Is there a free alternative to MySQL?

Yes! PostgreSQL, Redis, CockroachDB all offer free plans.

How much does MySQL cost?

MySQL offers a free plan and has pricing starting at $2000/mo.

What are the main limitations of MySQL?

While MySQL excels at the most widely deployed open-source relational database, powering wordpress, drupal, and most php apps., users often seek alternatives for pricing, specific features, or workflow preferences.

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Best MySQL Alternatives(2026)

Updated May 13, 2026 · 9 ranked

MySQL is great for the most widely deployed open-source relational database, powering wordpress, drupal, and most php apps., but it's not the only option. We compared 9 databases tools to find the best alternatives.

View MySQL Full Review →

Top Alternatives Leaderboard

🥇

PostgreSQL

Open-source relational database with JSONB, full-text search...

Rating★ 4.6/5

Free✓ Free plan16 features

Full Review Compare

🥈

Redis

In-memory data structure store for caching, pub/sub, and lat...

Rating★ 4.5/5

$7/mo✓ Free plan16 features

Full Review Compare

🥉

Snowflake

Cloud data warehouse with separated storage and compute, mul...

Rating★ 4.5/5

$2/mo16 features

Full Review Compare

Databricks

Unified data and AI platform combining Delta Lake, SQL analytics, and ML trainin

★ 4.5

Pay-as-you-go✗

Review Compare

CockroachDB

Distributed SQL with PostgreSQL compatibility, horizontal scaling, and strong co

★ 4.4

Pay-as-you-go✓

Review Compare

Oracle Database 23ai

Oracle's enterprise relational database for mission-critical OLTP and data wareh

★ 4.4

Pay-as-you-go✗

Review Compare

TiDB

Open-source distributed SQL database with MySQL compatibility for HTAP workloads

★ 4.5

Pay-as-you-go✓

Review Compare

SurrealDB

Multi-model database supporting graph, document, relational, and time-series dat

★ N/A

Free✓

Review Compare

Turso

Managed edge database service built on libSQL, an open-source SQLite fork for gl

★ N/A

$29/mo✓

Review Compare

Detailed Reviews

1. PostgreSQL

★ 4.6/5

Open-source relational database with JSONB, full-text search, and extensions like pgvector and TimescaleDB.

Similar to MySQL

Full-Text Search, Point-in-Time Recovery

Unique Features

ACID Transactions, Advanced SQL, JSON/JSONB Support, Table Partitioning

From: FreeFull Comparison →postgresql.org

2. Redis

★ 4.5/5

In-memory data structure store for caching, pub/sub, and latency-sensitive workloads.

Similar to MySQL

Replication

Unique Features

In-Memory Storage, Persistent Storage (RDB/AOF), Pub/Sub Messaging, Streams

From: $7/moFull Comparison →redis.io

3. Snowflake

★ 4.5/5

Cloud data warehouse with separated storage and compute, multi-cloud support, and instant data sharing.

Similar to MySQL

Different approach

Unique Features

Separation of Storage and Compute, Multi-Cluster Warehouses, Zero-Copy Cloning, Time Travel

From: $2/moFull Comparison →snowflake.com

4. Databricks

★ 4.5/5

Unified data and AI platform combining Delta Lake, SQL analytics, and ML training on a single platform.

Similar to MySQL

Different approach

Unique Features

Delta Lake (Open Table Format), Apache Spark, MLflow (ML Tracking), Unity Catalog (Governance)

From: Pay-as-you-goFull Comparison →databricks.com

5. CockroachDB

★ 4.4/5

Distributed SQL with PostgreSQL compatibility, horizontal scaling, and strong consistency.

Similar to MySQL

Different approach

Unique Features

Distributed SQL, PostgreSQL Wire Protocol, Multi-Region Replication, Serializable Isolation

From: Pay-as-you-goFull Comparison →cockroachlabs.com

6. Oracle Database 23ai

★ 4.4/5

Oracle's enterprise relational database for mission-critical OLTP and data warehouse workloads.

Similar to MySQL

Partitioning

Unique Features

AI Vector Search, SQL & PL/SQL, Real Application Clusters (RAC), Multitenant Architecture

From: Pay-as-you-goFull Comparison →oracle.com

7. TiDB

★ 4.5/5

Open-source distributed SQL database with MySQL compatibility for HTAP workloads.

Similar to MySQL

Different approach

Unique Features

HTAP (Hybrid Transactional/Analytical), MySQL Wire Protocol, Horizontal Scaling, TiFlash (Columnar Engine)

From: Pay-as-you-goFull Comparison →pingcap.com

8. SurrealDB

★ N/A/5

Multi-model database supporting graph, document, relational, and time-series data with SurrealQL.

Similar to MySQL

Full-Text Search

Unique Features

Multi-Model (Document + Graph + Relational), SurrealQL (SQL-like Query Language), Real-Time Live Queries, Built-in Auth (JWT/Sessions)

From: FreeFull Comparison →surrealdb.com

9. Turso

★ N/A/5

Managed edge database service built on libSQL, an open-source SQLite fork for global deployments.

Similar to MySQL

Point-in-Time Recovery

Unique Features

SQLite Compatibility (libSQL fork), Edge Deployment (Global), Multi-Region Replication, Embedded Replicas

From: $29/moFull Comparison →turso.tech

Frequently Asked Questions

The top alternative to MySQL in 2026 is PostgreSQL. It offers open-source relational database with jsonb, full-text search, and extensions like pgvector and timescaledb. with plans from Free. Other strong options: Redis, Snowflake.