MariaDB vs. MySQL: Choosing, Background, and Differences in ServBay

For web developers, selecting the right database management system is a crucial step in building applications. In local development environments, MySQL and MariaDB are the two most common relational database options. ServBay, as an integrated local web development environment, offers multiple database choices, with MariaDB being the default integrated relational database.

This article explores the origins of MariaDB and MySQL, their relationship, and main differences. It also explains why ServBay has chosen MariaDB as its default option, how both databases can be used within ServBay, and helps ServBay users better understand and leverage them for your development projects.

Origins of MariaDB and MySQL

The Beginnings of MySQL

MySQL was first released in 1995 by the Swedish company MySQL AB and is one of the earliest open-source relational database management systems (RDBMS). Due to its open-source, free nature, outstanding performance, and ease of use, MySQL quickly became one of the most popular database systems globally—especially within web development, where it helped form the classic LAMP/LEMP stack alongside PHP and Apache (or Nginx). MySQL is widely used in various web applications and enterprise solutions.

The Birth of MariaDB

In 2008, Sun Microsystems acquired MySQL AB. Soon after in 2010, Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems, transferring ownership of MySQL to Oracle. As a giant in the commercial database sector, Oracle’s stewardship raised concerns among some in the community about the future of MySQL as an open-source project.

To ensure MySQL’s core code would remain open and continue evolving, Michael "Monty" Widenius (one of MySQL’s original creators) forked MySQL to create MariaDB in 2009. MariaDB aims for high compatibility with MySQL, further optimization, enhanced features, and is fully community-driven—to guarantee it remains permanently open source. The name MariaDB comes from Widenius’s daughter, Maria.

The Relationship Between MariaDB and MySQL

MariaDB and MySQL share a very close relationship in both codebase and design philosophy. MariaDB was originally forked from MySQL’s code, making the two highly similar, especially in their earlier versions. One of MariaDB’s core goals is to maintain compatibility with corresponding MySQL versions, allowing users to migrate between MySQL and MariaDB with little to no changes to existing application code.

Key Points on Compatibility

1. SQL Syntax: MariaDB and MySQL are highly compatible in terms of standard SQL syntax. The vast majority of SQL statements that work in MySQL also work in MariaDB, including DDL, DML, common functions, and stored procedures.
2. API & Protocol: Both use the same client protocol, meaning client libraries, connectors, and tools built for MySQL (such as PHP’s mysqli/PDO extensions, Java’s JDBC driver, Python’s mysql.connector, etc.) can typically connect to and operate MariaDB without modification.
3. Storage Engines: Both support multiple pluggable storage engines and share important engines like InnoDB (default transactional engine) and MyISAM (non-transactional engine). Tables created with these common engines are compatible across both platforms.
4. Client Tools: Most graphical client tools designed for MySQL—such as phpMyAdmin, Adminer, some functions in MySQL Workbench, and DBeaver—can also be used to manage MariaDB databases.

Despite their high compatibility, as both projects have evolved, MariaDB has introduced many new features and optimizations not found in MySQL, and MySQL has also evolved under Oracle. Thus, the differences between them are gradually increasing. For applications relying on version-specific or non-standard features, thorough testing is necessary before switching between the two.

Differences Between MariaDB and MySQL

While MariaDB and MySQL share a common origin, over time they have developed independently, resulting in significant differences in performance, features, architecture, community, and licensing.

Performance and Optimization

1. Query Optimizer: MariaDB has made significant improvements to its query optimizer, often delivering better performance for complex queries, subqueries, joins, and large datasets. For instance, MariaDB has introduced more advanced cost models and optimization strategies.
2. Thread Pool: MariaDB includes a built-in thread pool feature designed for high-concurrency scenarios with many connections, greatly improving server response and efficiency. MySQL offers similar functionality in its enterprise edition, but not in the community edition.
3. Replication: MariaDB has optimized master-slave replication, including improved parallel replication for greater efficiency and throughput.

Storage Engines

MariaDB and MySQL both support pluggable storage engines. Although they share InnoDB and MyISAM, MariaDB has introduced or enhanced several engines not available in MySQL:

• Aria: MariaDB’s own transactional engine, intended as a crash-safe, improved replacement for MyISAM.
• ColumnStore: A columnar storage engine optimized for big data analytics and data warehousing, delivering high-performance aggregate queries.
• MyRocks: A storage engine based on RocksDB (developed by Facebook), known for high compression and write durability, suitable for write-intensive workloads.
• Spider: A sharding storage engine allowing MariaDB to access data spread across different servers.

MySQL has also continued to advance its storage engines, with ongoing improvements to InnoDB and the introduction of features such as the utf8mb4 default character set and performance enhancements in MySQL 8.0.

Feature Differences

1. Virtual Columns: MariaDB supports virtual columns, allowing users to define columns whose values are computed based on expressions from other columns. Virtual columns take up no storage (unless set as PERSISTENT), but can be referenced in queries as regular columns, simplifying some calculations and indexes.
2. Table Structure Optimization: MariaDB provides extra ALTER TABLE features, such as faster column addition without needing to copy the entire table.
3. Microsecond Precision: MariaDB adds microsecond-level precision, useful in applications requiring highly accurate timestamps.
4. JSON Features: Both platforms support JSON data types and functions, but there are differences in implementation and available functions.
5. Window Functions: MariaDB 10.2+ and MySQL 8.0+ both support window functions, but these were independently introduced in each version.
6. Distributed Database/High Availability: MariaDB natively integrates Galera Cluster for multi-master replication and easy high-availability clustering. MySQL also provides replication options (such as Group Replication), though implementation details vary.

Security

MariaDB also introduces enhancements in security, such as:

• More authentication plugins for flexible and secure login methods.
• Improved user role management for finer and easier permission control.

