Is MySQL Dying? Why MariaDB and PostgreSQL Offer Safer, Faster Alternatives

MySQL open‑source status

MySQL is licensed under GPL v2, but since Oracle acquired Sun in 2009 the development process no longer follows open‑source principles. Core development is performed behind closed doors, community contributions are rarely accepted, and the public bug tracker is not the system actually used.

All core development occurs internally.

The official GitHub repository https://github.com/mysql/mysql-server showed a sharp decline in commit activity in 2025.

External pull requests are mostly ignored; when merged the original author is often omitted from the commit history.

The publicly advertised bug tracker does not reflect the real issue‑tracking workflow, limiting community feedback.

Technical stagnation and performance regression

Version 8.0.29 enabled in‑place ALTER TABLE by default, causing data corruption and crashes; only version 8.0.32 partially remedied the issue.

Oracle labels the 8.0 series as “evergreen” yet introduces breaking changes in minor releases, contrary to the expectation of bug‑only updates.

No major feature release has been delivered for six years: 8.0 was released in 2018, 8.1 remained a preview in 2023, and the 2024 LTS 8.4 was criticized for lacking new functionality.

Performance has regressed: benchmark tests by MySQL expert Mark Callaghan show MySQL 9.5 delivering roughly 15 % lower throughput than 8.0 under write‑intensive workloads.

Security vulnerabilities

In 2025 MySQL reported 123 CVE entries, while MariaDB reported only eight. The CVE descriptions for MySQL are often vague, lacking technical details, remediation code, or verification steps, forcing users to rely on Oracle statements.

Example: CVE‑2025‑53067 merely states that a high‑privilege attacker can exploit the vulnerability to compromise MySQL Server, without providing details or patches.

Migration considerations

Switching to MariaDB is generally seamless for most applications; the code base remains compatible with MySQL client protocols.

Domestic databases such as OceanBase and PolarDB also support MySQL‑compatible migration.

Global statistics indicate that 57 % of WordPress sites run on MariaDB, surpassing MySQL’s 42 % share. Projects like Wikipedia, Debian and Fedora have already migrated.

For workloads requiring advanced features (JSON, GIS, sophisticated transaction control), PostgreSQL is a strong alternative; TiDB offers distributed capabilities.

For the majority of small‑to‑medium workloads, MariaDB provides the best balance of compatibility, performance, and genuine open‑source governance.

Conclusion

Oracle’s strategy of feature reduction, closed‑source development, and service bundling creates a commercial lock‑in that undermines MySQL’s technical viability. The declining commit activity, stagnant feature roadmap, performance regressions, and the surge in security vulnerabilities collectively suggest that MySQL is no longer a sustainable choice for new projects.