The most valuable feature is the fact that the product is cross-platform, because it reduces server TCO, for my small company. This is very important.
CEO at a computer software company with 1-10 employees
We can now have many standalone databases where every developer can perform local tests
What is most valuable?
How has it helped my organization?
Without MySQL, we used a single centralized database.
With MySQL, we can now have many standalone databases where every developer can perform local tests.
What needs improvement?
Improvement areas are Security and ORM, for example:
It may be interesting to check the user-level access rights at the row level and a robust support to JSON model object (like NoSQL database).
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used MySQL for 12 years, since 2005. I chose it after using MS SQL for years. It is more suitable for the projects that we make.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No, never.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Yes, the many index restrictions in case of partitioning the tables.
How are customer service and support?
I do not know yet. I've never used technical support services, only the community
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Yes, I first used Microsoft SQL Server, then I went to MySQL because the cost is lower.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, especially in a Windows environment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is no cheap commercial license for standalone applications.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes, I have evaluated other database solutions. I have evaluated PostgreSQL and MongoDB.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Web Developer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
The most valuable feature is its graphical interface which allows us to do the database administration
What is most valuable?
MySQL is strongly recommended for web applications and LAMP architecture systems. The most valuable feature of this product for me is its graphical interface which allows me to do the database administration easily. Another important feature is its reliability, the decent performance, and the fact it is an open source product.
How has it helped my organization?
It gives us the opportunity to create backups of our databases easily and loop through them with minimum effort.
What needs improvement?
I think that the stored procedures and the development tools to write and debug large queries could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used MySQL for about 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There were no issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There was no issue with scalability.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not used technical support. The community is large enough to find the solution when something comes up.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used many SQL database solutions like PostgreSQL and SQLite and NoSQL databases like MongoDB. The choice depends on the project.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think that the Open Source product would cover the needs of most projects. In some cases, the advanced features are needed. They could use the enterprise edition, which is reasonably priced.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have evaluated and used different products like SQLite. It depends on the requirements and the needs of the project.
What other advice do I have?
I believe that it is the ideal solution for a variety of projects with a small learning curve compared to other solutions. It allows you to be efficient quickly.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
MySQL
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about MySQL. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,632 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Director of Information Technology at a tech services company
Several unexplained crashes caused dissatisfaction from users
What is most valuable?
Installation, because in a few seconds, the product was up and running.
How has it helped my organization?
It was the first step of the Service Desk.
What needs improvement?
ITIL implementation:
GLPI has a poor ITIL implementation in the sense that not all ITIL processes are implemented, e.g., no Service Catalog is present.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Yes, several unexplained crashes caused dissatisfaction from users.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Yes.
How are customer service and technical support?
Zero. No support at all. Only forums with no response.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used a solution like this before.
How was the initial setup?
Straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It was open source and license-free.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes, but commercial ones (ManageEngine, EasyVista, Remedyforce).
What other advice do I have?
Not choosing an open source software for this kind of solution. Now, we are looking at ServiceNow Express.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Member of Technical Staff at a tech company with 501-1,000 employees
Allows us to maintain very large tables without jumping through the hoops.
What is most valuable?
Simple syntax and simple administration are the most valuable features.
How has it helped my organization?
It allows us to maintain very large tables without jumping through the hoops that are required by the commercial products such as Oracle.
What needs improvement?
Multi-master replication could be a bit more reliable.
For how long have I used the solution?
Counting the earlier versions, we are using this solution for over ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Compared to the other database solutions, there were no stability issues as such.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Sharding is relatively straightforward.
How are customer service and technical support?
We run the Community version, so technical support doesn't apply.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We tried Oracle for a while but it was too much of a resource hog.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We looked at Oracle and PostgreSQL.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
SENIOR DEVELOPER at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
During the billing process, if one server fails then we switch to the other transparently.
What is most valuable?
The multiple engine replication is the most valuable feature. This neuralgic process for billing needs high availability and that is where we need this robust, but simple solution. If one server fails, we switch to the other transparently.
How has it helped my organization?
It facilitated fast processing of the millions of records for billing of the the call detail records in the Telecom company. The company needed to recover calls, in addition to immediately detecting frauds in the telephone calls so as to block the line and generate large losses. With the help of stored procedures, functions and triggers, we created an engine to recover most of the calls with a single transaction. Thanks to MySQL.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There were no stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There were no scalability issues.
How are customer service and technical support?
I would rate the technical support as a five out of 10.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using PostgreSQL. The reason why we switched to this solution was that of the easy administration.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was easy.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Production Support Engineer at a tech company with 501-1,000 employees
Simple to use with excellent performance
What is most valuable?
MySQL is very flexible, has excellent performance, and it's simple to use.
How has it helped my organization?
Once we needed to use a database to distribute a product for my company and we chose MySQL, it was easy to use and it is very small, but powerful.
What needs improvement?
Maybe the way to build clusters needs to be improved. They could also improve the installation process.
For how long have I used the solution?
I been using MySQL for nearly seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There were no stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There were some scalability issues.
How are customer service and technical support?
I would give the technical support an eight out of 10 rating.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did upgrade the version with improvements to the product.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was complex in the cluster installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
MySQL is one of the best database options. The Community version is great.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We used Oracle and SQL Server, but their prices and licensing were so expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Using MySQL could be an excellent option for you.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Software Engineer at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Improved our internal procedures by providing high performance, ease of use and cost savings
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are:
- MySQL Database Servers
- MySQL Connectors
- MySQL Workbench.
How has it helped my organization?
MySQL has improved our internal procedures by providing high performance, ease of use, and cost savings.
What needs improvement?
Security in the data files needs manipulation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used this solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There were no stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There were no scalability issues.
How is customer service and technical support?
Technical support is excellent.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was really straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
According to the specific business and technical requirements, you can choose your MySQL Edition that you wish by consulting the official site.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We looked at the Microsoft SQL Server.
What other advice do I have?
It can benefit any business by a straightforward way of implementing and using it.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Online backup can be implemented by activating a temporary storage and introducing Percona innobackupex
What is most valuable?
This product is valuable because it is used in production environments. Online backup can be implemented by activating a temporary storage similar to the Oracle's flash recovery area and introducing Percona innobackupex. This is possible from version 5.6.
How has it helped my organization?
It permits services such as data warehouse and retail.
What needs improvement?
The online backup needs to improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used this solution for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We did encounter stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There were no scalability issues.
How are customer service and technical support?
Not applicable because we don't purchase commercial support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We switched due to cost saving reasons.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was of medium-level complexity due to memory parameters.
What other advice do I have?
Compared to PostgreSQL, it has an online backup feature only with the extension of Percona innobackupex.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Thanks for a good review
Many developers wants to have micro servers with micro sized databases. But that doesn't necessarily means that these micro sized databases will be a unique MySQL instance.