MariaDB vs SAP SQL Anywhere comparison

Why PeerSpot?

MariaDB and SAP are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. MariaDB is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.0, while SAP is ranked #35. MariaDB holds a 3.2% mindshare in SQL, compared to SAP’s 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of MariaDB users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of SAP users who would recommend it.

MariaDB

Read 62 MariaDB reviews

7,978 Views
4,468 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SAP SQL Anywhere

Read 6 SAP SQL Anywhere reviews

1,708 Views
1,571 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

MariaDB

SAP SQL Anywhere

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

SAP SQL Anywhere and MariaDB are leading database management solutions with different strengths. SAP SQL Anywhere is favored for its enterprise-focused features, while MariaDB is popular due to its open-source flexibility.

Features: SAP SQL Anywhere prioritizes scalability, offline database management, and synchronization, ensuring data integrity in disconnected environments. MariaDB is renowned for its open-source nature, community support, and emphasis on security, making it ideal for rapid development and customizations.

Room for Improvement: SAP SQL Anywhere could enhance its customization options and broaden its open-source community interactions. Improvements in documentation and integration flexibility could also benefit users. MariaDB might improve its enterprise-level customer support and provide more comprehensive SQL compatibility for enhanced performance in large-scale applications, as well as expanding its out-of-the-box features for complex deployments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SAP SQL Anywhere offers a straightforward deployment process with robust customer service tailored for complex enterprises. In contrast, MariaDB's deployment model benefits developers looking for cloud-friendly solutions, relying more on community support than traditional service channels.

Pricing and ROI: SAP SQL Anywhere involves an initial licensing fee, possibly leading to significant ROI due to its comprehensive features and long-term support services. MariaDB, being open-source, presents lower initial costs, appealing to budget-conscious projects, though ROI may depend on additional services required for integration.

To learn more, read our detailed MariaDB vs. SAP SQL Anywhere Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB vs. SAP SQL Anywhere

September 2026

Download the complete report

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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

MariaDB

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

15th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Open Source Databases (10th)

SAP SQL Anywhere

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

35th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of MariaDB is 3.2%, down from 5.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP SQL Anywhere is 1.5%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
MariaDB	3.2%
SAP SQL Anywhere	1.5%
Other	95.3%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Prabhat-Ranjan

Architect at LTIMindtree

Cloud deployment has improved security and performance but still needs richer query features

MariaDB is easy to install. Performance of MariaDB has improved with the query optimizer. We use MariaDB's data-at-rest encryption. Encryption is available in MariaDB, so we are secure for transmitting data without concern about moving over networks. Query optimization in MariaDB is better than Oracle. We use advanced replication for MariaDB. Role-based access is available in MariaDB, which is a good feature. The technical support of MariaDB is very helpful. They came and tuned our queries with one-to-one assistance.

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Mehak TAlwar

Automation Project Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Scalable, easy to use, but stability could improve

We use SAP SQL Anywhere because we have a lot of Power BI reports that connect with the SQL database that we have for our robotic process automation data. We create procedures and other elements within the solution The most valuable features of SAP SQL Anywhere are the ease of use and the user…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"If they want an open-source database that can handle huge volumes and is reliable and strong, then I would recommend it."

"Our use of MariaDB is very basic, so it's a good platform compared to many others."

"MariaDB is very stable."

"The most valuable feature of MariaDB is the replication mode."

"It's easy to set up."

"The solution is easy to set up and the implementation is very quick."

"A valuable feature is that we can use it for quite a few things, all the things you'd expect from a server—along the lines of Linux's Lightweight Directory."

"MariaDB is scalable."

More MariaDB pros

"SAP SQL Anywhere is very helpful."

"It's a great product to use if you are already have an integration with SAP's ERP/CRM systems."

"The most valuable features of SAP SQL Anywhere are the ease of use and the user interface is intuitive."

"It works well in general."

"SQL Anywhere is easy and it did not cost as much as SQL Microsoft."

"The auto-backup replication is a perfect feature. That is the feature I liked the most."

"We've found the solution very reliable overall. It's very fast."

Cons

"With respect to clustering and the master-slave configuration, sometimes the slave goes out of synch."

"There is not much support available."

"It's not very stable. It needs improvement."

"Replication could be better, and it's not so simple. It would be better if they had a replication server. It would make things a lot easier. You need to have that replication server, but not in the same server farm. Then there will be a bit of latency between both because you should have one in one city and another one in a different city. That kind of solution should be more baked into every single database today. Mirroring the database in a live environment where any record written on the production server replicates instantly across the fiber on the other server wasn't easy. Many people don't even bother with that, and they just run one server."

"In the next release, I would like to see improvements in the scalability and redundancy features."

"Sometimes, complex queries that were supported in Oracle are not available in MariaDB."

"The maintenance and performance could be a bit better."

"MariaDB could improve by adding support for non-relational structures and new data types."

More MariaDB cons

"Performance issues when syncing the MBO packages to the server."

"A problem we are experiencing now is when doing a backup in SQL 2012 and 14 there's a problem with the license."

"The interface is not easy in comparison to the SQL Server. It could be more user-friendly."

"SAP SQL Anywhere needs to incorporate functionalities like SAP S/4HANA."

"It is not as secure as it could be."

"It is not as secure as it could be; there needs to be more encryption and we can find passwords very easily."

