Ask HN: Why would you choose Oracle over MySQL?

6 points·jollojou··5 comments

Recently Amazon made Oracle database available an AWS service. What advantages Oracle databases have over MySQL? How about disadvantages (excluding the pricing, of course)?

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Google has a ton of decent into, search for "oracle vs mysql".

Both have their respected places, but Oracle is in general "more". More complicated, more difficult to install and configure, more flexible, more powerful, more money. If you don't need "more", then MySQL is quite capable.

If you have a licence and people who know Oracle I'd definitely choose it. Look at and compare the feature lists - there is quite a difference even before you look at performance and scalability in a transactional system.

Also if you're doing any government and "enterprise" gigs, hearing the word Oracle and Java somewhat makes them happy. I bet there's some Dilbert comic about it.

Simply, there are few reasons you might choose Oracle over MySQL or PostgreSQL.

- You have an application in your stack that requires it. - You are building an app that would be installed on cus tomer premises, and want to support enterprisey customers. - You have a founder, or early employee, or team that REALLY knows Oracle very well and doesn't know a cheaper database. - You're looking to be acquired by Oracle, or by an enterprise-type of company, like Cisco, EMC, etc.

You get to pay more for a DBA.

The mix is the message here, if you don't know what it does for you, you don't need it.

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