5.1. Overview of SQL Databases

  1. MySQL
    • Runs on UNIXes and NTs.
    • Very fast, especially for very small loads.
    • Incredibly limited and not easily extensible.
    • GPLed
    • Client library used to be LGPLed, but became GPLed in version 4.x and above. (this was a controversial move).
  2. PotgreSQL
    • Runs on UNIXes and NT.
    • Flexible, but still has some limitations.
    • Open-Source (BSD license)
  3. Firebird - supports the whole SQL 92' standard. Open-Source. Not as widely accepted as MySQL and PostgreSQL, and not as fast.
  4. MaxDB - another database made open-source (GPL with client library as GPL).
  5. Oracle - A commercial, proprietary solution that costs quite a bit, but is quite fast, and supports many features other databases don't.
  6. SQLite - a file-based SQL database system. Very lightweight and fast, but non-networked. Public Domain.

Others

Refer to this Freshmeat Editorial about the subject.

Written by Shlomi Fish