What is our primary use case?
I develop applications in my spare time. So, if the application requires a database, I use MariaDB by default.
What is most valuable?
It works fine. It's easy to set up.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in terms of security.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using MariaDB since 2016. I started using it when I was in school. Moreover, I use the latest version available, depending on what I am doing.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable solution. I made a deployment for an internal IT service at one of the places I worked, and it's been seven years now, and it's still working perfectly.
I would rate the stability a solid nine out of ten. There is always room for improvement. Nothing is perfect, and maybe there are some issues that I'm not aware of.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
MariaDB is mainly a back-end application, so anyone using our service also uses the database. For example, if you use my monitoring service, which is used to monitor devices and appliances, then you'll be using the database. So, I'm not sure if that counts, but it's being extensively used in our company, and it's very helpful.
We plan to increase our usage of MariaDB in the future.
How are customer service and support?
I have never contacted the customer service and support team because our deployment is not very big; it's just something small. The data contained in it is not considered a big deal by my supervisor, so there hasn't been a need to contact tech support.
Moreover, we haven't faced any issues so far. It's been working smoothly for us.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. Mostly, I use MariaDB with Docker, so it's quite easy to set up and deploy. The documentation is also easy to understand and follow.
What about the implementation team?
I usually handle the deployment myself, without the need for any third-party help. I followed the documentation and steps provided. MariaDB can be deployed in-house, but mostly it's self-hosted, and I use it with Linux. I mostly use the package manager version or the bundle I get from the website and apply it myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I haven't used the licensing model for MariaDB, but I would prefer to use it since I am familiar with the platform and find it easy to work with. I wouldn't want to switch to a different database management system.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I've used PostgreSQL before, but that was in a personal capacity just for my own personal projects. Using MariaDB depends on the application I'm trying to deploy or what I'm trying to use. That's what determines if I will use MariaDB or Postgres as SQL.
What other advice do I have?
If I am teaching somebody to program and write applications, I usually use MariaDB by default because it's open source, pretty available, and overall, I would rate MariaDB a ten out of ten.
But if I want to do a major deployment, I would have to get support. It's very stable. For example, I was using it to host a monitoring system, and it's been stable for a very long time. I haven't upgraded it yet, but it's working fine. It's been seven years since I did the last deployment, and it's still fine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.