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MongoDB vs MySQL

Two sides of the database decision: managed database and run it yourself. When each fits, what it costs, who moves from one to the other, and what makers who chose it say.

MongoDBManaged databasellms.txt
MySQLRun it yourself
Ask your AI about this, with this page as the source:ChatGPT ↗Claude ↗Perplexity ↗

Which fits you

Choose MongoDB if
  • Document-shaped data and teams already fluent in Mongo.

Use it whenYour team already knows Mongo, or your records vary so much in shape that a fixed schema gets in the way.

Trade-offNo joins or schema by default, so relational data and migrations take discipline you'd get for free in Postgres.

Choose MySQL if
  • PHP, Laravel, WordPress and Rails stacks, and teams that already know MySQL well.

Use it whenYour framework, host or existing data already assumes MySQL, or you're joining a codebase built on it.

Trade-offFewer extensions and advanced types than Postgres, so most new tooling (vectors, JSON-heavy work) targets Postgres first.

At a glance

MongoDBMySQL
Used by131 makers' products · 148 open-source projects6 makers' products · 178 open-source projects
Cost at default usagedatabase size 8 GB, data transfer 50 GB, document or row reads 10 million reads, document or row writes 2 million writes$58/mo Atlas Dedicated M10—
Downloads14.5M/wk−45% vs npm14.3M/wk+17% vs npm
PricingFree Atlas tier; paid clusters by size. · paid from $0.011/hourFree (open source Community Edition); managed versions are sold by cloud providers.
Free tierYesYes
Open sourceNo · self-hostableYes · self-hostable
Incidents, 90 daysfrom its status page19 (7 major)no public status feed

What makers say

Makers on using it for database, from Product Hunt and Starter Story interviews, each linked to the source. Products with a page of their own and fuller notes first.

On MongoDB
Shoutout to MongoDB for providing a powerful, flexible database solution that scales with our needs. Your platform helps us manage and analyze vast amounts of data seamlessly!
Exploit Alarm, the makerSep 2026 ↗
…nd technology infrastructure: Amazon Web Services (AWS) , Google Analytics , Qovery , and MongoDB Email Marketing: Sendgrid Social Media: Buffer for automation and Canva for design Freela…
Finvault, the makerOct 2022 ↗
…>Salesforce , Hubspot , HeyMantle Customer Support: Intercom Insights: MixPanel Database: MongoDB Hosting: AWS Internal Communications: Slack Creative Design: Figma + Canva Video recordin…
TxtCart®, the makerAug 2024 ↗
82 more on the MongoDB page →
On MySQL
We needed a structured and reliable database to handle team interactions and activity tracking effortlessly. It’s the pizza vault where every slice sent, received, and celebrated is safely stored! 🍕📦
PizzaTime, the makerSep 2026 ↗
This relational database is known for its reliability and extensive adoption. It benefits from a large community and ample resources for support and learning. By adhering to SQL standards, it eases development and migration processes. Additionally, it provides flexible scalability options, both horizontal and vertica…
Amploo, the makerSep 2026 ↗
We chose MySQL for its reliability, speed, and flexibility, ensuring efficient data management and scalability for our project.
Meetor, the makerSep 2026 ↗
1 more on the MySQL page →

Loved and watch-outs

Themes that recur in makers' words and Hacker News comments, each linked to what it summarises.

MongoDB
Most loved
  • The flexible document model lets fast-changing products evolve their data without rigid migrations. PHPH 2PH 3HN
  • Atlas starts on a free tier and handles scaling, backups and monitoring, so there is little database to manage. PHPH 2PH 3PH 4
  • Atlas Vector Search keeps embeddings next to regular documents, so RAG and agent data combine vector and structured queries. PHHN
Watch-outs
  • Its history of unsafe defaults and lost writes left a lasting reputation that still keeps many developers away. HNHN 2HN 3HN 4
  • Anything beyond simple reads and writes is hard, and aggregation pipelines feel primitive next to SQL, which costs more over time. HNHN 2
  • Indexes are kept in memory, so larger datasets demand a lot of server RAM. HN
On Product Hunt: 5.0★, 68 reviews · mentioned most: flexible schema, NoSQL database, scalable database
MySQLOn Product Hunt: 5.0★, 6 reviews

Who uses each

MongoDB131 makers' products
agumbe.devAidaJetAiTermAlchemyzeAlpaca ChatANDREASOAupair ValleyBoltBrand.devChikitAIcmd.haus+119 more
MySQL6 makers' products
Amploocmd.hausPizzaTimeSwipeartMeetorSnippeta
Used by both — often one replacing the other, or each for a different part of the product
cmd.haus

What makers pair each with

With MongoDB
Hosting
Frontend Framework
Transactional Email
LLM API
With MySQL
Frontend Framework
Backend Framework
Database Access & ORMs
LLM API

Neither quite right?

See the whole database decision →
SupabaseBackend platformPostgres plus auth, storage and realtime in one project.vs MongoDB →
ConvexBackend platformRealtime, collaborative apps written entirely in TypeScript.
FirebaseBackend platformMobile apps that need offline sync and client-side SDKs.
NeonManaged databaseServerless Postgres that scales to zero, with a branch per preview deploy.
PlanetScaleManaged databaseApps that expect heavy scale and want zero-downtime schema changes.
TursoManaged databaseSQLite at the edge, or one database per customer.
PostgreSQLRun it yourselfThe engine behind most of the hosted options above, run on your own server or container for full control and a flat cost.vs MongoDB →vs MySQL →