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Kevin Honde - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Solution Architect at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Real User
Great cluster setup; works fine on the technical side
Pros and Cons
  • "The way that MySQL has improved my organization is that it comes free and also works fine on the technical side."
  • "The integration with other systems can be improved as can the integration between other databases."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for MySQL is for our internally-built system. When our developers are doing the assistance, usually we provision them with the MySQL driver.

How has it helped my organization?

The way that MySQL has improved my organization is that it comes free and also works fine on the technical side.

What is most valuable?

The feature I found most valuable was the cluster setup.

What needs improvement?

The integration with other systems can be improved as can the integration between other databases. We have a workaround to integrate it with other systems but that can be improved.

In the next release, I would like to see better day-to-day support in case we face any issues.

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MySQL
January 2025
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using MySQL since 2008.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of this solution an eight, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best. We have a team of three DBAs supporting and maintaining this product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability of this solution an eight, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best. I believe MySQL very scalable.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate the technical support an eight, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

I would rate the initial setup process a nine, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best. I would say that this process has been quite easy.

The deployment of this solution was done by an in-house team and it took around 30 minutes to one hour.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I would rate the pricing of this solution a two, on a scale from one to 10, with one being not expensive and 10 being very expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to other people.

Overall, I would rate MySQL solution a nine, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
CharlesBrewer - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at NaMax Limited
Real User
Top 5
A reliable, free, and easy-to-use solution
Pros and Cons
  • "For starters, it's free, which is always nice, and it's also pretty straightforward to use. It's a nice conventional database."
  • "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."

What is our primary use case?

Mostly, we're using it as a database behind a machine learning application.

What is most valuable?

For starters, it's free, which is always nice, and it's also pretty straightforward to use. It's a nice conventional database. We don't need the sort of flexibility that you get with most SQL databases and stuff like that, so we are happy with a good old-fashioned relational database. It's totally good for that.

It works. It's reliable. We haven't done any configuration management for probably about two years, but as far as I remember, that was pretty straightforward as well. It's doing what it needs to do as far as we're concerned.

What needs improvement?

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. There were a couple of things that I've found difficult to do in the past, and I remember they were fiddly. I set them into ChatGPT, which is GPT 3.5, and it gave first-class answers.

I find it clunky. It just doesn't feel very modern. It feels as if you have to go through multiple steps to get to places, and it's not clear, but operationally, I find it fine.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for about five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's reliable. I never lost any data, which you anyways shouldn't. I'd rate it a ten out of ten in terms of stability because we never had the slightest problem. We are not in a challenging environment, but I haven't had any problems.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We've had absolutely no limitations. However, we haven't got enormous data. It's not very vast, so scalability hasn't been an issue. At our level, it's not even a question. It's absolutely perfect. I'd rate it an eight out of ten in terms of scalability, which I describe as very good

How are customer service and support?

I've never contacted them, but technical support within the environment itself isn't good. I'd rate it a three out of ten, but now if I can use my own technical support with GPT 3.5, it comes up to about an eight out of ten. It's a kind of hybrid support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We weren't using a similar solution previously. We would prototype from things like Excel or straight-off .TXT files. I had some experience and so did my business partner, and we just decided this looked like the right answer.

How was the initial setup?

That was pretty straightforward as I remember. It was a while ago now, but I don't remember any difficulties at all. I'd rate it a nine out of ten in terms of the ease of setup. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It's free.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did look at MongoDB, but it wasn't what we needed, so we decided we go with something a little more conventionally established, and MySQL absolutely fitted the bill. We didn't need anything else. We got some colleagues who used Oracle, but it's expensive and quite difficult to use. 

What other advice do I have?

If you don't have any unusual requirements or absolutely vast databases, it's ideal. We certainly have no problems at all. It just works.

Overall, I'd rate it a nine out of ten. Nothing is perfect, but it's as good as we could have asked for.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
MySQL
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about MySQL. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
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reviewer2089122 - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Consultant at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
The best choice for new database management users and smaller data to 60K
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution helps us perform with our databases and extract data."
  • "Clusters are hard to perform so we use no SQL alternates like MongoDB."

What is our primary use case?

Our company uses the solution to extract data from databases. We perform the create, read, write, and operations in databases.  

The number of users depends on the project. If there is a demand, then people good with SQL will jump in on projects. 

What is most valuable?

The solution helps us perform with our databases and extract data. 

The solution is free. 

What needs improvement?

Clusters are hard to perform so we use no SQL alternates like MongoDB. 

The solution should manage large data sets better because data that is around one lakh or two lakh fails to load. In these cases, we use no SQL structures like MongoDB. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is decently, but not largely scalable. It works very well and is comfortable with 50K or 60K of data. If you have large-scale data, then the solution is slower and has some errors. 

