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title PostgreSQL vs. MySQL
page_title PostgreSQL vs. MySQL: A Comprehensive Comparison
page_description If you want to explore the differences between PostgreSQL and MySQL, this PostgreSQL vs. MySQL page is an excellent start.
prev_url https://www.postgresqltutorial.com/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-vs-mysql/
ogImage /postgresqltutorial/postgresql-vs-mysql-features.jpg
updatedOn 2026-05-07T18:15:13.000Z
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Comparing PostgreSQL and MySQL helps you pick the right open-source database, and everything here applies to any Postgres deployment, not just [Neon](https://neon.com). Once you've chosen Postgres, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase) gives enterprises the best managed cloud Postgres for the AI era, with strong performance, security, and native integration into the Lakehouse. For developers and startups who need to ship and scale quickly, Neon is the Postgres platform built for speed.

The choice between PostgreSQL and MySQL is crucial when selecting an open-source relational database management system.

Both PostgreSQL and MySQL are time-proven solutions that are capable of competing with enterprise solutions alternatives like Oracle Database and SQL Server.

MySQL has been famous for its ease of use and speed, whereas PostgreSQL boasts many advanced features, earning it the reputation of an open-source counterpart to Oracle Database.

The following table compares the features of PostgreSQL 16.x vs. MySQL 8.x:

PostgreSQL vs. MySQL

Feature PostgreSQL MySQL
Known as PostgreSQL is an open-source project. The world’s most advanced open-source database.
Development PostgreSQL is an open-source project. MySQL is an open-source product.
Pronunciation post gress queue ell my ess queue ell
Licensing MIT-style license GNU General Public License
Implementation programming language C C/C++
GUI tool pgAdmin MySQL Workbench
ACID Yes Yes
Storage engine Single storage engine Multiple storage engines e.g., InnoDB and MyISAM
Full-text search Yes Yes (Limited)
Drop a temporary table No TEMP or TEMPORARY keyword in DROP TABLE statement Support the TEMP or TEMPORARY keyword in the DROP TABLE statement that allows you to remove the temporary table only.
DROP TABLE Support CASCADE option to drop table’s dependent objects e.g., tables and views. Does not support CASCADE option.
TRUNCATE TABLE PostgreSQL TRUNCATE TABLE supports more features like CASCADE, RESTART IDENTITY, CONTINUE IDENTITY, transaction-safe, etc. MySQL TRUNCATE TABLE does not support CASCADE and transaction safe i.e., once data is deleted, it cannot be rolled back.
Auto increment Column SERIAL AUTO_INCREMENT
Identity Column Yes No
Window functions Yes Yes
Data types Support SQL-standard types as well as user-defined types SQL-standard types
Unsigned integer No Yes
Boolean type Yes Use TINYINT(1) internally for Boolean
IP address data type Yes No
Set a default value for a column Support both constant and function call Must be a constant or CURRENT_TIMESTAMP for TIMESTAMP or DATETIME columns
CTE Yes Yes (Supported CTE since MySQL 8.0)
EXPLAIN output More detailed Less detailed
Materialized views Yes No
CHECK constraint Yes Yes (Supported since MySQL 8.0.16, Before that MySQL just ignored the CHECK constraint)
Table inheritance Yes No
Programming languages for stored procedures Ruby, Perl, Python, TCL, PL/pgSQL, SQL, JavaScript, etc. SQL:2003 syntax for stored procedures
FULL OUTER JOIN Yes No
INTERSECT Yes Yes (INTERSECT in MySQL 8.0.31)
EXCEPT Yes Yes
Partial indexes Yes No
Bitmap indexes Yes No
Expression indexes Yes Yes (functional index in MySQL 8.0.13)
Covering indexes Yes (since version 9.2) Yes. MySQL supports covering indexes that allow data to be retrieved by scanning the index alone without touching the table data. This is advantageous in the case of large tables with millions of rows.
Triggers Support triggers that can fire on most types of command, except for ones affecting the database globally e.g., roles and tablespaces. Limited to some commands
Partitioning RANGE, LIST RANGE, LIST, HASH, KEY, and composite partitioning using a combination of RANGE or LIST with HASH or KEY subpartitions
Task Scheduler pgAgent Scheduled event
Connection Scalability Each new connection is an OS process Each new connection is an OS thread