Backend Development › Relational Databases & SQL

PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite

The common relational databases and where each one fits.

Also known as: Postgres, MySQL, SQLite

PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite are three widely used relational databases. They all use SQL and tables, but they run differently:

• PostgreSQL is a full database server with a large feature set. It’s a common default for web applications and data work.
• MySQL is another full database server, widely used in web applications, and available in several distributions.
• SQLite is an embedded database. The whole database lives in a single file that a program opens directly, with no separate server. It’s convenient for local apps, prototypes and tests.

SQLite is not designed for many separate machines writing to one shared file over a network. If several servers need to write at the same time, use a database server.

The classic mistake is choosing a database by popularity alone, or moving a small local app to a server database before it needs one. Pick based on what the application needs: how many people write at once, where it runs, and which features it relies on. Keep your SQL to standard forms where you can, so a later move is less painful. A database client lets you connect to any of them to explore tables and run queries.