Where it fits
Organisations operating compatible MySQL-family applications on infrastructure they control.
Trade-offs and limitations
MariaDB and MySQL have diverged. Do not assume every version, authentication plugin or query is interchangeable.
Deployment and technology
MariaDB Server; select a supported operating system and storage engine. Self-hosting requires a supported deployment, capacity planning and a named maintainer. Consult the official installation guide for the current version.
Portability and integration
| API | SQL protocol and MariaDB connectors |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Users, roles and version-specific authentication plugins |
| Data export | Logical SQL exports and physical backup tooling; verify version compatibility |
Migration considerations
Check engine support, collations and SQL modes; compare queries and restore a production-like backup.
Security and ongoing costs
Budget for infrastructure, implementation, monitoring, patching, backups, restore tests and user support. Check the supported release and current advisories with the project. An open licence is not a security guarantee.
Freedom score and exit difficulty
A complete, evidence-backed assessment of all 15 criteria is required before publishing a score. Exit difficulty depends on your customisations, data model, integrations and operating documentation. This profile does not claim a hands-on benchmark or a complete security assessment.
Primary sources
Profile reviewed 2026-09-13. Verify the exact release, edition and extensions before implementation.