MariaDB vs SQLite comparison

MariaDB and SQLite are both solutions in the Open Source Databases category. MariaDB is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.9, while SQLite is ranked #13 with an average rating of 6.8. MariaDB holds a 6.7% mindshare in OSD, compared to SQLite’s 5.4% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of MariaDB users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of SQLite users who would recommend it.

MariaDB

Read 60 MariaDB reviews

5,709 Views
2,683 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SQLite

Read 8 SQLite reviews

1,925 Views
1,540 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

MariaDB

SQLite

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 23, 2025

SQLite and MariaDB are competing database management systems. While SQLite shines in simplicity and integration for lightweight applications, MariaDB takes the lead in scalability and complex feature sets, making it a preferred option for enterprise-level applications.

Features: SQLite is known for its lightweight nature, ease of deployment, and serverless architecture making it ideal for single-user or on-device applications. MariaDB provides replication, clustering, and stored procedures, supporting high-volume transactions and complex data queries.

Room for Improvement: SQLite could enhance scalability and multi-user capabilities, improve support for concurrent operations, and offer more robust data security features. MariaDB might benefit from streamlining initial setup complexity, improving documentation for troubleshooting, and optimizing performance for smaller datasets.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SQLite offers easy setup with minimal overhead due to its serverless architecture, integrating directly within applications. MariaDB, while requiring more initial setup, provides extensive customer support and comprehensive options for backup and recovery in scalable environments.

Pricing and ROI: SQLite is cost-effective with low implementation costs, yielding good ROI for simple use-cases. MariaDB, with higher initial costs, offers significant returns through its advanced features suitable for high-performance and scalable applications.

To learn more, read our detailed MariaDB vs. SQLite Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB vs. SQLite

September 2025

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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 Open Source Databases

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Relational Databases Tools (5th)

SQLite

Ranking in Open Source Databases

13th

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Embedded Database (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Open Source Databases category, the mindshare of MariaDB is 6.7%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SQLite is 5.4%, up from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Open Source Databases Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
MariaDB	6.7%
SQLite	5.4%
Other	87.9%

Open Source Databases

Featured Reviews

KumarManish

Senior Technical Manager at Johnson Controls, Inc.

Easy to deploy, cost-effective, and integrates seamlessly with other products

We had planned for an RDBMS version and not NoSQL. We use MariaDB Galera Cluster. It's a good product. It is cheap, scalable, performs well, and is efficient. We use GCP’s BigQuery for machine learning. We must follow the best practices of the tool. We missed some best practices like the storage engine and InnoDB. It was very difficult to identify why we were having performance issues. Then, we realized that some of our tables were still on MyISAM, the default storage engine. When we switched it back to the InnoDB, it was very smooth. InnoDB is the recommended one. We must follow the best practices given in the documentation during the initial setup. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Neeraj Tiwari

Student at Queens University Belfast

Pretty easy to execute my SQL queries but issues while uploading and importing my dataset

It was a bit easy to use compared to other tools. It's simple. I found it pretty easy to execute my SQL queries. Since I was a beginner, it was comfortable for me to learn SQL using SQLite. However, when I used it for my professional work and for my assignments, I found some complications. Maybe I'm not proficient with it, that's why. The main benefit for me was learning. Since I was new to SQL, SQLite helped me understand how to work with structured data.

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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

"MariaDB performs well as the backend database for our cloud-based telephony solution."

"The most valuable feature of MariaDB is the power it provides. It is a powerful solution."

"Great monitoring and performance stability."

"What I like best about MariaDB is that it is open-source and reliable."

"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."

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

"This solution is user-friendly."

"The stability of MariaDB is good, it has high availability."

More MariaDB pros

"I use Flutter Technology with the JSF plugin."

"Sometimes, you want data to persist within the app even when there's no internet connectivity. To avoid showing blank screens, we can use SQLite to store data locally and then sync it with the cloud database when connectivity is restored."

"SQLite’s most valuable feature is the ability to store granular-level backups of databases."

