Is MySQL Now the Runner‑Up to PostgreSQL in the AI Era?

Discussions comparing MySQL and PostgreSQL have become a hot topic in recent years, and indiscriminate criticism or praise of either side is unhelpful.

MySQL does have some historical shortcomings, but it also possesses the qualities many bloggers exaggerate: it is open‑source, free, simple, stable, and backed by a massive user community, which has allowed it to dominate the relational‑database landscape for the past two decades. For many traditional, simple business applications, MySQL remains a reliable choice.

However, the era is changing. When looking beyond traditional workloads, PostgreSQL appears better suited to become the star in the AI wave.

In recent years PostgreSQL’s momentum has been unstoppable. Almost every innovative database project embraces its ecosystem—examples include database platforms built directly on PostgreSQL such as Neon and Supabase, as well as newer distributed and OLAP systems like CockroachDB and DuckDB that, while developing their own core architectures, remain compatible with PostgreSQL’s query syntax or protocol to lower the entry barrier for users.

The biggest advantage of PostgreSQL, and the “trump card” that lets it pull ahead in the AI era, is its powerful extensibility. Developers can install a wide range of plug‑ins without modifying the kernel, turning PostgreSQL into a “Swiss‑army‑knife” for data.

Key extensions that illustrate this one‑stop capability include:

pgvector : an officially recommended extension for AI vector retrieval, offering strong performance and a mature ecosystem comparable to dedicated vector databases.

pg_bm25 : provides built‑in full‑text search (sufficient for basic needs) or can be extended for more advanced scenarios.

TimescaleDB : a top‑tier extension for time‑series data.

PostGIS : the industry‑standard extension for geographic information.

This “all‑in‑one” solution means many projects no longer need external middleware such as Elasticsearch or Milvus; an enhanced PostgreSQL instance can satisfy diverse requirements, dramatically simplifying the technology stack and reducing development and operations complexity and cost.

According to the 2025 Stack Overflow Global Developer Survey, PostgreSQL has overtaken MySQL to become the most loved database among developers.

Although MySQL still leads the DB‑Engines market‑share ranking thanks to a huge legacy system base, that reflects past momentum rather than future direction. Developer enthusiasm tends to be a better indicator of technological trends.

PostgreSQL’s strengths are undeniable, but database selection is not a zero‑sum game. For many simple CRUD‑type applications, PostgreSQL’s advanced features may be unnecessary and could introduce extra learning curves and maintenance overhead.

Therefore, instead of arguing over superiority, it is better to return to the business requirements. MySQL remains a reliable foundation for small‑to‑medium applications, while PostgreSQL, with its superior extensibility and friendly support for emerging scenarios—especially AI—offers a broader horizon for complex, future‑oriented applications.

There is no silver bullet; the best choice is the one that fits your specific needs.