"We have had some stability issues with SAP SQL Anywhere, but I am not sure if it is an application or network issue. We sometimes have a large amount of data being queried and it cannot handle it."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is not expensive."

"This is an open-source product, which can be used free of charge."

"I rate the product's price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price, and ten is high price since there are some support costs involved, even though it isn't an open-source solution."

"MariaDB is a free-to-use solution."

"The solution is free, but if you want the enterprise version you will need to pay for some licenses but the cost is less than other solutions, such as Oracle."

"I used the open-source version, which is available free of charge."

"It is free of charge."

"We pay for a yearly license."

More MariaDB pricing and cost advice

"SQL Anywhere cost us about $400."

"SAP SQL Anywhere is affordable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Computer Software Company

University

Comms Service Provider

11%

Construction Company

University

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	28
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	26

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MariaDB?

MariaDB is in the pricey range, especially for huge databases handling terabytes of data. The cost depends on the volume of data and different features enabled during configuration, such as backup ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with MariaDB?

The key area where MariaDB could be improved is its native GUI tooling; while the command-line interface works perfectly fine, the built-in visual tools for administration, management, and query de...

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What is your primary use case for MariaDB?

My main use case for MariaDB was web applications, and I have been using MariaDB for just about a year now as I was in the development team. A specific web application where I used MariaDB is a hea...

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Comparisons

MySQL vs MariaDB

Compared 12% of the time

PostgreSQL vs MariaDB

Compared 10% of the time

Firebird SQL vs MariaDB

Compared 8% of the time

SQL Server vs MariaDB

Compared 7% of the time

Oracle Database vs MariaDB

Compared 6% of the time

More MariaDB Competitors

SQL Server vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 16% of the time

MySQL vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 14% of the time

Oracle Database vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 12% of the time

OpenText Analytics Database (Vertica) vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 10% of the time

SAP HANA vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 4% of the time

More SAP SQL Anywhere Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB

October 2026

Download MariaDB product report

Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

October 2026

Download SAP SQL Anywhere product report

Also Known As

No data available

Sybase SQL Anywhere

Overview

MariaDB is a robust database solution known for its scalability, speed, and user-friendliness. It supports seamless integration and provides reliable performance in handling large datasets, offering strong community backing alongside its open-source nature.

MariaDB is renowned for efficiently managing large databases and complex relationships while being stable and easy to integrate. With advanced features like replication, encryption, and SQL compatibility, it offers fast query processing. Its straightforward installation and management processes facilitate seamless enterprise integrations and ensure high performance in real-time data scenarios. However, enhancements in enterprise integration, clustering, and scalability are necessary. Addressing challenges with complex queries, security, and user experience would be advantageous, alongside offering robust technical support and a competitive pricing model.

What are the key features of MariaDB?

Scalability: Handles large databases and complex relationships effectively.
User-Friendliness: Offers easy integration and management.
Speed: Provides fast query processing using multi-core processing efficiently.
Advanced Features: Includes replication, encryption, and SQL compatibility.
Open-Source: Encourages strong community support and continuous improvement.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating MariaDB?

Performance: High performance in real-time data processing.
Integration: Seamless integration with enterprise systems and SaaS applications.
Community Support: Strong open-source community for troubleshooting and development.
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive pricing compared to proprietary databases.
Compatibility: MySQL compatibility for easier transitions and migrations.

MariaDB is extensively utilized in backend support for cloud telephony platforms, ERP systems, and financial software, being crucial for web application development and data storage. Entities favor its compatibility with MySQL for complex join queries and its support for structured data management in SaaS applications.

MariaDB

SAP SQL Anywhere provides rugged database management for diverse environments, efficiently handling data synchronization and processing for embedded and mobile applications. Its flexibility and reliability make it suitable for enterprises needing robust data solutions.

SAP SQL Anywhere is known for its ability to run in resource-constrained environments, supporting mobile and remote database access without sacrificing performance. It offers comprehensive data management capabilities, ensuring seamless data integration and synchronization across varying platforms. This scalability complements business growth and evolving data needs, providing a cost-effective way to manage data across mobile and embedded applications.

What are the noteworthy features of SAP SQL Anywhere?

SQL Database Server: Efficiently manages data with full support for SQL standards.
Data Synchronization: Ensures consistent data across multiple devices in real-time.
Cross-platform Support: Operates on multiple operating systems, enhancing versatility.
Security Features: Provides encryption and authentication for data protection.

Why choose SAP SQL Anywhere for your business?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces IT overhead with minimal maintenance requirements.
Adaptability: Fits seamlessly into existing infrastructures, reducing integration costs.
Scalability: Grows with business needs without requiring substantial reinvestment.
Reliability: Offers high performance even in offline settings, ensuring continuous access.

Industries such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing use SAP SQL Anywhere to support mobile field operations, enabling data access and updates in remote locations. This adaptability enhances operational efficiency, providing crucial support in environments where real-time data handling is critical.

SAP

Sample Customers

Google, Wikipedia, Tencent, Verizon, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, Telefónica, Huatai Securities

AOK Bundesverband, Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, Molson Coors Brewing Company, City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International, Wªrth Group, Takisada-Osaka Co. Ltd., Coelba, RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association, TALLY WEiJL

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB vs. SAP SQL Anywhere

September 2026

Free Report: MariaDB vs. SAP SQL Anywhere

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