The solution is a database server. You can use it for desktop or web applications. The tool is used mostly for web applications. Most websites have MySQL databases behind them.
CEO at Shiraz University
Can work on both Windows and Linux and has a supportive community
Pros and Cons
- "MySQL is an open-source product and has good community support. If you encounter any problem, you can easily ask other members of the community to help. They help you a lot. On top of being free, MySQL is a cross-platform database, meaning it can work on both Windows and Linux. It is very good for us."
- "I would like to see the automatic backup feature in the solution as well. Data is very important and we need to preserve it in a safe place. It would be good if MySQL can back up the data automatically."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
MySQL is an open-source product and has good community support. If you encounter any problem, you can easily ask other members of the community to help. They help you a lot. On top of being free, MySQL is a cross-platform database, meaning it can work on both Windows and Linux. It is very good for us.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s stored procedure is too light. MS SQL server supports stored procedures which MySQL doesn’t. Oracle and MS SQL servers support treiber which notifies you about data changes in the database. MySQL doesn’t support treiber.
I would like to see the automatic backup feature in the solution as well. Data is very important and we need to preserve it in a safe place. It would be good if MySQL can back up the data automatically.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MySQL for ten years. I use the solution’s latest version.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven’t seen any problems with the solution’s stability and I would rate the stability a ten on ten. It is a very stable tool.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the solution’s scalability a ten on ten. The tool is network-based and the scalability depends on the design of your project. You can use the product of both large and small-scale projects.
We are not a very large organization. There are around ten developers who use MS SQL server and MySQL for databases.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are simultaneously using the MS SQL server and MySQL server. We first used MS SQL server and then in some projects, we required free and open-source databases. We use MySQL for those projects.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was very easy and straightforward. The setup took around a couple of minutes which was five to six minutes to complete. The tool’s installation was really fast.
What about the implementation team?
We didn’t require any assistance from third parties.
What was our ROI?
My company must have seen some benefit with the solution’s use.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the overall solution a nine out of ten. We didn’t find any issues in the solution’s maintenance. In every project, one developer would be in charge of their respective database maintenance. The solution has large community support.
MySQL is a fast database that is also high performing. When you want to do a project that requires a fast transaction, MySQL acts very well there. When a company needs a free database that is fast, could be connected over the network with many people, and do transactions, we usually suggest this solution.
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.
CEO at csm
Good service provider, agile and quick deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup was easy. I work in an agile way, which means coding and deploying quickly."
- "MySQL's performance requires attention. For optimal performance, one should review and sometimes revise the code, particularly when using server-side scripting."
What is our primary use case?
I've used MySQL in the past for a variety of tasks.
I once used MySQL when I created a PostgreSQL database for club management tasks. This included handling registrations, events, and mailing notifications for payments and event details. It served as a source service provider.
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
The response time for support could be faster.
MySQL's performance requires attention. For optimal performance, one should review and sometimes revise the code, particularly when using server-side scripting. To optimize performance, it's crucial to pay attention to your code. Sometimes, you may need to review your code to ensure it's efficient and doesn't unnecessarily access the database multiple times.
The performance issues I encountered were not due to MySQL itself but were related to my coding approach.
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?
I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
For my use case, it is okay. Basically, it's just me for development. Previously, all clients or members of the club accessed it. When there was an event, maybe 30 to 40 people would try to access the system simultaneously.
I'm using SiteGround for hosting the website and its servers. I've chosen a package with more than enough CPU and memory to avoid trouble.
How are customer service and support?
I've used technical support for several times. Most of the time, it was quite okay with quick responses. Once, I had performance issues. It took some time to convince them, but they guided me on improving performance by changing some database functions in MySQL. It was a longer process, but it was eventually resolved.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy. I work in an agile way, which means coding and deploying quickly. We had a few internal users but many external users accessing the website, though not the back office.
The back office was developed over years. It's not just about having an idea and executing it; it's more about testing and adapting the process, unlike the waterfall method, where you end up with something that may not be immediately usable.
What about the implementation team?
As the main user, our deployment process wasn't as strict as in a big company. I conducted tests, had a testing process with use cases to review, and then deployed. It was less rigid than in larger companies, where there are separate testing and development environments.
What was our ROI?
I have seen value and impact from using MySQL
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't pay for a license.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
With my previous employer, we used Oracle.
