PostgreSQL vs MySQL: Benchmarks

Database choice impacts application performance. PostgreSQL and MySQL serve different needs. At ZIRA Software, we benchmark databases for each project to ensure optimal performance.

Benchmark Setup

Test environment:

• Laravel 8.x application
• 1 million records
• 8GB RAM, 4 CPU cores
• SSD storage

Read Performance

Simple SELECT:

SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = 'test@example.com';

MySQL:      0.8ms
PostgreSQL: 0.9ms
Winner: MySQL (slightly)

Complex JOIN:

SELECT users.*, COUNT(orders.id)
FROM users
LEFT JOIN orders ON users.id = orders.user_id
GROUP BY users.id
ORDER BY COUNT(orders.id) DESC
LIMIT 100;

MySQL:      45ms
PostgreSQL: 38ms
Winner: PostgreSQL

Write Performance

Single INSERT:

MySQL:      1.2ms
PostgreSQL: 1.4ms
Winner: MySQL

Bulk INSERT (10,000 records):

MySQL:      850ms
PostgreSQL: 720ms
Winner: PostgreSQL

JSON Operations

SELECT * FROM products WHERE metadata->>'color' = 'blue';

MySQL:      125ms
PostgreSQL: 45ms
Winner: PostgreSQL (significantly)

Full-Text Search

SELECT * FROM articles WHERE MATCH(title, content) AGAINST('laravel tutorial');

MySQL:      85ms
PostgreSQL: 32ms (with ts_vector)
Winner: PostgreSQL

When to Choose MySQL

• Simple CRUD applications
• Read-heavy workloads
• Familiar team expertise
• Shared hosting compatibility
• WordPress/PHP ecosystem

When to Choose PostgreSQL

• Complex queries and JOINs
• JSON data storage
• Full-text search needs
• Advanced data types
• Geographic data (PostGIS)
• Enterprise features

Laravel Configuration

MySQL:

'mysql' => [
    'driver' => 'mysql',
    'host' => env('DB_HOST', '127.0.0.1'),
    'database' => env('DB_DATABASE', 'forge'),
    'charset' => 'utf8mb4',
    'collation' => 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci',
    'strict' => true,
],

PostgreSQL:

'pgsql' => [
    'driver' => 'pgsql',
    'host' => env('DB_HOST', '127.0.0.1'),
    'database' => env('DB_DATABASE', 'forge'),
    'charset' => 'utf8',
    'schema' => 'public',
],

Conclusion

PostgreSQL excels in complex queries, JSON, and full-text search. MySQL offers simpler setup and slightly faster basic operations. Choose based on application requirements.

Need database optimization? Contact ZIRA Software for performance consultation.