MariaDB vs Redis: What are the differences?

Introduction

MariaDB and Redis are both popular open-source databases used in web development. However, they have key differences in terms of data storage, data processing, scalability, data persistence, data structure, and data querying.

1. Data Storage: MariaDB is a traditional relational database that stores data in tables with a predefined schema. On the other hand, Redis is an in-memory data structure store that can store data in various formats such as strings, hashes, lists, sets, and sorted sets.

2. Data Processing: MariaDB is designed to handle complex SQL queries and supports advanced functionalities such as joins, subqueries, and transaction management. In contrast, Redis primarily focuses on simple key-value operations and does not provide the same level of complexity for data processing.

3. Scalability: MariaDB can scale horizontally by adding more servers and distributing the data across them. It supports sharding and replication to improve performance and handle large datasets. Redis, on the other hand, provides high performance and scalability through its in-memory architecture but lacks built-in features for horizontal scaling.

4. Data Persistence: MariaDB ensures data persistence by writing the data to disk. It supports different storage engines, including InnoDB and MyISAM, which provide durability even in the event of a system failure. Redis, however, primarily stores data in memory and offers optional persistence mechanisms such as snapshotting and appending-only file (AOF) persistence.

5. Data Structure: MariaDB stores data in a structured manner using tables with columns and rows. It enforces a schema where columns have defined data types and constraints. Redis, on the other hand, allows for flexible data structures and does not require a predefined schema. It can store and manipulate data in a variety of formats based on its use case.

6. Data Querying: MariaDB uses SQL (Structured Query Language) for querying and manipulating data. It provides a rich set of relational operations and supports complex queries. Redis, on the other hand, uses its own set of commands for data querying and manipulation. It provides simple operations like setting, getting, and deleting data based on keys.

In Summary, MariaDB is a traditional relational database with support for complex queries and structured data storage, while Redis is an in-memory data structure store optimized for high performance, flexibility, and simplicity in data manipulation.