MariaDB
| License | FOSS problems | Maintenance | SSO | Users | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPLv2Copyleft license. If you distribute it, modified or not, you must publish the source under GPLv2 too. No network-service clause — running it as a hosted service doesn't trigger that. | — | Active | — | Unlimited | ❌ |
Evaluation
What it is
MariaDB is a fork of MySQL, created in 2009 by MySQL's original founder after Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems put MySQL under Oracle's ownership — the same shape of fork as OpenTofu leaving Terraform, over a decade earlier. It's maintained by the community-governed MariaDB Foundation, stays close to drop-in compatible with MySQL, and is GPLv2 throughout with no separate enterprise tier.
Why it could be useful
The genuinely open alternative in this specific comparison, for the same reason OpenTofu is one for Terraform: no single commercial owner able to change the terms later. It's also the default database for a lot of self-hosted software that predates or assumes MySQL-compatibility, so picking it can mean fewer surprises for that category of service specifically.
Why not to go for it
PostgreSQL has pulled ahead on the features that matter more now than raw MySQL-compatibility — JSONB, extensions, standards compliance — so unless a specific app actually requires MySQL/MariaDB compatibility, there's no strong reason to run a second database engine alongside Postgres just for variety.