What other advice do I have?
Don't just use MySQL on its own. Always use it with other software around it. MySQL is very stable, but pay attention to the software you use with it, whether you develop everything from scratch or use open-source systems like CMS.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. I would recommend using the solution.
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.
Buyer's Guide
MySQL
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about MySQL. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Managing Director at NaMax Limited
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.
RPA Developer at Dimiour India Private Limitied
Efficient data loading, beneficial for data manipulation, and strong support
Pros and Cons
- "MySQL's most significant attribute is its capability to create, modify, and maintain databases. This is crucial and advantageous in procedures, such as SOAR. Therefore, all SQL functions are beneficial to any backend developer or developer who requires data storage."
- "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."
What is our primary use case?
Below are a few instances where MySQL is utilized. Typically, I have worked on RPA projects. To preserve or update data from the database, I must create a database and data tables, which can be used again in the future or by other processes. Additionally, the data can be shared. I need to store and manage the data for reporting and management purposes.
The tasks I perform, mostly involve sorting, patching, and maintaining data, as well as creating stored procedures.
What is most valuable?
MySQL's most significant attribute is its capability to create, modify, and maintain databases. This is crucial and advantageous in procedures, such as SOAR. Therefore, all SQL functions are beneficial to any backend developer or developer who requires data storage.
The solution is easy to use and the user interface has worked well in my usage.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MySQL for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of MySQL an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have four to five people using this solution.
I rate the scalability of MySQL an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the support of MySQL a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of MySQL is simple. Anyone can do it.
I rate the initial setup of MySQL a nine out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
I can implement the solution by reading the documentation.
What other advice do I have?
We have been looking into another solution called Microsoft Dataverse but it's not accessible to all the processes for our use cases. Additionally, we are evaluating Amazon AWS. We are finding solutions to fit our client's needs.
If an individual is not currently utilizing MySQL, I would advise them to investigate its efficacy in managing and modifying data. Its numerous features can streamline these tasks significantly. For those interested in starting with MySQL, it provides an all-in-one solution for their needs, allowing them to complete numerous tasks with ease. Moreover, I would suggest using available tools to learn how to use MySQL effectively.
I rate MySQL a ten out of ten.
MySQL is user-friendly, making it easy to maintain and modify data. It offers robust security features that enable restricted access based on user permissions. Additionally, it's efficient in loading data and performs faster than many other databases. Users can expect speedy results without encountering significant delays.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CEO at TMentors
Open-source and easy to implement but needs a lot of updating
Pros and Cons
- "It's a mature solution that's been around for decades."
- "It isn't as reliable as an SQL Server."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product for database management, as a database engine.
What is most valuable?
We use it for different projects, mainly when we have lots of data and the customer can't afford to pay the license of SQL Server, which is not a cheap one.
That's the main reason you use MySQL or Postgres or other databases. It's less expensive.
The solution is stable.
The scalability is very good.
It's a mature solution that's been around for decades.
It is very easy to set up the product.
What needs improvement?
The support in MySQL is horrible.
It isn't as reliable as an SQL Server.
I don't see MySQL being improved at all, like in the last 10 years. It has been at the same level for a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Its stability is quite good. There are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable, however, sometimes you might have issues. You need to have the knowledge to make sure that you can scale. That said, there are a lot of used MySQL implementations all around the world, which shows that it's a proven product. It has been there for more than 20 years or so.
How are customer service and support?
The support is not ideal. It could be better. It runs under Oracle, and Oracle support is not the best company when it comes to supporting - especially since MySQL used to be a free, open-source solution, and remains free. Oracle doesn't have this approach in its DNA. It's an enterprise and they're not into open-source ways of working. That's why sometimes we move from MySQL to Postgres, which is similar yet has the support in the community.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also used Postgre and SQL Server.
This product is not as solid as SQL Server. It's not like it's a lesser quality thing, however, it's not as reliable as SQL Server. The engine is a whole different engine. SQL Server is a full-featured database engine, and MySQL is based on what we call a file-based database. It's like flat files as a database engine, so it's an underdog, if you can call it that, when it comes to database engines. That said, it works fine.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not that complex. It's simple and straightforward for the most part.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is open-source. We don't pay for it.
