Lifecycle and Version Management of MySQL and MariaDB

In this article we explore the lifecycle and version‑management approaches of MySQL and MariaDB, focusing on their community editions and providing historical context.

Both MySQL and MariaDB offer community and enterprise editions. MySQL’s editions are provided by Oracle under a unified versioning scheme, while MariaDB’s community edition is maintained by the MariaDB Foundation and its enterprise edition by MariaDB PLC, which follows a distinct lifecycle.

MariaDB originated as a MySQL fork but diverged from version 10 onward, establishing its own release cadence. Major releases (e.g., 10.1, 10.2, 10.6, 10.11) appear every 1‑2 years, each with a five‑year LTS support window. To reduce maintenance burden, MariaDB introduced an “Innovation Release Model” in late 2021, mirroring Ubuntu: quarterly short‑term releases (1‑year support) alongside selective LTS releases (minimum five years). The latest major series is 11, with the current LTS still being 10.11, supported until February 2028.

MySQL historically followed a traditional cycle with major releases (5.5, 5.6, 5.7) and minor bug‑fix releases. MySQL 8, launched in April 2018, shifted to a continuous‑iteration model where each minor version adds features and fixes, effectively becoming an “Innovation” release. Oracle plans to complement this with a new release model that defines Innovation versions (quarterly, only the latest supported) and LTS versions (released every few years with eight years of Oracle support).

The two communities recognize the need for both rapid innovation and stability, but they handle non‑LTS releases differently: MariaDB offers short‑term support versions that let users choose upgrade timing, whereas MySQL rolls all fixes into the latest Innovation version, reducing the number of supported branches.

Another key difference lies in upgrade paths: MySQL permits only upgrades to the next major version, while MariaDB allows skipping major versions during upgrades.

References: [1] MariaDB lifecycle – https://mariadb.com/docs/server/products/mariadb-enterprise-server/lifecycle/ [2] MariaDB 10 changes – https://mariadb.com/kb/en/changes-improvements-in-mariadb-10-0/ [3] Innovation release model – https://mariadb.com/newsroom/press-releases/mariadb-announces-new-innovation-release-model/ [4] MariaDB 10.11 details – https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-server-10-11/ [5] MySQL new release model – https://blogs.oracle.com/mysql/post/introducing-mysql-innovation-and-longterm-support-lts-versions