CST 363 Week 7

MongoDB VS MySQL

Similarities

MongoDB and MySQL are both popular database management systems used to store, organize, and retrieve data efficiently. They share several similarities. Both support indexing for fast queries, replication for reliability, and clustering for scalability. Each allows developers to query and filter data, and both are open-source and widely used across many industries.

Differences

MySQL is a relational database that stores data in structured tables with predefined schemas, making it ideal for applications that need strong organization and relationships between data, such as financial or inventory systems. MongoDB is a NoSQL document-based database that stores data as flexible JSON-like documents, allowing developers to modify structures easily without redefining schemas. MySQL supports complex joins and multi-table transactions, while MongoDB is designed for scalability and high performance with large or evolving data sets. MongoDB handles horizontal scaling naturally, whereas MySQL typically scales vertically but can support horizontal scaling with additional setup.

When to Use Each

Choose MySQL when working with structured data, strict data integrity, and complex relationships which is ideal for transactional systems. Choose MongoDB when handling unstructured or frequently changing data, or when you need fast development and easy scaling across multiple servers.