There are options to get professional support from Oracle and, for that, the pricing really comes up, therefore, it's not competitive anymore. For that reason, it might be even wiser to get Oracle Database than get MySQL and pay for the premium support.
What other advice do I have?
We are just end-users. However, we are happy to work with them.
With Microsoft, we are a customer, partner, and vendor. We aren't partners with Oracle.
I would rate the solution at a six out of ten.
They just need to assign a great team to MySQL, basically, and Oracle should just leave them alone to improve the product as the product hasn't been improved in the last 10 years. Since Oracle acquired it, it has been in decline. They need to do a lot, not in terms of features. In terms of the mindset.
I would recommend Postgres which is similar to MySQL, over this product. Even the clients are coming to us with such requests. They will flat-out tell us: "we hear that MySQL is having issues and we don't want to deal with Oracle and all that kind of stuff, so let's use Postgres." It's easy to migrate over. It's almost seamless, which makes it a very attractive option.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Pantheon ERP Implementer & Head of Accounting at Datalab
Includes a feature for automation but license needs to be cheaper
Pros and Cons
- "I like MySQL's feature that helps to automate things."
- "The solution is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use MySQL to manage business intelligence reports by linking them with Oracle database and Power BI.
What is most valuable?
I like MySQL's feature that helps to automate things.
What needs improvement?
The solution is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate MySQL's stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My company has two users for the solution.
How are customer service and support?
We have not contacted support until now. We have an onboarding manual.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's installation is not complex but you need to have experience to set it up. You need to download the solution and pay for it. The installation can be done within an hour.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You need to pay upgrade costs every year.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate MySQL a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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
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.
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
A powerful tool that can perform multiple analyses and reveal hidden insights in datasets to its users
Pros and Cons
- "MySQL is a scalable tool. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...The solution's technical support is good. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten."
- "There should be an arrangement for end-users to get trained to use the tool...Improvement-wise, a graphical interface could be added for new users, eliminating the need to memorize the complex syntax."
What is most valuable?
MySQL can handle multiple rules of a database within seconds and extract required information for the business case, especially with well-optimized queries.
What needs improvement?
There should be an arrangement for end-users to get trained to use the tool. End-users don't know many things which MySQL offers to its users. So, there is a need for the end-users to upgrade themselves. Also, the tool is already good the way it is currently owing to its features like multithreading which helps with the queries quickly. In short, if one goes for the complex part, if one uses it for a very specialized case, then that person needs to write a very complex query involving multiple tables, multiple joints, and multiple conditions based on whatever scenario one uses.
Improvement-wise, a graphical interface could be added for new users, eliminating the need to memorize the complex syntax.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used MySQL for five and a half years in my company, but I have used the tool for around ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
MySQL is a stable tool. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
MySQL is a scalable tool. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten. My whole company directly or indirectly uses the tool since we are involved in analytics. My company is an enterprise-sized one.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is good. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Since everyone in the industry we are a part of uses MySQL servers, we have also used the same.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup depends upon the use cases. If you're using it for a simple thing, it's a simple process. But, my problems and statements are quite complex, and I use them to get information, like how the customers perform based on cohort analysis. Also, my use cases are complex, so I have to write complex queries. Overall, the setup process depends upon the scenario.
The installation process is not difficult since it gets pre-installed in all the machines after it is done once. Since the installation process is neither very easy nor difficult, I can rate it somewhere around seven out of ten.
The IT Department handled the deployment process in my current company. Based on my experience deploying the solution in my previous company, its deployment was not difficult. Since everything was already deployed in my current company, we are using the tool as front-end users. When planning to start using the solution, we need to launch SQL server before using it. Also, based on whatever datasets are there, we need to get the permissions for those data sets, after which we are good to go.
MySQL requires maintenance, while the IT department handles the maintenance of SQL server. I am not involved in managing the upgrading part of the tool. Every year, MySQL keeps releasing new versions with new functionalities.
What other advice do I have?
My suggestion to those planning to use the solution is to learn about it and utilize it for their specific scenarios. It is a powerful tool that can perform multiple analyses and reveal hidden insights within multi-million or billion-row datasets that may not be immediately visible to the human eye. The tool also offers many use cases for machine learning. I encourage users to plan and explore the tool to discover its full potential. I rate the overall product a nine out of ten.
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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Updated: October 2024
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