Community and Support

1. Open Source Model: MariaDB is maintained by the MariaDB Foundation and developed by the community in a transparent, open process. While MySQL also provides a community version, Oracle largely controls its roadmap and major decisions.
2. Enterprise Support: MariaDB Corporation AB offers an enterprise version and commercial support. Oracle provides commercial MySQL offerings and support.

MariaDB and MySQL Version Comparison Table

Since MariaDB was forked from MySQL, earlier versions corresponded directly, but after MariaDB 5.5, its versioning jumped to 10.x to reflect its independent development and many new features. Here is a general mapping for reference, but note that even similar version numbers may represent different features and implementations:

MariaDB Version	Corresponding MySQL Version	Description
5.1	5.1	Early fork, highly similar
5.2	5.1
5.3	5.1
5.5	5.5	First major LTS version matching a MySQL release
10.0	5.6	Versioning diverges, with many new features
10.1	5.6
10.2	5.7	Introduces window functions, CTEs, and other major SQL2003 features
10.3	5.7
10.4	8.0	Introduces role-based access control, comparable to MySQL 8.0
10.5	8.0
10.6	8.0	Long Term Support (LTS) version
10.7	8.0	Short Term Support (STS)
10.8	8.0	Short Term Support (STS)
10.9	8.0	Short Term Support (STS)
10.10	8.0	Short Term Support (STS)
10.11	8.0	Long Term Support (LTS) version
11.0	8.0+	Versioning policy changed, focusing on release year, weaker MySQL match
11.1	8.0+	Short Term Support (STS)
11.2	8.0+	Short Term Support (STS)
11.3	8.0+	Short Term Support (STS)
11.4	8.0+	Short Term Support (STS)
11.5	8.0+	Long Term Support (LTS) version

For more details on MariaDB and MySQL compatibility, see the official documentation: MariaDB versus MySQL: Compatibility.

Database Choices in ServBay: MariaDB Default & MySQL Support

As a developer-focused local environment tool, ServBay aims to provide modern, stable, and feature-rich software packages. For relational databases, ServBay defaults to MariaDB based on the following reasons:

1. Commitment to Open Source: MariaDB’s community-driven development and guarantee of permanent open-source aligns with ServBay’s philosophy, giving developers a reliable and transparent foundation.
2. Excellent Performance & Modern Features: MariaDB excels in performance optimization (especially for complex queries and high concurrency) and includes modern SQL features (like virtual columns and window functions), offering powerful tools for building high-performance applications.
3. Active Community Support: MariaDB’s global developer community provides rich resources, documentation, and prompt assistance.
4. High Compatibility with MySQL: Due to high compatibility in syntax, protocols, and storage engines, most apps built for MySQL can be run directly in ServBay’s default MariaDB environment, lowering the barrier for migration or use.

Important: ServBay Fully Supports MySQL Too!

While MariaDB is the default database in ServBay, you can absolutely use MySQL if needed. ServBay offers flexible package management; if your project relies on a specific MySQL version or needs MySQL environment testing, you can easily install and switch to MySQL via ServBay’s package manager. ServBay is designed to give you maximum freedom to fit the needs of different projects.

Using Databases in ServBay

Whether you choose the default MariaDB package or MySQL, accessing and managing databases in ServBay is very straightforward:

1. Default Access: Database services usually listen on 127.0.0.1 (or localhost) at the standard port (MariaDB/MySQL default is 3306). Your application code can directly connect via localhost:3306.
2. Management Tools: ServBay typically includes one or more web-based database management tools, like phpMyAdmin or Adminer. You can conveniently manage databases, execute queries, and import/export data via a graphical interface from the ServBay dashboard or via paths at https://servbay.host.
3. Command-Line Tools: ServBay provides command-line clients (like mysql or mariadb) so you can manage databases directly from ServBay’s terminal.
4. Connection Info: By default, local databases use the root user—default password and connection details can be found in Root Account, Password & Connection Information. Note: Be sure to set a strong password and create users with only necessary permissions before deploying to production. ServBay database configuration files are usually found in a specific path under the ServBay installation directory and can be modified as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Can I simply copy existing MySQL database files into the MariaDB data directory in ServBay?

A1: Direct file copying is not recommended, especially across major versions or between branches (from MySQL to MariaDB or vice versa). The safest and recommended approach is to use standard database dump/export (mysqldump or mariadb-dump) and import commands. Since MariaDB and MySQL are highly compatible in SQL syntax and structure, exporting to SQL and importing is usually a safe and reliable method.

Q2: Can ServBay run MariaDB and MySQL at the same time?

A2: ServBay is designed to install multiple software versions; however, by default, to avoid port conflicts, only one database service (a MariaDB or MySQL version) will run on the standard port (3306). You can choose the active default via ServBay’s interface or configure different instances on separate ports. ServBay fully supports advanced configurations like this.

Q3: How do I install or switch to MySQL in ServBay?

A3: See Installation and Usage of MySQL Service. You can find available database packages (various MariaDB and MySQL versions) in ServBay’s package manager or settings, then choose the version you want to install or activate.

Conclusion

MariaDB and MySQL are two powerful relational database management systems with a shared heritage. As a prominent fork, MariaDB maintains a high degree of compatibility while introducing new innovations and performance optimizations—driven by a strong open-source community.

ServBay, as a modern local web development environment, selects MariaDB as the default database due to its excellent performance, rich features, active community, and strong compatibility with MySQL. At the same time, ServBay recognizes the diverse needs of developers and provides comprehensive support for MySQL, allowing you to flexibly choose and switch database environments as required.

Understanding the relationship and differences between MariaDB and MySQL will help you better manage and utilize database resources in ServBay, providing a solid foundation for your local development work.