# MySQL Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is MySQL the right Database solution for you? Explore 2095 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/reviews --- MySQL 4.6 (2095) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated June 3rd, 2026 # Reviews of MySQL Ease of use 4.4 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Accessible open-source database platform 97% positive reviews out of 170 Most reviewers indicate open source allows free use, broad customization, and strong community-driven support resources. Mahmood R Call center, 501 - 1,000 employees. "MySQL is valued for being open-source, easy to use, high-performing, scalable, and secure, with strong community support and compatibility across platforms." Performance limits with large data 43% negative reviews out of 383 Some reviewers indicate MySQL slows down with large databases, heavy queries, and high-concurrency environments. Adam T Software Analysts, 1,001 - 5,000 employees. "Although, it can be a bit challenging to deal with complex queries, bigger databases, problems that we might face when we scale up" Versatile language compatibility 94% positive reviews out of 105 Most reviewers find programming language support broad, enabling easy database connections across diverse development environments. Joseph M Developer , 51 - 200 employees. "Its broad support for a variety of platforms and programming languages enables me to easily include it into my current software ecosystem." Frequent bugs and unclear errors 76% negative reviews out of 217 Most users report recurring bugs, vague error messages, and occasional crashes that complicate troubleshooting and recovery. Rhys B Senior Product Manager, 11 - 50 employees. "The UI sometimes crashes when trying to export large CSV's from exported results, which is critical to our workflow." Extensive integration capabilities 94% positive reviews out of 72 Most reviewers describe integrations as seamless with numerous programming languages, web engines, and third-party tools. Yasser D ATM customer support, 201 - 500 employees. "Really very helpful and eazy to use and integration with most of programs i recomend all to learn and use mysql" Challenging version compatibility 50% negative reviews out of 102 Some users comment version updates cause compatibility issues, deprecated features, and difficulties with code migration. Fernando F CEO - IT Consultant, 2 - 10 employees. "The community version of MySQL have also lost features and many in the community and user base have slowly moved away." ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 2095 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Ryan M. Board Advisor Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "MySQL stands the test of time" May 13, 2026 5.0 We have a great experience with mysql in our software internally that uses it. we can get the information we need quickly and our apps run along side it very well. Pros I use MySQL for all our internal projects in our company for our DB software. Mysql is reliable for our transactional db needs. Cons I would be nice to have better json support but tradional querys it is simple and works very well for our needs. Alternatives considered [PostgreSQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/48791/PostgreSQL/) Reason for choosing MySQL We still use Postgres for customer facing needs. Review Source Jack I. IT Development Lead Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Reliable, scalable, free, what’s not to love" July 26, 2025 5.0 Generally brilliant and reliable. I’ve used MySQL in countless projects as the database backend for its reliability and scalability. Pros MySQL is an intuitive database language that provides incredible reliability and scalability for what is a community driven language. Cons Coming from a mixed SQL background, it would be great if MySQL shared some of the advanced features that MSSQL has. Alternatives considered [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/) Reason for choosing MySQL Open source and free license was one of the drivers for this decision. Review Source SB Sreerekha B. Sr Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Usage of mysql" May 20, 2025 3.0 It is convenient to use to preoare database and data, becayse it is open souce the cide sql can be customized to suit the needs of custonwrs Pros It is useful to retrieve and make a database using sql queries. The queries can be customized using the nesyed queries and can utilize the techniques of sql Cons It is opensource internally uses sql. All capabilities of sql can ve ised within queries. It can used for large scale and ecommer applications Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Product Manager Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A solid workhorse for database management" March 30, 2026 4.0 Overall, I can see how this product is an industry standard for database management and querying. I like how accesible it is, and I use it daily. 90% of the time it works without any bugs or issues! Pros In my opinion it is the easiest option to host our databases. A lot of our company relies on this platform. It is easy enough for non-developers to learn and be able to access data on their own. I personally had no experience in coding and managed to learn a decent amount of MySQL in a few years. Cons The commands can sometimes be a little buggy, and the server response times can be a little slow. The UI sometimes crashes when trying to export large CSV's from exported results, which is critical to our workflow. