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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
150
Ranking in other categories
Open Source Databases (1st), 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) (12th), 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 9.2%, down 15.2% compared to last year.
SingleStore, on the other hand, focuses on Database as a Service (DBaaS), holds 2.6% mindshare, up 0.9% since last year.
Open Source Databases Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
MySQL9.2%
PostgreSQL16.8%
Firebird SQL15.8%
Other58.2%
Open Source Databases
Database as a Service (DBaaS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SingleStore2.6%
Amazon RDS20.1%
MongoDB Atlas13.9%
Other63.4%
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Prabir Kumar Kundu - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers robust security and availability with impressive replication capabilities
Regarding their documentation and interface, there is room for improvement. Documentation is definitely required when running multiple databases on a cluster system. The load balancer, MySQL LB, which is used to connect to the application, lacks clear documentation. When there are multiple application servers connecting to the MySQL cluster and going through the MySQL load balancer, the documentation is not user-friendly. It's there, but only technical persons with deep knowledge of the MySQL database can implement it. Most of the community users or ISVs who use MySQL don't have many technical persons or DBA experts, so they face some challenges for the high availability of connecting high available databases from high available applications. That documentation should be simplified.
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

"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."
"The most valuable features are that it's free and the documentation is good."
"The solution helps us perform with our databases and extract data."
"For sure, the solution is very stable."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of use."
"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."
"We use it as a data store and from that perspective, we get everything we need."
"MySQL has helped my customers' database management by providing better RTO and RPO; the RPO can be less, RTO can be less, using this replication software, which is an inbuilt feature of the database itself, and you don't have to purchase an additional license for the replication."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to create pipelines, streamline and extract data from the pipelines."
"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."
"The ability to store data in memory is a standout feature, enhanced by robust failover mechanisms."
"MemSQL supports the MySQL protocol, and many functions are similar, so the learning curve is very short."
"The paramount advantage is the exceptional speed."
 

Cons

"There should be more tools to manage the on-premises version and more automation features."
"MySQL's performance needs to be improved for enterprise-level applications compared to Oracle and Postgres."
"The full-text search feature must be improved."
"Could use some additional JSON query support in the solution."
"The workbench could be improved. In particular, error messages can be improved, which are horrific and completely unhelpful. I'd like to see improved parsing of errors. When you write SQL and it crashes, it usually is something completely irrelevant and not helpful. I've started to use GPT 3.5 for finding out how to do things. I got to do something a bit different, and that I found to be very useful. If there was some way to tie it into one of the new AI tools, that would probably be a good idea."
"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."
"Its scalability can be better. It is probably not as scalable as Oracle. I had some issues with connectors. I used it from a C++ program, and it required some work to make it run, but finally, it worked."
"It isn't as reliable as an SQL Server."
"We don't get good discounts in Pakistan."
"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."
"There should be more pipelines available because I think that if MemSQL can connect to other services, that would be great."
"Having the ability to migrate servers using a single command would be extremely beneficial."
"It is not the optimal choice for direct data collection through queries, and it's more suited for aggregation tasks."
"Poor key distribution can significantly impact performance, requiring a backward approach in design rather than adding tables incrementally."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is open source. We prefer it for POCs because it saves the license cost."
"It's an open-source database management system that can be used free of charge."
"There is no cost involved, no licensing fees."
"This is an open-source product that can be used free of charge."
"There is a license needed for this solution."
"The tool is open source."
"We are using the free community edition of MySQL."
"We pay a yearly subscription fee."
"The product's licensing is not expensive. It is comparable."
"I would advise users to try the free 128GB version."
"Using it for analytical purposes can be cost-effective in the long run, especially in terms of infrastructure."
"SingleStore is a bit expensive."
"They have two main options: cloud installation and bare-metal installation, each with different pricing models."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Financial Services Firm
32%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
6%
University
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business73
Midsize Enterprise31
Large Enterprise61
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Large Enterprise3
 

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.
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