MySQL vs MariaDB:What's the Difference for Websites?

MariaDB began in 2009 as a community-developed fork of MySQL, created by some of MySQL's original developers. For most websites the two behave the same: they use the same SQL language, the same client protocol and compatible tools, and applications such as WordPress support both. The differences matter mainly for specialised features, exact version compatibility and moving data between them.

A short history

MySQL was created in the 1990s and is now owned by Oracle, which develops it as an open-source product with commercial editions. MariaDB was forked from MySQL after Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems (MySQL's previous owner) and is developed by the MariaDB Foundation and MariaDB plc. Early MariaDB versions tracked MySQL closely; since then the two have diverged in features and versioning.

Many Linux distributions and hosting platforms ship MariaDB by default, while others provide MySQL. In a control panel you often see one or the other, not both.

What is the same

• SQL for everyday queries: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, joins, indexes.
• Storage engine: both use InnoDB (MariaDB maintains its own variant) as the default for transactional data.
• Tools: phpMyAdmin, mysqldump, the mysql command-line client and most GUI clients work with both.
• Application support: WordPress, WooCommerce, Laravel, Drupal and Magento support both, within the versions they list.

Where they differ

Area	MySQL	MariaDB
Developer	Oracle	MariaDB Foundation and MariaDB plc
Version numbers	5.7, 8.0, 8.4 and later	10.x and 11.x series
JSON	Native binary JSON type	JSON is an alias of text with validation functions
Some features	Features such as specific window and JSON functions arrive at different times	Extras such as additional storage engines and temporal tables
Default authentication	caching_sha2_password in recent versions	mysql_native_password-style and unix socket options
System tables and replication details	Differ between products	Differ between products

The details change from version to version, so check the documentation for the exact versions you run rather than relying on general statements.

Will your website notice?

For a typical CMS site: probably not. A WordPress site moves between MySQL and MariaDB routinely during hosting migrations. WordPress lists recommended versions of both on its requirements page.

You are more likely to notice if your application:

• uses JSON columns heavily or advanced JSON functions;
• relies on version-specific SQL features or optimiser behaviour;
• uses replication, clustering or vendor-specific tools;
• connects with a client library that expects a particular authentication method.

Moving data between them

1. Export with mysqldump or phpMyAdmin in SQL format.
2. Check the target version. Importing a dump from a newer server into an older one is where problems usually appear.
3. Watch for collation errors. A dump created on MySQL 8 may use utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci, which older MariaDB versions do not recognise. Replacing it with a supported utf8mb4 collation before importing usually solves this.
4. Test the application on a staging copy before switching DNS.

See how to migrate a WordPress site to a new host for the full process.

Worked example: an import that fails after a host move

A site moved from a host running MySQL 8 to one running an older MariaDB version. Importing the SQL dump in phpMyAdmin stops with:

#1273 - Unknown collation: 'utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci'

MySQL 8 uses the utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci collation by default, which that MariaDB version does not have. The fix:

1. Open the dump file in a text editor that handles large files (or use sed on the command line).
2. Replace utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci with a collation MariaDB supports, such as utf8mb4_unicode_ci.
3. Import again.

sed -i 's/utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci/utf8mb4_unicode_ci/g' backup.sql

Character data is unaffected; only the sorting and comparison rules change slightly. Test pages that sort or search text afterwards.

Checking compatibility before a switch

• Note the exact versions on both servers (SELECT VERSION();).
• Check your application's supported versions.
• Look for features you rely on: JSON functions, specific SQL modes, authentication plugins.
• Run the application's test suite, or test the main user journeys, against the target version.
• Keep a backup of the original database until the switch is confirmed.

Performance

Neither is universally faster. Performance depends on version, configuration (especially the InnoDB buffer pool size), indexes and query design far more than on the product choice. On shared hosting, the provider tunes the server; on a VPS, see MySQL and MariaDB performance tuning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which should I choose for WordPress?

Either, at a version WordPress recommends. The version and configuration matter more than the product name.

How do I find out which one my host uses?

In cPanel, the right-hand "General Information" panel or phpMyAdmin's home page shows the database server type and version. In WordPress, see Tools → Site Health → Info → Database.

Can I install both on one server?

Technically yes, on different ports or in containers, but it is rarely useful for a website and complicates maintenance.

Related reading

Databases are one part of what a host provides; see what is web hosting. To create a database for a new site, follow how to create a MySQL database in cPanel, and compare the ServerNeed shared hosting plans.

Sources

• MariaDB documentation: MariaDB vs MySQL compatibility
• MySQL documentation
• WordPress requirements