MariaDB vs. MongoDB: How do they compare?

MariaDB and MongoDB are among the most widely used database systems for modern applications, each offering distinct advantages. MariaDB emphasises MySQL compatibility, stability and reliable data integrity, while MongoDB delivers high flexibility and horizontal scalability.

What are MariaDB and MongoDB?

MariaDB and MongoDB are powerful database management systems (DBMS) that follow very different approaches. MariaDB is a well-established open-source relational database created in 2009 as a fork of MySQL. It ensures strong data integrity with an SQL-based model and ACID compliance. MongoDB is a document-oriented NoSQL database that stores data in schemaless JSON-like documents (BSON), supports horizontal sharding, and adapts easily to a wide range of data models.

Key features of MariaDB vs. MongoDB

What do MariaDB and MongoDB have in common?

When comparing MariaDB vs MongoDB, it’s clear that despite their very different architectures, the two systems share some similarities. Both are open-source and free to use, which means users benefit from regular updates, security patches and support from a large developer community. Both databases run on all major platforms, making them easy to integrate into diverse IT environments.

Both primarily serve as back-end systems for modern web and enterprise applications. Whether it’s an online store, content management system or analytics platform, MariaDB and MongoDB are proven tools for storing and retrieving data. They also support a wide range of workloads from transaction processing to real-time analytics and provide command-line tools and graphical interfaces such as phpMyAdmin for MariaDB or MongoDB Compass for MongoDB. Beginners can get started quickly with tutorials and official guides, while advanced users benefit from extensive configuration options.

Security is another area of overlap. MariaDB uses SQL-based username and password access, while MongoDB relies on granular role-based controls. Both support TLS/SSL for securing client-server communication and offer encryption at rest.

What are the key differences between MariaDB and MongoDB?

Although MariaDB and MongoDB share some features, they differ significantly in several core areas: the data model, scalability, flexibility and performance.

Data model: Relational tables vs. document-oriented

MariaDB is a relational database that stores data in structured tables with predefined columns and strict data types. Relationships are defined with primary keys (table identifiers) and foreign keys (links to related tables). Complex queries are possible with SQL joins across multiple tables.

MongoDB, on the other hand, is document-oriented and stores data in BSON documents. These support a wide range of data types, including strings, numbers and geospatial data. Instead of a fixed schema, MongoDB groups documents into collections, which can be aggregated as needed.

Flexibility: Fixed schema vs. schemaless system

MariaDB relies on a defined schema that forces data into a tabular structure. Schema changes like adding or removing columns often require migration processes. While MariaDB does offer dynamic columns and JSON fields, these are limited to specific scenarios. MongoDB, however, uses a schemaless model, which provides far greater flexibility. Documents in a collection can contain various fields and new attributes can be added at any time.

The trade-off is clear: MariaDB’s relational schema enforces consistency and security through strict validation. MongoDB’s schemaless design, by contrast, allows fast and agile development along with easy modelling of complex or hierarchical data.

Scalability: Vertical vs. horizontal scaling

MariaDB primarily scales vertically, handling larger loads through the addition of more powerful hardware (CPU, RAM or SSD). For horizontal scaling, options such as Galera Cluster (for multi-primary replication) or the Spider storage engine (for sharding) are available, but they require significant configuration. MongoDB includes horizontal scaling by design. Data is distributed across multiple server nodes using sharding and replica sets provide automatic replication. Adding new nodes is straightforward, allowing MongoDB to scale quickly with growing datasets while maintaining high availability.

The differences become most apparent in management overhead and in how the databases perform under heavy workloads. MariaDB clusters require careful planning and regular maintenance to remain reliable as demand increases. By contrast, MongoDB allows additional nodes to be integrated almost seamlessly, allowing resources to be added quickly as data volumes grow.

Performance: SQL optimization vs. NoSQL speed

Performance is another dividing line. Thanks to its schemaless approach, MongoDB processes requests very quickly, especially in distributed clusters with high read and write demands. MariaDB performs strongly in transactional workloads and complex SQL join queries, delivering low latency and high throughput. However, response times can rise when dealing with large data volumes.

Which use cases are MariaDB and MongoDB best suited for?

MariaDB is well suited for traditional relational systems with high transaction volumes and complex data relationships. This includes e-commerce platforms, finance and booking systems, ERP solutions and data warehouse projects, where ACID compliance, referential integrity and precise queries are required.

MongoDB, by contrast, is a strong choice for applications with variable or rapidly evolving data structures and large datasets. Common use cases include content management systems, real-time analytics, gaming platforms, IoT applications and apps that require agile development and horizontal scaling.