When building a new application, one of the first decisions you\'ll face is which database to use. PostgreSQL and MySQL are both excellent, widely-used, open-source databases. Here\'s how to think about the choice.
PostgreSQL: our default recommendation
PostgreSQL is our default choice for new projects. It\'s technically superior in most dimensions: better compliance with SQL standards, more data types, better handling of complex queries, and more advanced features like JSONB, full-text search, and row-level security.
For most business applications — SaaS products, internal tools, APIs — PostgreSQL is the right choice. It handles everything MySQL does, and then some.
MySQL: when it makes sense
MySQL is a solid choice and has an enormous ecosystem. It makes sense when you\'re working with a platform that natively uses MySQL (like older WordPress setups), when you need maximum compatibility with legacy systems, or when your team has deep MySQL expertise.
The practical answer
For new projects: use PostgreSQL. It\'s more capable, just as fast for typical workloads, and the default for many modern frameworks and deployment platforms. The cases where MySQL is definitively better are increasingly rare.
For existing projects on MySQL: don\'t migrate for the sake of it. The cost of migration rarely justifies the benefit unless you\'re hitting specific limitations.
Questions about your data architecture? Let\'s talk.