Mongodb Vs MySQL - What's the Difference?

Introduction

MongoDB and MySQL are two of the most in-demand and commonly used database management systems in the industry. There are different scenarios and use cases that help us to identify the need for a suitable database management system.

MongoDB vs MySQL, which one is more efficient and suitable to use is still one of the most debatable topics in the market. Some organizations use MySQL that face a bit of difficulty dealing with data management and retrieval. Organizations also need a database that helps in faster development. Hence, finding and sticking with a more flexible and secure database becomes more difficult. MongoDB solves these issues as it is a schema-less database and less prone to security risks, making it secure, flexible, and fast compared to MySQL database.

Even though both MongoDB and MySQL are open-source and free-to-use databases, there exist a lot of differences in terms of features, advantages, disadvantages, and applications. In this article, we will briefly discuss the difference between MongoDB and MySQL database management systems.

What is MongoDB?

MongoDB is a NoSQL (Not only SQL) document oriented database which is designed especially for storage and management of non-relational data or unstructured data. MongoDB was released in the year 2007 by the 10gen organization. MongoDB is a free-to-use open-source DBMS where data is stored in the form of documents.

Document oriented database is a special database that deals with non-relational data like documents. They are designed to store and retrieve data from JSON-like documents. Since MongoDB is a document-oriented database it stores data in the form of key-value pair just like a JSON document. MongoDB replaces the concept of a traditional database.

MongoDB is used to represent a complex hierarchical relationship in a single record. Apart from that, MongoDB is a schema-less database which gives it freedom from following rigid schemas and also gives flexibility with the storage of data. MongoDB supports the concept of sharding which helps with load balancing.

What is MySQL?

MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) used to store structured or relational data. Relational data means every tuple or row in the table is related to some other row or tuple. MySQL was developed in the year 1995 by Oracle.

MySQL is one of the most preferred RDBMS for the past two decades. MySQL is based on SQL (Structured Query Language) which is a domain-specific programming language used to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations inside the RDBMS. MySQL follows a legacy system of storing data in the form of rows and columns inside a table. MySQL follows a pre-defined schema to manage the data to be inserted and the format in which they will be stored.

MySQL is written in C and C++ programming languages which makes it faster and more stable when compared to other RDBMS. MySQL is an easy-to-use RDBMS with both CLI and GUI versions. They are available in two editions where one is for enterprise and the other one is for the community(open-source).

How MySQL and MongoDB Work

The internal working complexity of both database management systems is different. However, in the context of MongoDB vs MySQL, assuming that one is far better than the other would be a big mistake.

Let's see how these work and the underlying complexities that help them to operate efficiently.

MySQL is a Legacy System

MySQL is a legacy system that stores relational data in the traditional way of storing them in tables in the form of rows and columns. MySQL follows the SQL programming language to perform operations like modify, create, delete, etc., on the data.

MySQL is designed based on the B-tree data structure. B-tree in the database is a self-balancing tree that aids in the efficient searching of elements inside a database.

MySQL is based on the B-tree table data structure which makes it a node-based DBMS. MySQL considers the B-tree structure to store relational data in the respective fields.

MongoDB is a NoSQL System

MongoDB is a NoSQL (Not only SQL) database that stores unstructured or non-relational data in the form of documents. As we know, MongoDB is a document-oriented database that is based on BSON (Binary JSON) or JSON language. It stores data in the same format as JSON or BSON in key-value pair format.

Many developers find it convenient to manage data in the BSON or JSON document format. MongoDB is also a schema-less database which makes it more flexible. The structure and model are the two factors that influence most organizations to choose MongoDB.

Key Difference Between MongoDB vs MySQL

The main difference between MongoDB and MySQL is their database structure. MongoDB is a NoSQL document-oriented database known for handling unstructured data efficiently with a flexible schema. MySQL, on the other hand, is a SQL-based relational database ideal for structured data with a fixed schema. MongoDB excels in scalability and flexibility, while MySQL ensures data consistency in transactions, making it suitable for applications where data integrity is crucial. The choice between them depends on the specific data needs of an application.

MongoDB Vs MySQL: Know The Difference

Now, let's take a brief look at the difference between MongoDB and MySQL databases by having a one-on-one comparison based on different parameters:

Benefits of MySQL

Let's discuss some of the benefits of MySQL database:

• MySQL is an open-source database management system that aids in the storage of structured data.
• MySQL is a community-driven database management system with huge community support.
• MySQL follows a pre-defined schema developed to manage the data to be inserted and the format in which they will be stored.
• MySQL provides security through password support also apart from a strong data security layer. The user or host needs to enter the password whenever they try to access the database.
• MySQL provides robust support in the transactions as it follows the ACID property of DBMS.

Benefits of MongoDB

Now, let's discuss some of the benefits of the MongoDB database:

• MongoDB is a NoSQL database that aids in storing non-structured or non-relational data.
• MongoDB is a schema-free database that provides freedom from following rigid schema for storing data inside the database.
• MongoDB is used in big data as it can manage huge amounts of unstructured data.
• MongoDB provides the support of several aggregate operations like Map-Reduce commands on the data.
• MongoDB supports the concept of sharding which helps in load balancing.
• MongoDB provides a smooth experience to businesses with better data storage, searching in the database, and flexibility.

MongoDB vs MySQL: Similarities

Let's now take a look at some of the similarities between MongoDB and MySQL:

• MongoDB and MySQL both are free-to-use and open-source database management systems.
• Both MongoDB and MySQL are used to perform CRUD operations on the data.
• Indexing is an important concept when we consider efficiency for a DBMS and hence both MongoDB and MySQL provide indexing of data.
• Both MongoDB and MySQL provide the support of several programming languages like Java, Python, and NodeJS.

Applications for MongoDB and MySQL

Let's take a look at some of the differences in applications of MongoDB and MySQL:

MongoDB:

• MongoDB database provides the support of real-time data analytics at a higher speed.
• MongoDB is one of the inevitable parts of the MEAN (MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, NodeJS) or MERN (MongoDB, ExpressJS, ReactJS, NodeJS) technology stack used in web development.
• MongoDB helps businesses to analyze the big data (huge amount of data) produced.
• MongoDB is widely used in real-world companies like Aadhar, Shutterfly, and eBay.

MySQL:

• MySQL is widely used in the management of content.
• MySQL provides support for high encryption of data for applications like Instagram, and Facebook.
• MySQL is widely used in various E-commerce platforms.
• MySQL is used in real-world companies like Wikipedia and Twitter.
• Several organizations like Youtube, Netflix, Airbnb, and more use MySQL as their primary database.