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MySQL vs SingleStore comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

MySQL
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
149
Ranking in other categories
Open Source Databases (2nd), Relational Databases Tools (5th)
SingleStore
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Database as a Service (DBaaS) (11th), Vector Databases (15th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Databases solutions, they serve different purposes. MySQL is designed for Open Source Databases and holds a mindshare of 9.7%, down 16.3% compared to last year.
SingleStore, on the other hand, focuses on Database as a Service (DBaaS), holds 2.1% mindshare, up 0.8% since last year.
Open Source Databases
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Muzzamil  Hussain - PeerSpot reviewer
Native encryption ensures secure data management with a simple deployment
The most valuable feature is the on-premises data encryption facilities. By default, we can provide encryption, and this feature in MySQL is why we prefer it over other databases. The native encryption in MySQL encourages us to use this database model more frequently compared to Oracle and other databases. With Oracle, we have to buy another solution for encryption and masking, but MySQL supports native encryption, which enhances our return on investment. It perfectly supports our ROI, and we have no issues with its functionality.
Yasin Sarı - PeerSpot reviewer
High-speed data processing, seamless scalability, and excellent high availability making it an optimal choice for those prioritizing performance and efficiency in a database solution
There's a noteworthy consideration when it comes to collecting massive amounts of data. It is not the optimal choice for direct data collection through queries, and it's more suited for aggregation tasks. Attempting to use it for direct extraction, for instance, might lead to memory-related challenges. While MySQL version five might lack extensive SQL capabilities, SingleStore also has its constraints, requiring simpler SQL writing. This becomes evident when seeking advanced functionalities like window functions or JSON functions, where SingleStore doesn't offer an extensive toolkit, necessitating a more straightforward approach to SQL.

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 features are that it's free and the documentation is good."
"MySQL has cross-platform support for multiple operating systems. The backups on a Linux machine can be restored on a Windows machine, and vice versa."
"While MySQL offers strong basic functionality."
"SKIP LOCKED is a valuable feature."
"Like other databases, it has a rich set of functions, such as stored procedures and its own procedural language, which is akin to Oracle SQL. It also has trigger and cursor commands you would expect with a good database language."
"MySQL is easy and convenient for me. I don't need to rely on anyone. I can write the code and extract the information. It is fast if you know how to use it. The solution is not expensive, and most of the developers know how to use it. It is easy to create tables. The solution is stable and has good performance. The connection with AWS gives regular updates, which is manual otherwise and a nightmare."
"The most valuable feature is the on-premises data encryption facilities."
"​We use MySQL for enterprise data storage as well as part of the back-end of websites and web applications.​"
"The paramount advantage is the exceptional speed."
"It's a distributed relational database, so it does not have a single server, it has multiple servers. Its architecture itself is fast because it has multiple nodes to distribute the workload and process large amounts of data."
"The product can automatically reinstall and reconfigure in case of a shutdown."
"MemSQL supports the MySQL protocol, and many functions are similar, so the learning curve is very short."
"The ability to store data in memory is a standout feature, enhanced by robust failover mechanisms."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to create pipelines, streamline and extract data from the pipelines."
 

Cons

"If the customer is already using or has already used Oracle for a long time they will know the look and feel and the character of this database that can fit into their business."
"The solution is expensive."
"Security is a concern. MySQL could have better security features."
"The interface could be improved."
"I would like to improve the solution’s pricing for licenses."
"Improvements to MySQL depend on the specific use case. For example, in my scenario, I frequently need to maintain and store data, which can then be utilized to generate reports. On the other hand, others may suggest incorporating a feature that allows for easier visualization of the data, such as what is available in Power BI or other similar tools."
"The performance issues in the product can be considered as an area where improvements are required."
"Even for the best database, we always want the database to perform much better, so we wish MySQL would be much better, in terms of performance."
"There should be more pipelines available because I think that if MemSQL can connect to other services, that would be great."
"For new customers, it's very tough to start. Their documentation isn't organized, and there's no online training available. SingleStore is working on it, but that's a major drawback."
"It is not the optimal choice for direct data collection through queries, and it's more suited for aggregation tasks."
"Having the ability to migrate servers using a single command would be extremely beneficial."
"Poor key distribution can significantly impact performance, requiring a backward approach in design rather than adding tables incrementally."
"We don't get good discounts in Pakistan."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I use a free version at present."
"For the on-premise version, no license is required."
"Microsoft licensing for SQL Server is probably ten times more expensive. I used to work for the government, and I remember when we were looking into upgrading to the enterprise version of SQL Server 2019, the licensing was going to cost 350,000. To get the equivalent in the cloud, it was going to be about four grand to get the same processing power and everything else. With MySQL, it was going to be about 300 for the same licensing. Cost-wise, for sure, there is a huge difference. Would you prefer to pay 300 a month or 3,000 to have the same amount of data resources? You might lose a few options that you need, but it isn't worth the price difference."
"This product has a good price point."
"I am not paying, but I am not sure about the exact licensing requirements."
"We pay a yearly subscription fee."
"We are using the free community edition of MySQL."
"The pricing is not much expensive, it's cheap."
"The product's licensing is not expensive. It is comparable."
"SingleStore is a bit expensive."
"I would advise users to try the free 128GB version."
"They have two main options: cloud installation and bare-metal installation, each with different pricing models."
"Using it for analytical purposes can be cost-effective in the long run, especially in terms of infrastructure."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
33%
Computer Software Company
13%
University
5%
Manufacturing Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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...
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...
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...
What do you like most about SingleStore DB?
The paramount advantage is the exceptional speed.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SingleStore DB?
Using it for analytical purposes can be cost-effective in the long run, especially in terms of infrastructure. While building an on-premise cluster incurs an initial cost for servers with ample RAM...
What needs improvement with SingleStore DB?
There's a noteworthy consideration when it comes to collecting massive amounts of data. It is not the optimal choice for direct data collection through queries, and it's more suited for aggregation...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Facebook, Tumblr, Scholastic, MTV Networks, Wikipedia, Verizon Wireless, Sage Group, Glassfish Open Message Queue, and RightNow Technologies.
400+ customers including: 6sense, Adobe, Akamai, Ant Money, Arcules, CARFAX, Cigna, Cisco, Comcast, DELL, DBS Bank, Dentsu, DirectlyApply, EY, Factors.AI, Fathom Analytics, FirstEnergy, GE, Goldman Sachs, Heap, Hulu, IMAX, impact.com, Kroger, LG, LiveRamp, Lumana, Nvidia, OpenDialog, Outreach, Palo Alto Networks, PicPay, RBC, Samsung, SegMetrics, Siemens, SiteImprove, SiriusXM, SK Telecom, SKAI, SONY, STC, SunRun, TATA, Thorn, ZoomInfo.
Find out what your peers are saying about Firebird, Oracle, PostgreSQL and others in Open Source Databases. Updated: June 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.