MySQL or MS SQL?
MySQL or MS SQL - Which makes sense for your Application?
Confused about which Database you should be using for your basic Web Application? Have a look at some of the references below and see if you get a clearer picture of the pros and cons of each…
“The MySQL database consistently scores among the top for performance, throughput and scalability. So it’s no surprise that MySQL is used for some of the most demanding, high volume, business-critical applications at companies like Associated Press, Cox Communications, Google, Lufthansa, MIT Lincoln Labs, NASA, Sabre Holdings, Yahoo and others. Companies have implemented large “scale out” web and data warehouse applications running MySQL on dozens, hundreds and even thousands of commodity Intel and Opteron servers saving millions of dollars in the process. MySQL scales to deal with billions of rows and terabytes of data making it suitable for a wide range of transactional and analytic applications.”
There are some impressive references on this page!
(2) DBMS Comparisons: MySQL 5.0 vs. Microsoft SQL Server 2005
“In terms of performance, MySQL fairs better than SQL on a variety of platforms thanks to the default table format of its MyISAM database. From a database developer’s perspective, choosing between a MySQL and SQL Server DBMS is a matter of the scale of the database application. For enterprise-level applications, SQL Server wins hands down. It has advanced set of SQL features, superior replication, clustering, security and management tools. For lower-tier database applications, MySQL can offer the core functionality you require at a very low cost.”
This is a more pro-Microsoft perspective - however the ‘enterprise-level’ features referred to are unlikely to be used by smaller Applications, if ever.
“Overall, MySQL has the edge in price as it is free, and performance can’t be conclusively shown to be any worse than MS SQL—it is also used extensively for high profile web applications such as various Yahoo properties and Google’s Adwords. Certain advanced features are not bundled with MySQL, but for basic simple development without licensing cost, MySQL can be seen to have the edge. MS SQL 2000 and now 2005, are geared towards Microsoft style development on Windows Servers. Installation and configuration may be easier in MS SQL, with advanced database features present by default. MS SQL also implements features not found in any MySQL database engine, and is not overly high in license costs compared to some high end databases. For certain mid-level uses on Windows Servers, MS SQL probably wins out. Both databases have a wide traction in the market, but being an open source project, MySQL community is somewhat more open, and being completely free, MySQL likely has a broader base of support.”
This is essentially a Wiki site so should be reasonably independent.
(4) Web Hosting Basics: MySQL vs. Microsoft SQL Server
“MySQL and SQL Server couldn’t come from more different backgrounds. MySQL was and is still very much an open source project that was developed for small businesses and applications, while SQL Server is and likely will remain for the foreseeable future a closed source project that was developed for large companies and enterprise level applications. The choice between MySQL and SQL Server is a tough one that shouldn’t be made hastily. Consider your level of technical expertise within your company, your budget, the applications you need to use, and how much time you wish to invest in your database platform. Once you figure those out, you should be able to make an informed decision.”
The article interviews John Engates, the Chief Technology Officer at Rackspace, one of the world’s largest managed hosting companies - who uses large quantities of both!
Overall, the key points that need to be considered are:
(a) MySQL is a perfectly valid Database choice for many of web-based applications currently being developed by small-medium businesses, and even some large ones - especially when the relative size of the user-base and data-throughput requirements are low.
(b) The Developers contracted to build your Application may have have significantly more expertise in one or the other, and this for me is the key point on which such a choice should hinge.
(c) Clearly, as can be seen from the references above, MySQL is an adequate and robust Database capable of supporting many applications. The right choice for your development is largely going to depend on your unique environment and requirements.
Originally from TechGripe! by Brett Ryland (26 July 2007).