"It was a bit easy to use compared to other tools. It's simple. I found it pretty easy to execute my SQL queries."

"The product is lightweight and highly scalable."

"I haven't encountered any problems in my use cases. So, it has been a stable product for me."

Cons

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

"While MariaDB is a good relational database, it can be inflexible for complex use cases."

"The customer service and support are okay. But the response time is slow. Moreover, the material is not available freely."

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

"Integration with AWS could be improved."

"When we have had issues with accidental computer shutdown or a power outage, our MariaDB database was corrupted."

"An improvement would be scaling it up to the levels of Oracle, especially when it comes to resilience, so that we can do higher transactions for two databases or power our operation."

"It would be good if they can maybe improve the mass import in the database. Currently, for importing a large number of data, we create a CSV file and upload all the things in the system. The system does not activate them by default. We have to do this manually. This may be due to the version we are using, but this is something we would like to see improved."

More MariaDB cons

"I primarily use SQLite for small-scale applications due to its limitations in storing large amounts of data. For larger-scale projects, I typically opt for MySQL or other alternatives. Storing a large number of dates in SQLite can significantly impact its performance."

"A potential drawback is that the database file stored within the application's local storage could be accessible to users."

"Compared to other tools, the performance was less effective than that of Microsoft Access."

"It could have a user-friendly GUI and better intelligence features."

"The performance could be better."

"There are some difficulties on the server side. When syncing data with databases like SQL Server or Oracle, SQLite requires a kind of double effort."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 available for free."

"The product is not expensive."

"My company uses the free version of the solution."

"The cost is quite good. You can have the open source, free version, which has adequate capacity."

"We pay for a yearly license."

"It's an open-source solution."

"This is an open source solution with no licensing fees."

More MariaDB pricing and cost advice

"I rate the product’s pricing a six out of ten."

"It's a good value."

"The tool is open-source."

"It's not expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

University

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	25

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about MariaDB?

The integration with other products is seamless.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MariaDB?

I have found the price of commercial MariaDB to be pretty steep, although not as high as Oracle. Customers often prefer the Community Edition because it's free.

See all answers

What needs improvement with MariaDB?

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

See all answers

What do you like most about SQLite?

It was a bit easy to use compared to other tools. It's simple. I found it pretty easy to execute my SQL queries.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SQLite?

It is not expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SQLite?

There were some complications. For example, you have to upload the dataset into SQLite, and once it's uploaded, you might find difficulties working with it.

See all answers

Comparisons

Firebird SQL vs MariaDB

Compared 25% of the time

SQL Server vs MariaDB

Compared 20% of the time

PostgreSQL vs MariaDB

Compared 13% of the time

MySQL vs MariaDB

Compared 9% of the time

SurrealDB vs MariaDB

Compared 2% of the time

More MariaDB Competitors

Firebird SQL vs SQLite

Compared 36% of the time

LanceDB vs SQLite

Compared 8% of the time

DuckDB vs SQLite

Compared 7% of the time

InfluxDB vs SQLite

Compared 7% of the time

SAP HANA vs SQLite

Compared 4% of the time

More SQLite Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB

September 2025

Download MariaDB product report

Buyer's Guide

SQLite

September 2025

Download SQLite product report

Overview

MariaDB is an open source relational database created by the original founders of MySQL. It is considered one of the most popular and trusted database servers throughout the world. MariaDB is a valued component found in most cloud offerings and is the default in many Linux tools. It is also widely used by Wikipedia, WordPress, and Google, among other well-known sites. Maria DB easily melds data into concise information from a vast array of applications, such as banking, online shopping, websites, and more.

MariaDB was originally created to improve MySQL performance. It is the most widely chosen database server due to the solution being super fast, robust, user-friendly, and easily scalable. MariaDB also offers a substantial ecosystem of plugins, storage engines, and numerous other valuable tools that make it very attractive for a significant offering of use cases.

The solution’s newest functionalities include compatibility with Oracle Database and Temporal Data Tables, and advanced clustering with Galera Cluster 4, which make it easier for users to research data history from any point in the past. Additionally, the most recent versions include JSON and GIS features. MariaDB is committed to staying an open source solution.

