDB vs Firebird SQL

Compared 4% of the time

InterBase vs Firebird SQL

Compared 2% of the time

More Firebird SQL Competitors

PostgreSQL vs MySQL

Compared 10% of the time

SQL Server vs MySQL

Compared 6% of the time

MariaDB vs MySQL

Compared 5% of the time

SAP HANA vs MySQL

Compared 4% of the time

Oracle Database vs MySQL

Compared 4% of the time

More MySQL Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Embedded Database

January 2026

Download Firebird SQL product report

Buyer's Guide

MySQL

January 2026

Download MySQL product report

Overview

Firebird SQL is an open-source, cross-platform relational database management system that offers an enterprise-level database solution. The solution is designed to be highly secure, efficient, and compatible with various platforms and programming languages. Firebird can operate in both embedded and server modes.

Firebird is an open-source project with an active community of developers and users. It is released under the Initial Developer's Public License (IDPL) and the InterBase Public License, allowing for free use, modification, and distribution.

The Firebird solution requires minimal configuration and its architecture allows it to efficiently handle databases ranging from a few KB to multiple terabytes. It is available for various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and several Unix-like platforms.

What are the key features of Firebird SQL?

ACID Compliance: Firebird provides full support for ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) transactions, ensuring data integrity and consistency, even in the event of system failures or concurrent access.
SQL Language Support: Firebird SQL provides extensive support for ANSI SQL, which is the standard SQL language, making it compatible with a wide range of applications and tools.
Multi-Generational Architecture: Firebird employs a multi-generational architecture, which allows multiple versions of the same data to coexist within the database.
Concurrency and Performance: Firebird offers efficient concurrency control mechanisms, including multi-version concurrency control (MVCC), which allows multiple transactions to access and modify data simultaneously without locking or blocking each other, improving overall performance.
Embedded mode: In the embedded mode, the database engine is integrated directly into the application.
Security Features: Firebird provides user authentication, role-based access control, and encryption capabilities. It supports various authentication methods, such as native Firebird user accounts, external authentication sources (e.g., Windows domains), and single sign-on (SSO) mechanisms.
Backup and Restore: Firebird offers built-in backup and restore utilities, allowing users to create full or incremental backups of the database, as well as restore from these backups when needed.

As part of being a commonly used open-sourced solution, Firebird boasts a vibrant community of developers and users. The community provides extensive documentation, third-party tools, and active forums for support. Businesses can also opt for professional support services offered by third-party vendors for added assurance.

To summarize, Firebird SQL is a robust, scalable, and cost-effective database solution suitable for a wide range of applications and business sizes. Its comprehensive SQL support, security features, and cross-platform compatibility, combined with the active community support, make it a compelling choice for businesses looking to leverage the power of open-source software without compromising on performance or security.

Firebird

MySQL is an open-source database known for its ease of use and high performance. It offers features like replication and clustering, making it ideal for diverse applications. Its cost-effectiveness and LAMP integration are key advantages for businesses.

MySQL supports a variety of languages and platforms, providing reliable, scalable data management. Its graphical interface and LAMP architecture integration enhance its usability, while community support further strengthens its appeal. Challenges include scalability issues with large databases, lack of advanced clustering, and limited high-availability features. Complex queries may affect performance, and integration can pose difficulties. The outdated interface and insufficient documentation are also concerns, along with replication and backup reliability issues.

What are MySQL's key features?

Open-source nature: Freely available and customizable.
Cross-platform compatibility: Supports multiple operating systems.
Scalability: Capable of handling large volumes of data.
Replication and clustering: Ensure data redundancy and load balancing.
Full-text search: Provides powerful search capabilities.
LAMP integration: Seamlessly integrates with Linux, Apache, and PHP.

What benefits should users consider?

Cost-effectiveness: Reduces expenses due to its open-source nature.
High performance: Efficiently processes large volumes of data.
Active community support: Access to a wide range of resources and expertise.
Versatile use cases: Suitable for varied applications including web development and IoT.

MySQL is widely implemented in industries such as web development, e-commerce, and finance. It's used for managing dynamic websites, powering e-commerce platforms, and supporting financial applications. Its compatibility with PHP and cost-effectiveness make it suitable for CMS platforms like WordPress. With cloud services integration, MySQL is a backend choice for scalable applications in various sectors.

Oracle

Sample Customers

Elekt Labs, Streamsoft, wobe-systems GmbH, DRB Systems, Moscow City Hospital #31

Facebook, Tumblr, Scholastic, MTV Networks, Wikipedia, Verizon Wireless, Sage Group, Glassfish Open Message Queue, and RightNow Technologies.

Buyer's Guide

Firebird SQL vs. MySQL

February 2026

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