Cloudways Database Support: MariaDB 10.11 & MySQL 8.4

In this article, we will discuss what MySQL and MariaDB are, their differences, and why Cloudways supports both database engines — MySQL 8.4 and MariaDB 10.11 (default) — to ensure compatibility, flexibility, and high performance for all PHP-based applications.

Table of Contents:

A database is a structured, organized set of data. A web database is a database application designed to be managed and accessed through the internet or electronically from a computer system.

In computing terminology, a database is a software that stores and organizes data. Think of it as a file cabinet where you store data in different sections called tables.

When you need a particular file, you look into that specific section (table) and get the file (data) you need.

DBMS refers to a Database Management System, a software or set of software programs to control the retrieval, storage, and modification of organized data in a database.

MariaDB is a ubiquitous example of DBMS. Database Manager is part of DBMS, which handles data organization, retrieval, and storage.

A database manager creates a bridge or links two or more files together and is the foundation for developing conventional business systems.

On the contrary, a file manager works with only one file at a time and is typically used interactively on a computer to manage personal and independent data and files.

MySQL is an open-source database management system that allows you to manage relational databases.

Here, free and open-source means that you can use this tool without paying anything, and you can also change its source code and tailor it based on your requirements.

It is an Oracle bracked RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) based on Structured Query Language (SQL).

It was initially released on May 23, 1995, by a Swedish company called MySQL AB, founded by Michael Monty Widenius, David Axmark, and Allan Larsson.

MySQL is a full-fledged database server, and client tools are available on various platforms such as Linux, macOS, Unix, Windows, etc.; it can be installed easily on a server and a desktop pc.

It is also a critical LAMP stack component, including Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

The SQL language is used for accessing and managing content in the database, and the reason for its popularity is fast processing, flexibility, and reliability.

MySQL remains one of the most widely used relational database systems, offering stability and excellent performance for modern applications.

Cloudways now supports MySQL 8.4, the latest long-term supported version that introduces improved performance, security enhancements, and extended JSON, CTE, and window function capabilities.

Both MySQL 8.4 and MariaDB 10.11 are critical components of PHP-based applications such as WordPress, Magento, Laravel, and more.

MariaDB is an advanced and compatible drop-in replacement for the equivalent MySQL version.

It is also free and remains an open-source RDBMS (Relational Database Management System), which means that MariaDB can be used without paying anything, and changes can be made in the source code to meet the requirements.

It was created by the original developers of MySQL and was first released on 29 October 2009.

MariaDB is a database server, and client tools like MySQL are available on various platforms such as Linux, macOS, Unix, Windows, etc.

Data is turned into structured information in a wide array of applications by MariaDB, and it is used because it is blazingly fast and reliable when it comes to accessing and managing content with a rich ecosystem of plugins, storage engines, and many other utilities for a wide variety of use cases.

MariaDB provides an SQL interface for accessing data. The latest versions of MariaDB also include GIS and JSON features.

MySQL and MariaDB are critical fragments of almost all PHP applications, such as Magento, WordPress, etc.

MariaDB continues to be Cloudways’ database engine, along with MySQL due to its performance efficiency, open-source transparency, and broad compatibility.

Cloudways uses MariaDB 10.11 as the default database version on newly deployed servers, ensuring high performance and improved query handling.

Cloudways now supports both MariaDB and MySQL database engines, allowing users to choose the version that best suits their project requirements.

You can upgrade your database if you are running older versions such as MariaDB 10.5 or 10.6. New servers deployed after April 9, 2025, run Debian 12 distribution with MariaDB 10.11 by default.

The following table summarizes the supported upgrade paths:

You can also switch between supported database engines during a server deployment, depending on your application’s compatibility requirements.

With Cloudways now supporting both MySQL 8.4 and MariaDB 10.11, users can choose the database engine that best fits their workflow. While MariaDB remains the on Cloudways Platform, MySQL 8.4 provides a stable alternative for developers seeking Oracle compatibility and long-term support.

Here, we will compare MySQL with MariaDB to understand why Cloudways moved to MariaDB. The MySQL developers forked MariaDB for future enhancements and development.

MariaDB is a drop-in replacement of MySQL, which means that MySQL users can move to MariaDB without having compatibility issues. MySQL core components are tables, roles, constraints, stored procedures, and views.

A table consists of rows, and every row contains the same set of columns. MySQL uses keys to identify rows/records in a table, and foreign keys are used to assure successful links between two related tables.

Since MariaDB is a fork of MySQL thus, the indexes, database structures, command-line tools, and syntax of the queries of MariaDB are the same as MySQL, which results in no alteration to be done at the application level to use the MariaDB, which also means that data and table definition files are fully compatible.

Also, MySQL connectors will work with MariaDB without any alteration, and the client protocols, APIs, and structures remain the same too with MariaDB.

To understand what thread pooling is, one needs to think of two or more slots able to handle new processes; as soon as one is available, a new instruction takes its place for processing.

It does not mean that there is an infinite number of processing slots, as this would be counterproductive, yet a new instruction can be handled as soon as any slot is available.

With this knowledge in mind, let’s look at how both MySQL and MariaDB can handle simultaneous instructions.

MySQL has a feature of thread pooling available in the enterprise edition but not in the community free version, but MariaDB has a thread pooling feature available in the free version as well.

MySQL community version works on one thread per connection, which means that multiple connections are not supported on a single thread; therefore, in MySQL number of connections is directly proportional to the number of threads, which leads to slow query results and average performance.

On the other hand, MariaDB offers a thread pooling facility where a pool will have open threads in which a new connection can pick up and query the database, so MariaDB does not open a new thread for a new connection, which results in faster query results and better performance.

MariaDB also offers a groundbreaking feature of Storage Engines, which are pre-installed, such as InnoDB, CSV, Aria, etc.

In contrast, MySQL does not provide storage engines, but it can be installed afterward manually.

A storage engine is used to create, read, and update data from a database by the Database Management System (DBMS).

Oracle Corporation does the current development of MySQL; therefore, its development decisions are not publicly available.

In contrast, MariaDB development is publicly available, reviewable, and debatable.

MySQL makes security releases once in two months, whereas MariaDB simultaneously follows industry standards by releasing its security upgrades and announcements.

The latter also shares information about all their security vulnerabilities.

Cloudways continues to provide both MariaDB (default) and MySQL to ensure developers and businesses have the flexibility to select the most suitable engine for their applications.

MariaDB remains the default due to its speed, open development model, and performance benefits, while MySQL 8.4 offers a stable and enterprise-ready option.

If you are using an older version, you can easily upgrade through the Cloudways Platform.

That’s it! We hope this article was helpful.

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