MariaDB vs SAP SQL Anywhere comparison

MariaDB and SAP are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. MariaDB is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.3, while SAP is ranked #34. MariaDB holds a 3.5% mindshare in SQL, compared to SAP’s 1.4% 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

6,721 Views
3,764 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SAP SQL Anywhere

Read 6 SAP SQL Anywhere reviews

1,286 Views
1,196 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

MariaDB

SAP SQL Anywhere

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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: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB vs. SAP SQL Anywhere

June 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

MariaDB

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

9th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Open Source Databases (8th)

SAP SQL Anywhere

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

34th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of MariaDB is 3.5%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP SQL Anywhere is 1.4%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
MariaDB	3.5%
SAP SQL Anywhere	1.4%
Other	95.1%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Anand Bandi

Co-Founder at Vsigma IT Labs Pvt Ltd

Has supported web application data needs but requires design adjustments to manage complex queries efficiently

Complex queries in MariaDB where the query needs to parse thousands of lines or data values face some performance issues. For small and medium-size volume, it is pretty good. If it goes beyond certain data and complex queries, we see performance issues. We tried the advanced replication feature between different regions, replicating data specifically residing on MariaDB to two different regions of MariaDB data, and there were some technical snags in terms of slowness and longer processing time. Point-in-time recovery in MariaDB is good for small databases. When data volume increases beyond 5 GB or 10 GB per day or runs into double-digit GBs, we found some performance issues. For data below 10 GB, it works fine. Performance is the primary focus area for MariaDB, particularly during transactions or complex query jobs where slow performance is observed. MariaDB is scalable and easy to scale.

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Crewmem67

IT Consultant at College Notre Dame de Nazareth

Reliable and able to expand but needs to be more secure

It is not as good as a SQL Server. I prefer to work with the SQL Server for Microsoft or Oracle. These are better as there are some comments on SQL Anywhere that makes me feel that I'm blocked. We'd like to have them update to a new version. They should update more often. I find I can't move to a new version without running tests as there are chances of bugs that can get into my system. The initial setup is not simple or straightforward, and it took a while to deploy. It is not as secure as it could be. This is an aspect they need to improve. There needs to be more encryption.

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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

"The most valuable feature of MariaDB is that it is open-source and we can easily migrate from other databases, such as Oracle to MariaDB."

"The most valuable feature is that it uses multiple cores, which is better than some of the other databases."

"The speed and functionality are the most valuable features."

"I recommend this solution; it's great for web applications and it just works."

"From a customer perspective, MariaDB is a good choice for cluster configuration. It's also easy to operate and cheap."

"MariaDB is a user-friendly solution. Performance wise, it's better than SQL. With SQL, I would need to write a number of queries. In contrast, MariaDB is light."

"It delivers fast processing times, particularly for frequent select queries and insert/update operations."

"I haven't faced any technical issues with the product, and it works fine."

More MariaDB pros

"It works well in general."

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

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

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

"SAP SQL Anywhere is very helpful."

"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

"The solution is not scalable."

"Could have more integration with user platforms."

"Lacks time series data and additional driving support would be helpful."

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

"The only potential area for improvement could be the pricing model, which might benefit from being more flexible or a bit cheaper."

"The product needs more features and more functionality. It's imperative that it supports more platforms, and supports more operating systems."

"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."

"MariaDB could be improved by adding more automation."

More MariaDB cons

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

"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."

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

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

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

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

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"It's an open-source solution."

"MariaDB is available for free."

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

"There is a monthly subscription to use MariaDB."

"MariaDB is open-source and self-hosted."

"When it comes to MariaDB, it should have a more cost-effective license."

"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."

More MariaDB pricing and cost advice

"SAP SQL Anywhere is affordable."

"SQL Anywhere cost us about $400."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

University

Computer Software Company

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 ...

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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 13% of the time

PostgreSQL vs MariaDB

Compared 11% of the time

Firebird SQL vs MariaDB

Compared 10% of the time

SQL Server vs MariaDB

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Database vs MariaDB

Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 16% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

Oracle Database vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 13% of the time

OpenText Analytics Database (Vertica) vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Database Cloud Service vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB

June 2026

Download MariaDB product report

Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

June 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

June 2026

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