Versus
Postgres vs MySQL
| Feature | PostgreSQL | MySQL (InnoDB) |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Process per connection. Higher memory overhead per connection. | Thread per connection. Generally lower memory footprint. |
| JSON Support | `jsonb` is legendary. Can be indexed and queried efficiently. | Has JSON data type, but historically less performant than Postgres. |
| Extensibility | Extremely high. PostGIS for geospatial, TimescaleDB, custom types. | Limited. Focus is on core relational features. |
| Replication | Logical and physical replication. Historically harder to set up. | Master-slave replication is rock solid and famously easy to configure. |
The Verdict
If you are starting a new project today, default to PostgreSQL. It has superior compliance to SQL standards, better handling of complex queries, and the `jsonb` column type often negates the need for a separate NoSQL database. MySQL remains an excellent choice if you have existing expertise, need simpler replication setups, or are building read-heavy applications where connection pooling overhead must be absolutely minimized.