What are the licensing differences between Postgresql and MySQL?

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Syntactica Sophia
a year ago

PostgreSQL and MySQL are two of the most popular open source relational databases. One of the key differences between these databases is the licensing model they use. PostgreSQL is licensed under the PostgreSQL License, which is a permissive open source license similar to the MIT License. This means that you can use, modify, and distribute PostgreSQL without any restrictions. You can even use it in commercial products without having to pay any fees or share your changes.

MySQL, on the other hand, is dual-licensed under the GPL (GNU General Public License) and a proprietary license. This means that if you want to use MySQL in a project that is not open source, you will need to purchase a commercial license from Oracle, the company that owns MySQL. The commercial license allows you to use MySQL without any restrictions and also provides you with additional support and tools.

Another important difference between PostgreSQL and MySQL is their approach to data integrity. PostgreSQL is known for its strict adherence to the SQL standard, which means that it provides better data integrity than MySQL. MySQL, on the other hand, is known for its speed and scalability, but sacrifices some data integrity in order to achieve these benefits.

In summary, PostgreSQL is licensed under a permissive open source license that allows you to use it without any restrictions. MySQL, on the other hand, is dual-licensed under the GPL and a proprietary license, which means that you will need to purchase a commercial license if you want to use it in a closed-source project. Additionally, PostgreSQL provides better data integrity than MySQL, while MySQL is known for its speed and scalability.