Databases
PostgreSQL vs. MySQL: choosing the right database
PostgreSQL and MySQL are both mature, production-ready databases. The “which is better” question misses the point — they make different trade-offs and suit different workloads.
PostgreSQL strengths
- ACID compliance by default across all operations
- Rich data types: JSONB, arrays, hstore, UUID, range types
- Advanced query features: CTEs, window functions, lateral joins
- Stronger standards compliance (closer to SQL spec)
- Better for complex queries and analytics workloads
- Full-text search with ranking
MySQL / MariaDB strengths
- Simpler to set up and administer
- Faster read performance on simple queries at high concurrency
- Native WordPress and PHP ecosystem support
- Well-understood replication setup (primary/replica)
- InnoDB storage engine is very mature
When to choose PostgreSQL
- Building an API or backend with complex relational data
- Need JSONB for semi-structured data
- Using an ORM like Sequelize, Prisma, or SQLAlchemy that abstracts the differences
- Running analytics or reporting queries
When to choose MySQL / MariaDB
- Running WordPress (MariaDB is the recommended default)
- Existing team familiarity with MySQL tooling
- High-read workloads with simple query patterns
On Simplewala
Both MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL are available as one-click installs. Data is stored on persistent block storage. You can enable external TCP access from the portal if you need to connect from a remote client or from another service.