Over time, collecting, managing, and evaluating data has become exceedingly important for companies all around the globe. Even now, data management is evolving at a breakneck pace. According to Forbes, managing data is as crucial as having data. Due to the rising demand for data management tools, numerous DBMS or Database Management Software are available in the market. Two of the most popular ones are MySQL and MongoDB. This article will take an in-depth look into MongoDB and MySQL and list some of their significant differences based on different factors.

What is MongoDB?

MongoDB is a free Database Management Software that features unique design features. One of the most significant differences between MongoDB and other DBMS platforms is that MongoDB is an open-source NoSQL database. Therefore, MongoDB follows an entirely different approach to storing and managing data, i.e., it represents information about data in a collection of JSON-resembling documents. Besides this, the DBMS software also offers support for Golang projects. Golang or Go is an open source programming language whose syntax and structure closely resemble that of C. It is highly regarded as one of the best programming languages in the industry for cloud computing. To know how you can use Go with MongoDB, click here https://setapp.com/how-to/use-go-with-mongodb.

What is MySQL?

One of the most famous names when talking about RDBMS software is MySQL. Owned by Oracle Corporation, MySQL is an open-source platform that follows the traditional way of managing data, i.e., using rows and tables. It uses SQL or Structured Query Language to access data. To retrieve stored data, users need to input proper SQL commands that merge multiple tables and create an informational view of the required window. MySQL’s approach offers better security but lags in providing flexibility to users.

Differences Between MongoDB and MySQL:

Even though both the database management platforms share a few similarities, they have many differences in different aspects. Here are some of the most significant ones:

• Performance

Determining and differentiating between the performance of two database systems that follow entirely different management approaches is very difficult. For example, MySQL is built for delivering exceptional performances when it comes to joining multiple properly-indexed tables. On the other hand, MongoDB follows a different model of managing data, i.e., it eliminates the need to join multiple documents since most of the data is stored in a single one. To conclude, MySQL is quicker when choosing numerous records, whereas MongoDB is faster when inserting or making updates to multiple records.

• Scalability

One of the significant benefits that MongoDB’s design presents to its users is that the database is easily scalable. Using a sharded cluster, users can configure a database as a replica. Data is generally distributed across numerous servers when using a sharded cluster. This non-rigid approach of the DBMS software allows it to horizontally scale the “read and write” performance of an application of any size or scale. When it comes to MySQL, the scalability factor is comparatively more limited. MySQL provides users with two options – vertical scalability or introducing read replicas. The first option involves putting in more resources to the server, but there is an upper limit. The second option involves adding multiple readable copies of the database to different servers. However, the most number of replicas a user can add is five, each of which can only be used for read-only actions. This creates issues with write-heavy applications. Even though a multi-master replication feature has been added to the RDBMS, the implementation is minimal.

• Usability

Starting with MongoDB, the DBMS software is preferred by developers primarily because the data storage policy is easily understandable to anyone who possesses a firm grip over programming languages. Data in MongoDB is stored in collections without any enforced schema. This feature makes the software suitable for developers who are not database experts but want to operate one to develop applications. On the other hand, developers who have ample experience in orthodox SQL scripting and creating solutions for RDBMS prefer using MySQL. Moreover, developers who modify or update pre-existing applications also use MySQL. MySQL may be a better choice for applications that require rigid and complex data structures.

• Security

MongoDB provides its users with a set of flexible permissions. Each user is assigned to a specific role, and according to that role, they are granted specific permissions that give them control over data sets and other operations. A Transport Layer Security or TLS encryption makes communicating on the platform secure. Moreover, users can write securely encrypted documents using a Master key that is unavailable to the company. MySQL also offers similar security features. The RDBMS software also follows the same authentication model. Therefore, it is safe to say that both platforms are highly secure.

Even though there is some similarity between the two, MongoDB and MySQL are very different in multiple aspects, as seen in the subsections above. Therefore, choose the most suitable database management software for yourself based on your requirements.