MySQL vs MariaDB: Which Database Is Right for Your Website?

In short: The MySQL vs MariaDB question comes down to two relational databases that share the same roots but are now developed by different teams and drift further apart with each release. A typical website such as WordPress runs on both; the real differences show up in migrations, replication, JSON and collations.

Open the database section of a hosting panel and you may see "MySQL" on one account and "MariaDB" on another. Both understand the same SQL and connect through the same PHP extension, so most users only notice a difference when a migration fails. This guide compares the two servers, explains which one fits your website in which situation and lists what to check when you move between them. For the performance side, see our article on database performance and SQL optimization.

What are MySQL and MariaDB?

MySQL is one of the most widely used open-source relational database servers for web applications and is developed by Oracle today. The Community Edition is free; commercial editions are offered alongside it.

MariaDB Server is a fork of MySQL which, in the MariaDB Foundation's words, is made by the original developers of MySQL. Michael "Monty" Widenius founded both MySQL and MariaDB, and the foundation commits to keeping MariaDB Server open source under the GPLv2 licence.

From the application's point of view the two still speak the same language: MariaDB's client protocol is binary compatible with MySQL's, and MySQL connectors for PHP, Python or Java work with MariaDB unchanged.

MySQL vs MariaDB: comparison table

The LTS row matters. According to MariaDB's maintenance table, community support for 10.11 ends on 16 February 2028 and for 11.4 on 29 May 2029, while the 10.6 series reached end of life on 6 July 2026. On the MySQL side, standard support for the 8.0 series has ended, and 8.4 LTS and 9.7 LTS (released in April 2026) are the long-term options.

Which one is right for your website?

For most sites the useful question is not "which is better" but "which one, in which version, does my application support".

• WordPress and classic PHP sites: the WordPress requirements recommend MariaDB 10.11 or greater or MySQL 8.0 or greater. Both work; what matters is staying on a supported version. Our WordPress installation guide covers the setup.
• Software that requires a specific database: some commercial applications are tested only on MySQL or only on MariaDB. Follow the vendor's documentation.
• JSON-heavy applications: JSON behaves differently on the two servers, so choose the one the application was tested on.
• Replication or clustering: MariaDB's Galera Cluster and MySQL's own solutions are set up differently; do not mix them.

To find out which server you are on, run SELECT VERSION(); in the SQL tab of phpMyAdmin. On MariaDB the version string contains the word "MariaDB".

Moving between MySQL and MariaDB, step by step

1. Take a backup first

Before you start, back up a full database dump and the site files, and never migrate without a way back. Our guide to website backups and backup strategy covers this step.

2. Compare source and target versions

MariaDB states that mariadb-upgrade can upgrade data files from MySQL releases prior to 8.0. With a MySQL 8.x source, the usual route is a dump on the source and an import on the target. MariaDB's compatibility page also points out that the differences grow with each new version.

3. Avoid the collation error

Importing a MySQL 8 dump into an older MariaDB release often fails with "Unknown collation: 'utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci'". Either use MariaDB 11.4.5 or newer on the target, or replace that collation name in the dump with one the target supports, such as utf8mb4_unicode_520_ci.

4. Check JSON columns and replication

After the import, test tables with JSON columns through the application's own queries. If you use replication, set it up again on the target, because the GTID implementations differ.

5. Test the site, then go live

Point a test copy of the site at the new database first and try forms, search and the admin area. If everything works, switch the connection settings and go live. If the server or the hosting company changes too, our website migration guide gives the order for a move without downtime.

Common mistakes

• Switching without testing because "it is the same anyway": simple sites are fine, but collation and JSON differences surface as live errors.
• Staying on an unsupported release: old series such as MariaDB 10.6 or MySQL 5.7 no longer receive security fixes.
• Copying only the data files: between different versions, a logical dump and import is the safe route.
• Ignoring the versions your application supports: the application's documentation should decide.

In summary, MySQL and MariaDB are interchangeable for most websites; version support, migration details and your application's requirements make the difference. If you want to check the database version on your ÇAP Hosting account or plan a move, open a support ticket and mention the application and version you use.

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