1. Open Source: MariaDB is totally open source whereas MySQL uses dual licensing model. With MariaDB you get the assurance of better support because it relies on the community.
1. Compatibility: MariaDB is highly compatible with MySQL and can serve as a drop-in replacement as it uses similar commands and structures. This allows you to switch databases without having to change your applications.
1. More Storage Engines: MariaDB supports a larger number of storage engines as compared to MySQL. This makes it more flexible and adaptable to different types of workloads.
1. Richer Feature Set: MariaDB includes several features that are not available in MySQL, such as newer storage engines, additional features like GIS and JSON support.
1. Regular Updates: MariaDB follows a regular release cycle ensuring users get to experience new features and improvements more frequently.
1. Independent Development: Since Oracle’s acquisition of MySQL, many users have expressed concerns about Oracle’s control over the project. MariaDB, on the other hand, is independently developed.
1. Security: MariaDB often receives security updates faster than MySQL. MariaDB’s developers also maintain a list of security vulnerabilities that have been patched in MariaDB but not yet in MySQL.
1. Performance: Depending on the workload, MariaDB may perform better than MySQL because of certain architectural differences and features like thread pool that handles high number of connections from multiple clients.
