Databases

MySQL is still the most popular open-source relational database management system used by some of the most frequently visited websites that include Facebook, Google, Wikipedia and Flickr.

PostgreSQL is a powerful open-source relational database which has earned a reputation for reliability, data integrity and correctness.

PostgreSQL and MySQL have distinct reputations for supporting specific types of applications, although both databases are often used across a wide spectrum of applications, and do sometimes provide overlapping per. PostgreSQL is known for its strength behind transactional enterprise applications, but it is also used to support many Web applications. Conversely, MySQL, the traditionally strong (and long preferred) database for Web applications, is also used by applications requiring transactional support. Importantly, either option has the flexibility to handle a large range of uses, but one may be a better technical or business choice based on individual circumstances.

One other option presents itself for many modern web applications, and is known generically as NoSQL. NoSQL refers to databases that store documents rather than relational data, and is a technology most commonly used for data-intense applications – currently used by Google, FaceBook, Amazon and Twitter. A document-based database really shines when an application requires high speed and very flexible, dynamic scalability, but isn’t a catch-all solution: while great for storing static data, it is less appropriate when data-integrity is key. We currently recommend MongoDB which combines the functionality of key-value store and rich queries used by traditional RDBMS systems.