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer CEO - IT Consultant Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "MySQL...The Power to Manage Your Data" May 28, 2025 4.0 I've used the community version of MySQL for 25+ years and have found it to be a very powerful database for use for web site, mobile apps, and software back ends. Pros MySQL is a powerful database software that has been open source and community driven for many years and is now owned by Oracle Cons MySQL was purchased by Oracle and the commercial use cost and support have gone up. The community version of MySQL have also lost features and many in the community and user base have slowly moved away. Alternatives considered [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/)[Rapid SQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/215817/Rapid-SQL/)[MariaDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/132005/MariaDB/)[SQLite](https://www.capterra.com/p/158187/SQLite/) Reason for choosing MySQL It was better suited for integration with PHP, Wordpress and Joomla Switched from [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/)[Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/p/233275/Microsoft-Access/) MySQL was easier house and integrate with web site CMS systems like Wordpress, Joomla and PHP programming. Review Source Shaunak P. Senior Data Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best open source tool for beginners trusted by enterprises." March 6, 2025 5.0 I use MySQL very often for making small proof-of-concept for my work. It is very easy to handle multiple databases with work bench. I also use cloud version of it and the one hosted on cPanels for data hosting purposes. Pros 1) Biggest benefit that I see with MySQL is it supports addition of columns to desired position (using BEFORE and AFTER keyword), this basic functionality is not provided with premier tools like Postgre SQL. 2) Almost all web hosting providers supports MySQL by default and it is undisputed choice for a lot of PHP based applications. 3) Community support is also widely available, because MySQL can be used at any machine, cloud, bare-metal, and etc. Cons There are no cons, it provides all the security features even at open-source level that are equivalent to enterprise level. Switched from [PostgreSQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/48791/PostgreSQL/) MySQL has more advantage over applications where Big Data is not applicable Review Source AZ Augusto Z. Software Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great RDBMS" November 25, 2025 5.0 Pros Ease of administration and deployment, Workbench is a great UI for quick querying and one-off administration tasks Cons Worse performance than Postgres and lack of granular ACLs and table inheritance. It's also less extensible (no custom types) Alternatives considered [PostgreSQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/48791/PostgreSQL/) Reason for choosing MySQL Easier to deploy, setup and manage. Support for active-active replication. Review Source LM Lisa M. Finance Analyst Logistics and Supply Chain Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "MySQL experience " January 8, 2026 5.0 My overall experience has been pretty good so far and make easier my work process every day is very nice Pros I like the most about MySQL that is wonderful and most easier structured query language that I have seen Cons I like the easy way that I could update, insert, delete, update documents, it’s nice for me and my colleagues Review Source PB Paul B. Customer Experience Manager Sports Used the software for: 2+ years ### "MySQL you cannot know what a database is without knowing it! " May 23, 2025 5.0 Solid, concrete database management, a powerful relational database management system that can keep your application running fine for years. Pros It's easy to use, and widely usage, with tons of accessible resources to handle any kind of query you can have about database management. Cons How can you find weaknesses in this product? I mean, it's solid, it works, it's well supported, some could argue it's competitors are facing faster performance, I doubt if you compare same period of time versions. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner of ShadowPlayersDev Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Using MySQL to manage relational databases" December 10, 2024 5.0 I've been using MySQL because it's great for relational database management, it's fast and smooth and easy to understand for new starters. Pros Its open-source nature and extensive community support make it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. Features like replication and clustering enhance scalability and availability for enterprise applications. Cons Its default storage engine, InnoDB, may struggle with large-scale data analytics or high write-heavy workloads without careful optimization. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Small Company Owner Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Free high-performance relational database" August 19, 2022 5.0 I started working with MySQL around 2002. I was looking for some low cost database to use and let old DBF structures in the past. Found MySQL and have never quit working with it since then, not even when I started working with other databases like Oracle and MS SQL Server Pros It is free to use and have a large known community of users all over the planet. Cons It is free to use, as long as you don't develop the applications using some strict and exclusive commands. I don't know if this have changes and by and large people don't seems to care about it, not even the owner for I have never seen or heard of anybody charged or asked about it. Alternatives considered [PostgreSQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/48791/PostgreSQL/)[Oracle Database](https://www.capterra.com/p/5938/Oracle-Database/)[IBM Informix](https://www.capterra.com/p/250710/IBM-Informix/) Reason for choosing MySQL Little cost at all necessary actions (install, configure and maintain), quite bigger community and simplicity Switched from [dBASE Plus](https://www.capterra.com/p/80138/dBASE-Plus/) MySQL enabled me to have a significant upgrade in my security and data integrity and could handle a lot more payload at a single time with little cost. