PostgreSQL has been doing great lately, but MySQL seems to have fallen behind. Now, dedicated MySQL supporters are stepping up to turn things around.
Back in May 2025, MySQL marked an incredible milestone: its 30th anniversary! It’s pretty rare for any tech project to stay strong for three decades, especially with MySQL’s widespread use. In fact, it’s ranked #2 on the DB-Engines ranking and is recognized by technology installation tracker 6sense as the most commonly installed relational database.
Despite all that popularity, many people feel MySQL is playing second fiddle to PostgreSQL. The 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey shows this clearly: 55.6% of developers use PostgreSQL, while only 40.5% use MySQL. And when you look at the most admired technologies, PostgreSQL shines at 46.5%, but MySQL trails significantly at 20.5%. It seems developers have a much more positive view of PostgreSQL than they do of MySQL.
Both databases are fantastic choices. PostgreSQL is incredibly dependable, scales well, and is packed with features, though it might be a bit much for really simple application projects. MySQL, on the other hand, is quick to set up, easy to use, and can be quite scalable and effective when used correctly. The main difference? PostgreSQL has a passionate fan base and strong community support, something MySQL seems to lack.
It’s not about how old they are. Did you know PostgreSQL actually started development earlier, in 1986, even though its first version wasn’t released until 1995? What truly sets them apart is PostgreSQL’s vibrant and dedicated open-source community, which actively celebrates its ongoing development and diverse contributions. With so many companies and individuals contributing, it’s simply easier to embrace PostgreSQL.
In contrast, the MySQL community feels rather… silent. While Oracle has done a good job managing MySQL since taking over Sun in 2010, the open-source MySQL Community Edition hasn’t received as much focus or exciting new features compared to its paid Enterprise or cloud counterparts.
Take Oracle’s MySQL HeatWave, for example. It proudly offers cutting-edge features like vector search, which is absolutely vital for AI projects. However, the MySQL Community Edition doesn’t have this functionality. While you can store vector data in the Community Edition, it simply can’t perform efficient index-based or approximate nearest neighbor searches on that data.
A Wake-Up Call for the MySQL Community
We’ve seen it happen in other open-source communities: a major event, a “big shock,” that sparks real change. For instance, when Redis shifted its software license to “source available,” the community rallied to create Valkey as an alternative. Similarly, when HashiCorp altered Terraform’s license, OpenTofu was born. These new projects joined open-source foundations, leading to a surge in companies contributing, supporting, and maintaining the code.
Because the MySQL community hasn’t experienced such a dramatic shake-up, it’s been stuck in a rut for years, just maintaining the status quo. But in the fast-paced tech world, where companies must constantly innovate like sharks in motion to survive the competition, this stagnation is really hurting both the community and the entire project.
But perhaps a significant shock has finally hit. The departure of numerous Oracle employees has noticeably slowed down MySQL development. If you look at the quarterly bug fix releases, the number of issues resolved has plummeted to just a third of what it once was. For instance, while Q1 2025 and Q2 2025 both saw 65 fixes, MySQL 8.4.7 only had 21. While simply counting bugs isn’t a perfect measure, this sharp decline clearly indicates a reduced focus on MySQL.
In light of this, companies that rely on MySQL are now collaborating. Instead of just accepting the status quo, they understand that charting a new course for MySQL’s future is absolutely critical. What comes next will be shaped by factors beyond the community’s direct control. Will this push lead to a community-backed fork of MySQL, much like PostgreSQL? Or will it finally free MySQL from the dominance of a single vendor, a situation it’s been in since its inception?
No matter what unfolds, MySQL remains a perfectly valid and strong open-source database choice for developers today. It boasts a massive community, and there’s a deep passion for what its future could be. The real challenge now is channeling that enthusiasm to get MySQL back to its rightful place. It’s a fantastic database, simple to integrate and run applications with, and often the perfect solution when PostgreSQL might be overkill or just not the right fit.
This is the moment to jump in! Get involved with the events the MySQL community is organizing, join the Foundation for MySQL Slack channel, and help us shape a bright future for the entire community. Let’s get excited about MySQL again!
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