PostgreSQL vs MySQL: When to Choose Each
PostgreSQL and MySQL are the two most popular open-source relational databases. Both are mature, widely supported, and available as managed cloud services. The choice between them is often less important than many believe — but there are genuine differences that matter for specific use cases.
PostgreSQL Strengths
- Standards compliance: PostgreSQL closely follows the SQL standard and implements more advanced SQL features
- Advanced data types: Native JSON/JSONB (with indexing), arrays, geometric types, full-text search, UUID — reducing the need for separate specialised stores
- Extensibility: Extensions like PostGIS (geospatial), TimescaleDB (time-series), pgvector (vector search) transform PostgreSQL into a specialist database
- Complex queries: Window functions, CTEs, lateral joins — PostgreSQL handles complex analytical queries well
- ACID compliance: Stricter transactional consistency, particularly with concurrent writes
MySQL Strengths
- Simplicity: Simpler to configure and administer for straightforward use cases
- Read performance: Traditionally strong read performance, particularly for simple queries
- Wide CMS support: WordPress, Magento, Drupal — most PHP CMSs default to MySQL
- Managed service availability: Excellent managed service options (Amazon RDS, Aurora, PlanetScale)
Our Default
We default to PostgreSQL for new projects — its feature set, extensibility, and standards compliance make it the more capable choice for most modern applications. We use MySQL where specific client requirements, existing infrastructure, or CMS compatibility (e.g. WordPress) make it the more practical option.