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed technical support. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup is pretty easy. All resources are available on YouTube so configuration is quite easy. 

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution in-house and setup was pretty fast. You just set up the application, create queries, and connect with the front end or whatever you are trying to do. 

If you are handling large data, then it is a good idea to maintain the solution weekly because it will be better. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is open source so is free. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The solution is good for smaller data or new users. If you are maintaining large data and want to build a fully-furnished application, then you have to use something else like PostgreSQL. 

What other advice do I have?

If you are new to database management, then the solution will be the best choice. 

I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Prince Barai - PeerSpot reviewer
Back End Developer at Agnos Inc.
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Easy to use and can be used to store data
Pros and Cons
  • "MySQL is an easy-to-use solution that provides stability, reliability, flexibility, performance, security, and high availability."
  • "MySQL could introduce more indexing strategies."

What is our primary use case?

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system used to store data.

What is most valuable?

MySQL is an easy-to-use solution that provides stability, reliability, flexibility, performance, security, and high availability.

What needs improvement?

MySQL could introduce more indexing strategies. There are a couple of strategies where you can index things to be more searchable and visible. We lack that kind of functionality. For example, if your name is indexed correctly with a certain strategy, it can improve the search results faster. The solution’s interface could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using MySQL for my entire career.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

MySQL is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

MySQL is a scalable solution.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

MySQL is a free and open-source solution.

What other advice do I have?

MySQL is deployed on the cloud in our organization. Big companies like Netflix, Uber, and Facebook use the solution. Since MySQL is an old product, many people might have faced similar issues, posted them online, and got a resolution. MySQL's performance and scalability features have supported our database growth.

New users can follow the documentation to use the solution, as it is straightforward. You need to be very clear about why you want to use the solution. MySQL is a relational database management system that cannot be used as a dynamic database management system.

MySQL is generally faster and more efficient than other relational database management systems. Hence, it is our preferred choice for applications that require high performance.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Sr. Tech Systems Architect at Intuitive
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Free, open-source, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "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."
  • "Improvements are required in character set support, scalability, and big data sets."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case for MySQL is to develop web applications, proof of concept projects with data collection, data manipulation, and data reporting on both Windows and Linux platforms. 

We also use MySQL to store the data that we receive from different projects and build data models. We can also develop reports out of it.

MySQL is used for small application use only and not used for enterprise-level business applications.

MSQL is free open-source software. This is the most valuable aspect for any company as it helps to reduce the cost.

How has it helped my organization?

MySQL is easy to use and, with basic knowledge of SQL, users can easily build SQL Statements. It helps to reduce project cost for development projects. It also supports a large number of embedded applications.

The backup and recovery features are easy to use without any complexity. Users who don’t have much knowledge of databases can easily use these features.

MySQL offers password encryption and offers a good data security layer to protect data.

MySQL platform independence helps the development and user community.

What is most valuable?

MySQL is a relational database and it is easy to install, handle day-to-day activities, and manage backups. It is compatible with a lot of other shared database solutions.

MySQL Workbench is the graphical user interface tool and it helps with development, data modeling, data migration, and day-to-day administration.

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.

MySQL supports multiple window displays and it is useful for developers and users who don’t have much database knowledge.

What needs improvement?

Improvements are required in character set support, scalability, and big data sets.

There is a lack of advanced features such as SQLServer, PostgreSQL, etc. I would like to see minimum reporting services and analytics features in the next release.

MySQL doesn't have many tools to monitor performance and fix issues easily.

The graphical user interface needs to be improved. It would be nice to have drag and drop on tables to create relationships between them. Other relational databases have these basic features. It helps during development to have these on hand.

It needs improvement in high availability and scalability features. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

MySQL is good for small to medium sizes. Also, it has built-in security features. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good.

How are customer service and support?

The support may be limited for users who are not on cloud and needs improvement.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not previously use a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

MySQL is easy to setup and offers HA and scalability features. 

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution in-house.

What was our ROI?

Its free open source availability provides good ROI. MySQL commercial version cost is higher than other open source databases. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

MySQL is free open-source software. This is the most valuable aspect for any company. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked at an SQL Server and Mongo DB.

What other advice do I have?

It supports wide range of languages and cross-platform support. Also the newer versions of MySQL offers lot of new features. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Database and Middleware Technical Head at Riyadh Municipality
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Open-source solution to store data of hardware servers and their configurations

What is our primary use case?