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Systems Admin Libraries Used the software for: 2+ years ### "10 Years of MySQL" June 8, 2023 5.0 MySQL is a robust and scalable choice for many database-driven projects, offering numerous advantages for both beginners and experienced developers. I appreciated this coming in as a novice and learning overtime how important a functioning database is to a project. Pros MySQL's compatibility with various platforms and extensive support for programming languages contributes to its versatility, making it suitable for diverse applications. Moreover, its extensive online community and detailed documentation make troubleshooting and learning effortless. Cons MySQL lacks some advanced performance optimization features found in other database management systems. This limitation may require additional effort to optimize complex queries manually. Alternatives considered [MongoDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/127374/MongoDB/)[MariaDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/132005/MariaDB/) Reason for choosing MySQL Because its compatibility with other platforms and services is unparalleled, offering rocksteady databases is an important part in beginning a project. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Programming Instructor E-Learning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Strong and Open Source RDBMS" March 25, 2023 5.0 In MySql you create the database first, then the tables, and then you add records to the tables before you can query them, following the traditional structure of the Relational Database Management System.So it is flexible to operate . Pros It is free software and also open-source. It's much faster and lighter than MsSQL. It is extremely easy to use and comprehend. It's easy to set up, use, and run. The structure of the language is remarkably similar to that of English sentences. Cons I think some of the error messages are so broad that they cannot accurately describe the issue. Some error messages are more bizarre than the problem itself. At times, it creates a sense of insecurity. Alternatives considered [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/) Reason for choosing MySQL It's free. Simple to use. Simple to set up. Build a large community. Additionally I'm now exceptionally acquainted with the item, its punctuation and orders. Review Source JT Jim T. Sr Web Engineer Information Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Stable Database for Every Project" August 25, 2019 5.0 Pros I came from programming background who used PHP as primary language and naturally MySQL was the database for the backend. One feature about MySQL is how easy it is to setup and use and how flexible it is to operate. I have used both the CLI (Command Line Interface) and GUI (Graphical User Interface) to interact with the database to create tables, add records, update and remove records, all seem really fast and stable. I used MySQL on my Windows, Mac, and Linux machines without any hiccups. It follows the traditional Relational Database Management System structure with you first create the database, then the tables, then add records to the tables before you can query them. The client used to interface MySQL include the web-based tool like PHPMySQL, and Windows tool like HeidiSQL or MySQL Workbench. These tools all connect to the database very easily. These tools also lets you backup your database for offline storage. Cons The recent trend of database has gone from the traditional Relational model to NoSQL, which is a SQL platform that uses mostly JSON format to store data instead of the traditional database tables and records. This is where MySQL lacks, MySQL doesn't have the ability to run as NoSQL so if you intend to use a NoSQL database, MySQL is not for you. One other thing I noticed about MySQL database is if you have a large collection of data and IF your SQL query is not very optimized, the speed to return the data set can be very very slow. Of course, the only way to fix it is optimize or change your query. Alternatives considered [PostgreSQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/48791/PostgreSQL/) Reason for choosing MySQL I am already very familiar with the product, its syntax and commands. To me it's a natural choice. Review Source FT Federico T. Software Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Reliable Tool" January 15, 2025 5.0 Pros MySQL is reliable and easy to use. It’s great for managing databases and works well for small to medium-sized projects Cons Sometimes it can be a bit slow with large datasets, and setting up advanced features might take some time. But overall, it’s a solid tool Review Source ZLT Zaw Lwin T. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Love MySQL's query style but too slow when compare with MongoDB" November 10, 2024 5.0 I have about 5 years experience with mysql. Pros I like normalization on MySQL and also love query style. Cons I don't like slow. If I compare with MySQL and MongoDB, MongoDB is so fast. Review Source NMH Nay Myo H. Software Engineer Banking Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "MySQL: A Widely Supported Solution with Some Feature Limitations" October 28, 2024 5.0 I have over 3 years experience with MySQL. Pros MySQL is one of the most widely used databases, meaning there’s extensive documentation, community support, and established best practices that can assist in troubleshooting and optimization. Cons Compared to other databases like PostgreSQL or Oracle, MySQL lacks some advanced features such as full-text search and partial indexes, which may be a limitation for certain use cases. Review Source