MariaDB Features

More storage: MariaDB works with more storage engines than MySQL and most other database servers available. Some storage options include, but are not limited to ARCHIVE, MERGE, CSV, MEMORY, BLACKHOLE, MyISAM, ColumnStore, MyRocks, and Cassandra.
Super fast: MariaDB offers faster authentication checks. The FlushSSL permits SSL certificates to be reloaded without a server restart, resulting in huge time savings.
Improved testing: MariaDB offers an extending testing suite that runs faster and can test more than ever before. Bugs can be easily fixed and invalid tests removed.
Genuinely open source: Every code in MariaDB is GPL, LGPL, or BSD. Client libraries [for Windows (ODBC), Java (JDBC), or C] allow linking to closed source software. All fixed bug cases and development plans are completely public. MariaDB is a community-developed solution representing the true spirit of open source products.

Reviews from Real Users

Faustine C., Engineering Supervisor- Corporate Data Solutions and Services at TZ Telecoms Corporation, shares, “The software provides a lot of information on what is happening inside the database. For most performance parameters it is easy to know if something is not right in the configuration or optimization which helps engineers take remedial fine-tuning measures. For example, if the database is underperforming it is easy to know which performance parameter can be adjusted to handle the workload. It is difficult to troubleshoot database issues if many performance parameters can not be monitored or debugged which is the case with some database management systems. It provides great monitoring of data storage, processing, and performance stability which is really important for real-time data storage and processing. It's a user-friendly product.”

A PeerSpot user who is a Senior Engineer at a tech services company relates, “ The solution's high availability is its most valuable aspect. We have found the product to be stable and the initial setup is pretty simple. I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. I'm very happy with it overall. I would recommend the solution to others. It's easy to find details about the product online and to learn about it.”

MariaDB

SQLite is an open-source, serverless, reliable, and flexible, SQL database engine. It is particularly favored in the realm of embedded database solutions and small to medium-sized projects. Unlike traditional database systems that operate on a client-server model, SQLite is a serverless database engine, meaning it runs directly within the application it powers. This unique architecture makes SQLite an ideal choice for applications where simplicity, efficiency, and minimal configuration are paramount.

SQLite is an embedded database engine, which means it operates directly within the application that uses it, without requiring a separate server process. It is designed to be cross-platform, supporting multiple operating systems, and is is compatible with a wide range of programming languages, such as C, C++, Python, Java, and more. This makes it highly portable and suitable for a wide range of applications, from mobile devices to desktop software and web applications.

The key advantages of SQLite is its reliability, the lightweight nature and efficient performance. It has a small footprint, typically requiring only a few megabytes of disk space, and can operate entirely in memory if needed. It is designed to be reliable and robust, with built-in features such as atomic commit and rollback, which ensure data integrity even in the event of system crashes or power failures. Finally, the SQLite solution requires no configuration or setup, making it easy to use and deploy. It can be embedded directly into applications without the need for complex installation or configuration procedures.

SQLite Functionality

SQL Compliance: SQLite supports a substantial portion of the SQL standard, including features like transactions, triggers, views, and indexes.
File-based Storage: SQLite stores its entire database as a single cross-platform file on the host machine's file system.
ACID Compliance: SQLite fully supports ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) transactions, ensuring data consistency and integrity in concurrent access scenarios.

SQLite is an open-source project distributed under a public domain license, which means it can be used, modified, and distributed freely, without any licensing costs or restrictions.

To summarize, SQLite is widely used in various applications, including web browsers (e.g., Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome), mobile applications (e.g., Android, iOS), embedded systems, and desktop software. Its simplicity, portability, and efficiency make it a popular choice for developers who require a lightweight and reliable database solution, especially in resource-constrained environments or applications with modest data storage needs.

SQLite

Sample Customers

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

Oracle, Bloomberg, Bentley, Mozilla

Buyer's Guide

MariaDB vs. SQLite

September 2025

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