MySQL was open-source at the beginning until Oracle acquired it in 2010. I started working with MySQL because I was an Oracle expert, having worked for Oracle for eight years. That's why I added MySQL to my skills as an administrator. MySQL is a powerful database engine that is easy to install, manage, and work with. It's ideal for fast application deployment and is cost-effective as well.

How has it helped my organization?

MySQL is for metadata and data. My organization has used it to store data about hardware servers and their configurations, including network and storage configurations. MySQL is an RDBMS engine, so it can be used for any business application.

What is most valuable?

MySQL has a straightforward installation process, is lightweight, and easy to manage. Compared to its competitors, it is more accessible and user-friendly. While competitors like Oracle are known for their extensive features, they are often more complex to install, configure, and maintain, requiring experts to manage them, which can be costly. MySQL, now owned by Oracle, may not have the same feature set as Oracle's flagship database, but it is simple to install, manage, and cost-effective. MySQL is a viable option that can be enhanced with additional features, making it reliable for small to medium-scale applications and capable of effectively handling substantial amounts of data.

What needs improvement?

MySQL is now in a real application cluster. In terms of high availability, MySQL can be configured for active-active or as a real application cluster.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using MySQL for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

When MySQL is involved in the metadata, it never gets down. It's very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's secure. MySQL supports large databases that can contain nearly fifty million records. It also supports up to sixty-four indexes per table.

How are customer service and support?

They provide 24/7 support. It provides faster resolution and identification.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to install and takes an hour to complete.

I rate the initial setup a ten out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is open-source and supported by Oracle.

What other advice do I have?

Oracle occupies it, so Oracle added more security features, such as password system improvements, host-based verification, and encryption, to the MySQL engine. It's developed and managed by a big company, and they keep adding new features.

I recommend another solution for large data, like billions of records. However, MySQL is a good option for data up to about fifty million records.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Data Analyst at KPMG East Africa
Real User
Top 5
Easy to manage, saves time, and provides good documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "SKIP LOCKED is a valuable feature."
  • "The full-text search feature must be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution for personal use cases like software development, mostly database bug systems.

How has it helped my organization?

I used the tool to build our website. It is used as a database to store information.

What is most valuable?

SKIP LOCKED is a valuable feature. It prevents us from deleting things we put in the database. It's mostly for background jobs in the software development site in MySQL 8. It is a new feature. The solution easily integrates with other tools and systems in our IT environment.

What needs improvement?

The full-text search feature must be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for the past three weeks.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s stability an eight out of ten. We can create a database user schema. It's quite easy to update and remove in case anything happens. Backing up is quite easy. We have security features for the backup.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I’m the only user in my organization.

How are customer service and support?

The product provides good documentation online.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to deploy the product. I deployed it on my own. The deployment took an hour. We deploy the product using Kamal. It uses Docker. The tool is deployed on the cloud. To deploy the solution, we just have to enter the password in the server and deploy it. It wasn't much of a hassle.

What was our ROI?

The tool is easy to manage and saves us time. It has much less complications.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We're using the community version. The tool is open source.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I also use PostgreSQL.

What other advice do I have?

The tool helps us get the job done. It is not very complex. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Prashob Km - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer / Team Lead at Techfriar
Real User
Supports Laravel PHP framework, but we need to define every table beforehand
Pros and Cons
  • "MySQL is the best option for the Laravel PHP framework."
  • "In MySQL, we need to define every table beforehand."

What is our primary use case?

We use MySQL in multiple projects for storing, task management apps, and dating apps.

What is most valuable?

MySQL is the best option for the Laravel PHP framework. It supports multiple model systems, and it's very easy to call MySQL compared to other languages like MongoDB. I prefer MySQL for the Laravel PHP framework.

The solution's security features depend on where we host our server and database. We have some preventive measures to reduce attacks. We have taken authentication and only allow a particular IP address.

What needs improvement?

In MySQL, we need to define every table beforehand.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using MySQL for four to five years.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In MySQL, we need to define every table beforehand. However, we don't need to do so in MongoDB. We can add a new row or column in MongoDB anytime, making it much easier. If you purchase MongoDB's plan, it supports many security features, and you don't need to check about security. They will handle everything.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is very easy. For the first time, the solution's implementation will take some time. However, you can use it multiple times after you configure it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

MySQL is a cheap solution.

What other advice do I have?

Maintaining the database is a task. We take a weekly backup for each database so that we can upload it to the server if anything happens to the data. We created a cron job so that the data can be taken and then uploaded to a specific space so that we can go back to the particular big data whenever we want. I prefer MongoDB for scalability because it's much easier to maintain MongoDB.

Just one person is enough to maintain the solution. The solution has good documentation available on Google.

Overall, I rate the solution six and a half out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free MySQL Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free MySQL Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.