NK Nick K. Lead Performance Analyst Sports Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fantabulous Database Management Program" July 16, 2024 5.0 Pros Databases management in one place is what I like most about MySQL. Cons It was quite daunting to deploy MySQL, but we acquired third-party system integrators. Review Source IK Irfaan K. System officer Industrial Automation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review about mysql" September 20, 2023 5.0 We run our pos software database with mysql databases Pros Easy to use and very scalable for our organization Cons For now we see everything we need for our operation is present Alternatives considered [PostgreSQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/48791/PostgreSQL/) Reason for choosing MySQL Easy to use Review Source deba O. IT Support executive Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "lightweight but reliable and effective." December 7, 2018 5.0 MYSQL saved my company money on longtime basic and have also resulted in faster processing time from database call and query while its ability to work well with third-party interface application meant that I do not have to work from command prompt screen. Pros I used MySQL in a project that was covered under the GPL license thus it was free. This helped My company save a lot of expenses compared to when we were using another DB software. My adaptation to MYSQL was quick based on my previous use and knowledge of MSSQL which have similar Coding structure and many parallel functions. MYSQL, been open sourced means that there are tons of thousands of supports and help is available on the internet. I have found this to be particularly very helpful in sorting out otherwise difficult situations. Reliability of MYSQL is the reason MYSQL is the most used database client and I cannot agree less! Been a witness to its reliability, I can say that MYSQL does what it was designed for effectively…and to think it is always been improved upon. I have used MYSQL with Apache/Tomcat JAVA, Perl. , PHP and JSP and it Worked seamlessly with them. I have observed that MYSQL works best for me when called from Spring Web Flow either through a Hibernate layer or JDBC though. MYSQL is flexible, easy to install because of its lightweight and can scale to very heavy DB without the need for additional support. So far, there has not been a need to change to a new database management application for us. The only downside I have noticed is on query time speed. for instance, a query that use to call for 0.18 seconds now does 0.23 seconds due to DB expansion over the period of 1 year which is still acceptable. Cons The need for technical support is overwhelming even though you will most likely find help on the internet. It is difficult to get your actual database performance base on your system specs adaptation like memory utilization and usage during different calls. There is a shocking lack of documentation for many functions embedded within the program and I had to resort to the internet to uncover their uses. You are going to have to learn MYSQL irrespective of your previous knowledge of query languages. This can be more difficult if you are totally new to structural languages and querying tables. The fact that MySQL does not support ARRAY data types means it cannot be adapted to certain situations and projects. I advise you get detailed need analysis before jumping on MYSQL to avoid data type mismatch and project regrets. Review Source PN Pete N. Sales Representative Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Scalable software for simple to complex applications" August 21, 2020 5.0 I have had a generally good experience with MySQL. The MySQL RDBMS overall is an excellent software platform. I use it for an auction website that I designed. It takes quite a bit of study to learn about things like the column types and proper table structuring but as a layperson (i.e. not a professional programmer) you can learn the software well enough to make proper use of the program. Pros MySQL integrated really well with the PHP scripting language. MySQL is what is called a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). It is a software system that uses the SQL database query language to manipulate data in a database. MySQL provides for data handling, storing, modifying, and deleting in a tabular format. You can design your database so that each table has a key to at least one other table and that each table can access data in every one of the other tables in the database (hence the word "relational"). With a properly designed MySQL database you won't have any orphaned rows or tables. The database queries that use SELECT, UPDATE, or DELETE are simple and straightforward to use with the PHP scripting language. As an end user, like myself, you don't have to install and maintain this software. The MySQL software comes preinstalled on most server hosting plans meaning the server hosting provider does the installation and maintenance for the software. Cons The MySQL reference manual is not clear enough in describing how to utilize many of the features for MySQL. The manual is too technical and apparently is designed for persons with a high level of computer programming or technical knowledge. The manual is sometimes confusing when seeking to find the proper column type to use (i.e. TEXT, CHAR, VARCHAR, etc.). The Date and Time functions for MySQL like DATE and DATETIME are hard to understand and difficult to implement. The table join features are difficult to understand and use. Reason for choosing MySQL I use the PHP scripting language for file storage on the server hosting directory tree folder system. MySQL has a greater set of data manipulation features than the file folder storage. For me MySQL is easier to use than server file folder storage. That may be due to the flexibility