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When to Use MongoDB Rather than MySQL?

4 Mins read

When to Use MongoDB Rather than MySQL?

Database management systems have become an integral part of modernized web applications and mobile applications. With so many options available at your fingertips, it’s hard to pinpoint a single database that would become the perfect choice. However, it all boils down to your business needs and the kind of application you’re working on. There can’t be a single database that an organization can rely on for decades. You need to evolve your database system constantly and for that purpose, knowing the various options available becomes paramount.

Among the two major database types – relational databases and non-relational databases, two names that immediately come to your mind are MySQL and MongoDB.

These statistics are evident to prove the popularity of MongoDB and MySQL. There has been a constant debate about which is the best option among the two for different scenarios. Today, we will provide you with a comprehensive list of scenarios where MongoDB outscores the MySQL database. So, let’s begin.

Scenarios Where MongoDB Outscores MySQL

1. Flexibility of Schema

Now, when any web developer wants to decide whether to choose MongoDB or MySQL, schema flexibility is one of the first things that will strike their minds. If you look at MongoDB, there are no restrictions as far as the schema is concerned. You can have a set of documents, and it’s not even necessary to have a relation among them. Compared to that, MySQL has a clearly defined schema structure in terms of tables and columns that you have to pre-define. So, there isn’t much room as far as the MySQL database is concerned when it comes to flexibility.

2. Distributed System

Nowadays, there is a lot of work conducted through distributed systems compared to the traditional centralized systems. Now, when it comes to this type of scenario, MongoDB should be your preferred choice since it is designed on a distributed architecture. So it offers features like data localization and sharding with utmost ease. Compared to that, MySQL has a cluster system that you can activate to work with distributed systems. However, MySQL is designed with centralized architecture; therefore, you won’t get native distributed features.

3. Developer Productivity

Developer productivity is a parameter that most people don’t emphasize, but it is worth giving a thought to as you’re always on a tight deadline and budget. If choosing a particular database means faster access and minimal operations, it would increase your developer productivity. Comparing MySQL and MongoDB databases, MongoDB has a flexible schema structure, while MySQL has a rigid table structure. Therefore, MongoDB would assist you to increase the developer productivity by at least four to five times compared to the MySQL database.

4. Scalability

When it comes to scalability, MongoDB outscores the MySQL database by a considerable margin. However, with features like sharding and local data cluster accessibility present, MongoDB is a database that can be easily scaled. Also, MongoDB follows distributed database architecture, and so, you can achieve horizontal scalability. Compared to that, MySQL has minimal options as far as scalability goes. You can do vertical scaling or add more read replicas. Now, vertical scaling means adding more servers or resources and all that has an upper limit.

 

5. Security

Security is a massive concern for developers worldwide when selecting a particular database for their apps. The same is evaluated when there’s a comparison between MongoDB and MySQL databases. In this battle, MongoDB has a slight edge over MySQL, and that’s because MongoDB provides role-based access control with specific permissions for a particular user. It also encrypts all the communication with TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol. Compared to that, the MySQL database has privilege-based access control, so security has fewer layers.

6. Availability

Being always available and accessible from any place around the world is an attribute that would separate a database from other rivals. The same applies to MongoDB, where you have a distributed architecture to have a set of replicas placed on various locations. It allows you to access the data from anywhere and ensure that the database is available 99.9% of the time. Compared to that, MySQL is a centralized database, and a single failure in the node can cause its unavailability for a long time. That’s why MongoDB is the preferred choice for high availability.

7. Speed and Performance

When you talk about speed and performance, MongoDB has the edge over the MySQL database. MongoDB is known to handle large chunks of data with precision and accuracy. The reason behind that is its flexible schema structure that allows users to read and write the data in one single document. So, accessing data becomes faster, and performance becomes high. Compared to that, MySQL struggles when it needs to handle a considerable amount of data. The structured format requires you to perform multiple operations, and that means a lag in speed.

Now, you must have got an idea of situations where MongoDB should be your preferred choice over the MySQL database. However, the question that remains is, what are the famous use cases of MongoDB? Let’s find out that in our next section as we dive deeper into the subject.

Popular MongoDB Use Cases

  • Customer Analytics
  • Product Data Management
  • Content Management
  • Mobile App Development
  • Real-Time Data Integration
  • Operational Intelligence

Wrapping Up

MongoDB and MySQL have made their name among developer communities worldwide when talking about the most popular databases. However, both have their set of pros and cons, and it all boils down to individual or business requirements to decide which is the best possible option. This blog has tried to provide you with a comprehensive list of scenarios for which MongoDB should be your primary choice compared to the MySQL database.

We hope this will help you know the situations where MongoDB is likely to enhance your application performance. Which are the other scenarios or situations where MongoDB could become your preferred choice over any other database? Do let us know in the comment section below. We would be happy to know your viewpoint on this topic.

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