Postgres vs MySQL
or 
I have used both MySQL and Postgres and if I was starting a project right now I would probably use Postgres. I have read the wikivs MySQL vs Postgres and there is a lot in there that I understand and a lot that I don’t.
What I like about Postgres is that it uses one storage engine (less choice, less ability to screw up). Postgres is also a “open source project” as oposed to Mysql’s “open source product”. There is also the bit about MySQL’s release policy which excludes quality as being a priority. For something that is going to be holding my data, which I really don’t want to lose, I don’t want something that is not of high quality.
I have used both database’s in a few different projects and never have I had any problems in regard to Postgres’s stability. MySQL on the other hand got corrupted the other week and I struggled to dump the database when I moved my blogs to another VPS. I ended up having to haphazardly delete some folders and files. Got it working in the end but it really concerned me. (A good case for always doing frequent backups).
If you voted at the bottom of the wikivs link above then you would have seen the popularity difference. Now it may just be that more Postgres fans ask the question, which is better between MySQL and Postgres or there is a general concence that Postgres is more popular.
I voted Postgres and I would recommend if you haven’t used PostgreSQL then you use it and get familiar with it’s abilities. Being able to choose between MySQL and Postgres is a skill you should have if you want to make your life easier.
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In: Server Config · Tagged with: mysql, postgresql
