PostgreSQL vs MySQL vs SQLite: Choosing the Right Database for Your Project

The database question comes up in every backend project. PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite are the three relational databases that cover the vast majority of use cases — from mobile apps to high-traffic web services to enterprise data warehouses. They all speak SQL. They all store relational data reliably. But they make very different tradeoffs. This guide is about making the right call for your specific situation. We compare the three across ACID compliance, performance at scale, JSON support, full-text search, replication, and ease of setup. We show the same schema in each. And we give you a concrete decision framework. TL;DR PostgreSQL MySQL SQLite ACID compliance Full Full (InnoDB) Full Performance at scale Excellent Excellent Limited (no concurrency) JSON support Excellent (JSONB) Good (JSON type) Via text (limited) Full-text search Good (built-in) Basic Basic Replication Flexible (logical, streaming) Mature Not applicable Setup complexity Moderate Easy None (file-based) Hosted option