of the MySQL database storage as opposed to the file folder storage. Review Source Joas Andrito M. Web developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Why Mysql is on top" February 26, 2022 5.0 Of all open-source databases, PostgreSQL emphasizes innovation and advanced functionality, whereas MySQL emphasizes robustness, reliability, and maturity. MySQL is now one of the most well-known and commonly used SQL databases. It's also one of the most commonly utilized databases in web applications. Pros MySQL is a robust, highly available, and scalable SQL database server. It is the most commonly used database engine in the world. MySQL is the industry-standard database engine for high availability, high transaction load, and robust reporting. It is also commonly used for web applications, game servers, and other mission-critical applications. Cons Firstly as mysql's cons is that in comparison to other databases, MySQL lacks a good development and debugging tool, Secondly as mysql's cons is that for earlier version to 5.0 the DBMS does not support ROLE, COMMIT and stored procedure and lastly MySQL does not support very huge database sizes as well as it should. Review Source SU Solomon U. Web Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "MySql is reliable and great for big organizations, but tedious for a lone noob programmer." January 18, 2023 5.0 Overall, MySQL is a powerful and reliable database management system, but it may have some limitations when handling unstructured data and maintaining the schema. It offers robust data recovery options but might be cumbersome when compared to newer non-relational databases. Pros I have been using MySQL for several years and I have to say, it has proven to be a reliable and powerful database management system. It offers robust data recoveries options such as binary log and InnoDB crash recovery, which gives me peace of mind knowing my data is safe. The data dictionary feature is also extremely useful, it makes managing the database and optimizing queries a breeze. Overall, I highly recommend MySQL to anyone in need of a solid, open-source database management system. Cons I have been using MySQL for some time and I have to say, I find it to be quite cumbersome when compared to newer non-relational databases. One major issue I have encountered is the difficulty in handling large amounts of unstructured data, which is common in many modern applications. Additionally, the rigid schema and the effort required to maintain it can be a big headache, especially in a fast-paced development environment. These issues are typical in traditional RDBMS like MySQL and are less prevalent in Nrdbms Review Source John A. Managing Director Used the software for: 2+ years ### "MySQL is a super database program and it's free!" June 25, 2018 5.0 First, I pay nothing for this software, its open source and freely downloadable on as many computers as you want. Second, it is reliable. Backups are a breeze with mysqldump statements, and restores are just as easy and quick. Third, it is very fast. Do yourself a favor. Take the time to learn this database software. You won't regret it. Pros When I first started keeping a customer database, I started with MS Access because it seemed the fastest and easiest option and I had MS Office already. Then I discovered the Linux operating system and decided I wanted to use open source software whenever possible. And the first program I found was MySQL. I converted my ACCESS database over to MySQL and haven't looked back since. This was in 1998. Soon thereafter I found that I could write PHP web pages to display my customer database records in a lot of neat ways, so I learned to how to write PHP pages. I've been using MySQL and PHP pages ever since. MySQL is fast, it has all the features you want, and don't worry about number of records in your databases it will handle all you need. Cons I was familiar with the linux terminal when I started using MySQL so that wasn't completely foreign to me. Of course I quickly realized database language is completely different, so I had to start learning select statement, insert delete etc. But since there weren't many complicated things I needed to do (mostly just select statements insert delete update statements) it didn't take me long to be able use the MySQL cli. Although there are GUI tools for MySQL, I never really spent much time on them, other than phpMySQL, which is a great tool for MySQL. The downside of MySQL is you have to learn its language. And that takes time. But then again that's the beauty of MySQL. Review Source PC Patrick C. Pres CEO Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excllent Chioce for your Database needs" August 2, 2022 5.0 My overall experience with MySQL is very positive. I started out without any knowledge of SQL and gained insight into a new language. SQL is much more than just a database, it is a way to interface with your data. With a little work MySQL easily becomes to go to application to build and manipulate databases. Pros MySQL is an excellent choice for an SQL database. The community version is not just a pared down version of the full or paid version so, for small noncommercial applications such as mine it is the perfect solution. Structured Query Language can be intimidating to the uninitiated but there are also a lot of resources out there to help the novice get started and comfortable with working with SQL on the whole. MySQL has all of the tools you need to become proficient with the application and the language. Cons MYSQL does not come with a GUI which can be a bit disconcerting to those of use that are coming in from other Database programs such a MS Access. Reason for choosing MySQL I chose MYSQL of any other SQL app because of the number of online resources and available help. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.