As part of the contest we conducted recently, we got 160+ comments from the geeky readers who choose their favorite database.
Based on this data, the top spot goes to.. drum roll please..
MySQL
If you are new to any of the top 5 database mentioned here, please read the rest of the article to understand more about them.
1. MySQL
MySQL is used in almost all the open source web projects that require a database in the back-end. MySQL is part of the powerful LAMP stack along with Linux, Apache and PHP.
This was originally created by a company called MySQL AB, which was acquired by Sun Microsystems, which was acquired by Oracle. Since we don’t what Oracle will do with MySQL database, open source community has created several forks of MySQL including Drizzle and MariaDB.
Following are few key features:
- Written in C and C++.
- MyISAM storage uses b-tree disk tables with index compression for high performance.
- Support for partitioning and replication.
- Support for Xpath, full text search.
- Support for stored procedures, triggers, views etc.,
Additional Information:
- Home Page: http://www.mysql.com/
- Stable release: 5.1.43
- License: GNU
- Read more about MySQL , Drizzle and MariaDB on Wikipedia
2. PostgreSQL
PotgreSQL is a open source object-relational database system. It runs on most *nix flavours, Windows and Mac OS. This has full support for joins, views, triggers, stored procedures etc.,
Following are few key features:
- MVCC – Multi-Version Concurrency Control
- Hot backups and point-in-time recovery
- Support for tablespaces
- Asynchronous replication
- Highly scalable
Additional Information:
- Home page: http://www.postgresql.org/
- Stable release: 8.4.2
- License: Open source MIT License
- Read more about PostgreSQL at wikipedia
3. Oracle
Oracle is the best database for any mission critical commercial application. Oracle has following four different editions of the database: 1) Enterprise Edition 2) Standard Edition 3) Standard Edition One 4) Express Edition
Following are few key features of the oracle database.
- Real Application Cluster (RAC)
- Data Guard for standby database
- Virtual Private Database
- Automatic Memory, Storage and Undo Management
- OLAP, Partitioning, Data Mining
- Advance Queuing, XML DB, Support for Spatial data
- Flashback Database, Query, Table and Transaction
Additional Information:
- Home Page: http://www.oracle.com/us/products/database/index.htm
- Stable release: 11g R2
- License: Proprietary
- Read more about Oracle at wikipedia
4. SQLite
SQLite does not work like a traditional client-server model with standalone process. Instead, it is a self-contained, server-less SQL database engine.
Main Features of SQLite:
- Zero configuration with no setup or admin tasks.
- Complete database is stored in a single disk file.
- No external dependencies
- Supports database of several TB in size
- Work on most *nix flavors, Mac OS X, windows. It’s also cross-platform.
- WinCE is supported out-of-the box
Additional Information:
- Home Page: http://sqlite.org/index.html
- Developed by: D. Richard Hipp
- Stable release: 3.6.22
- License: Public domain
- Read more about SQLite at wikipedia
5. Microsoft SQL Server
This is Microsoft’s flagship Database product. If you are stuck in a company that heavily uses Microsoft products, you might end-up working on MS SQL Server.
- Home Page: http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/default.aspx
- License: Microsoft EULA
- Stable release: SQL Server 2008
- Written in C, C++
- Read more about MS SQL Server at wikipedia
My name is Ramesh Natarajan. I will be posting instruction guides, how-to, troubleshooting tips and tricks on Linux, database, hardware, security and web. My focus is to write articles that will either teach you or help you resolve a problem. Read more about
Comments on this entry are closed.
why don’t you notice about casandra?
Is it possible that only people having knowledge of MySQL or interested in learning more about MySQL are coming to this site as the difference between first and others is really huge which either makes mockery of the contest or implies that MySQL dominates more than 70% of the DB market. Just a thought..
Oracle best for mission-critical apps?! Another fine example of how consensus should not be taken for reality.
You’d be surprised, I’m sure, to learn just how much of the world actually runs on one of the many flavours of Pick/Multi-value, and that because they have learned the hard way, rather than by the consensus of observers and mono-theists, what actually works best.
Pick’s data-structures and file-system, while unusual, are simple to comprehend and use. Its query language was among the first. And it is so easy to program that most Pick ‘programmers’ are really little more than advanced users. (So, if you’re looking for a field where your structured, objective, collaborative programming skills will catapult you to the forefront, here’s a field that’s wide open.) (And the pay’s pretty good, too!)
Oracle is a false friend to Linux. SQL and friends are really just annexes of Microsoft.
As databases go, ‘Pick’ is Linux’s truest friend, and, as such, warrants at least some recognition if not promotion.
I don’t see any ranking for DB2 UDB or sybase…
I think the title of this entry is somewhat misleading ‘Top 5 Best Databases’. Top 5 best databases for what? Top 5 best databases for small internet applications?
I’m underwhelmed that the title of this piece does not take into account the databases mentioned above by S Atluri, or indeed the Progress OpenEdge RDBMS which all have huge user bases to take into account.
The question on the link provided is “What is your favourite Database?” – This certainly is not related to the article title mentioned on this page?
Postgresql, Mysql + InnoDb and Oracle all use MVCC. And Afaik the newer sql servers also have some form of snapshot isolation.
I agree to Rich M. Title is misleading. Also I think it should be “database systems” or “database management systems” in title 🙂
Any database system at least allows for:
1) data model
2) atomic, safe and concurrent access to data
3) consistency of data
4) administration procedures (backup, recovery, etc..)
The only thing which SQLlite has is a data model. It’s not a DB.
i want to learn how to configure DNS serv er, NIS server in red hat Linux…..pls forward me the complete configuration….thanks in advance.
For NoSQL via Python, definitely check out the y_serial module which uses SQLite as database — amazingly simple yet persistent: http://yserial.sourceforge.net for more info and tutorial within the code itself.
I am belonging to the category 5. But I expected you to give a technical up-down on it. I too come from Microsoft hating community.
Ignoring something is not the mature way to give your opinions. Please add more info and why MS SQL is so despicable, leaving out the compatibility woes.