MySQL

Open-Source Relational Databasemysql.com

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system owned by Oracle Corporation, serving developers and enterprises with web, cloud, mobile, and embedded applications through Community, Standard, Enterprise, NDB Cluster, and HeatWave cloud editions, including integrated AI/ML capabilities.

Company typePrivate
Founded1995
HeadquartersCupertino, United States
Headcount5,001–10,000
GTM typeB2B
OfferingSoftware

What MySQL does

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) founded in 1995 in Sweden by Michael Widenius, David Axmark, and Allan Larsson. It provides ACID-compliant transaction processing via the InnoDB storage engine and forms a foundational layer of the LAMP web stack, serving developers and enterprises building scalable web, cloud, mobile, and embedded applications. The platform has been under Oracle Corporation ownership since 2010, following Oracle's $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems, and operates as a product line within Oracle rather than as an independent reporting entity.

The product portfolio spans the free GPL-licensed MySQL Community Edition, MySQL Standard Edition for scalable OLTP, MySQL Enterprise Edition with advanced security (Transparent Data Encryption, Firewall, Masking, Audit), backup, and scalability features, MySQL Classic Edition for ISV/OEM embedding, MySQL NDB Cluster CGE for distributed 99.999% availability deployments, and MySQL HeatWave as a fully managed cloud database service on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and AWS with integrated in-database AI/ML capabilities including AutoML, in-database LLMs, vector store for retrieval-augmented generation, and natural language to SQL conversion. Supporting tools include MySQL Workbench, MySQL Shell with Python and JavaScript modes, MySQL Router, and a broad connector ecosystem. Notable technical components include MySQL InnoDB Cluster for high availability, MySQL Enterprise Backup for point-in-time recovery, the 9.x LIBRARY feature for in-database JavaScript and WebAssembly reuse, and vector search support added in 9.4/9.6.

MySQL generates revenue through annual subscriptions for Enterprise, Standard, NDB Cluster, and HeatWave editions, perpetual licensing for Classic Edition embedded deployments, Oracle Premier Support contracts, and paid MySQL Training and Certification programs. Go-to-market combines Oracle's global enterprise field sales organization covering 30+ countries, the Oracle Partner Network with zero-barrier 1-Click reselling, Oracle Store e-commerce, direct OEM/ISV licensing for 2,000+ embedded partners, and free Community Edition downloads that fuel a developer-led adoption funnel. Customers span technology (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Uber, Airbnb, GitHub, Shopify, LinkedIn, Pinterest), financial services (Toss Bank, Bank Leumi, BSE Mumbai Stock Exchange, RBL Bank), telecommunications (KDDI), media (BBC, Sony), and large-scale financial infrastructure (Union Mobile Financial Technology serving 530 million+ users, PT Pegadaian serving 24 million+ customers across 4,086 outlets). In 2026, Oracle announced a strategic reset moving select commercial features into the Community Edition, publishing a public development roadmap, and launching MySQL 9.7 LTS with the MySQL Server REST Service and Hypergraph optimizer as part of the platform's 30th anniversary positioning.

MySQL firmographics

Firmographics

Name: MySQL
Legal name: Oracle Corporation
Website: http://www.mysql.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1995
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 5,001–10,000 employees
Short description: MySQL is an open-source relational database management system owned by Oracle Corporation, serving developers and enterprises with web, cloud, mobile, and embedded applications through Community, Standard, Enterprise, NDB Cluster, and HeatWave cloud editions, including integrated AI/ML capabilities.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

MySQL industry classification

Industry

Product category: Open-Source Relational Database
NAICS: Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
SIC: Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
akta.pro primary industry: Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) (HDAEAAAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) Platforms (HDAEAAAN), Database Tools & Ecosystem (Replication, Backup/Recovery, HA/DR, Monitoring) (HDAEAAAO), Managed Databases (Relational/NoSQL/In-Memory DBaaS) (HDABAAAE), Database Administration & Data Engineering (RDBMS/NoSQL, ETL/ELT, Pipelines) (EDABAFAI)

Keywords

Open-source database
Relational database management
Cloud database service
Embedded database solutions
Transactional database software

Where MySQL is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Cupertino
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

MySQL business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Software
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

MySQL Enterprise Edition Subscriptions: Annual subscription model for MySQL Enterprise Edition including licenses, support, and maintenance. Tiered licensing based on server sockets or cores. Available through Oracle Store or channel partners.
MySQL HeatWave Cloud Service: Cloud database service subscription on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and AWS. Pay-as-you-go or subscription pricing for fully managed MySQL HeatWave.
MySQL Embedded (OEM/ISV) Licensing: Commercial license for embedding MySQL in commercial products (Classic Edition, Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition, or NDB Cluster CGE). License for perpetual use with optional Premier Support.
MySQL Community Edition: Free open-source distribution under GNU GPL. No direct revenue, but drives ecosystem adoption and creates path to commercial upgrades.
MySQL Training and Certification: Instructor-led training, virtual classes, self-paced courses, and MySQL Learning Subscription. Certification exams and value packages with free retakes.
Oracle Premier Support for MySQL: 24x7 technical support with unlimited incidents, knowledge base access, and maintenance releases. Part of Oracle Lifetime Support policy with Premier (Years 1-5), Extended (Years 6-8), and Sustain (Years 9+) options.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Others	MySQL Community Edition - Free open-source database
One time/ perpetual license	One-time	MySQL Classic Edition - For ISV/OEM embedding
Subscription	Annual	MySQL Standard Edition - Core enterprise features
Subscription	Annual	MySQL Enterprise Edition - Full feature set
Subscription	Annual	MySQL NDB Cluster CGE - Carrier-grade clustering
Subscription	Pay-as-you-go	MySQL HeatWave on OCI/AWS - Cloud database service
Subscription	Annual	MySQL Learning Subscription - Digital learning subscription
Subscription	Annual	Oracle Premier Support for MySQL

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

MySQL product offering

Product offering

Core offering

MySQL provides an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) under the GPL, alongside commercial editions (Enterprise, Standard, Classic, NDB Cluster CGE) sold through Oracle. It delivers a fully managed cloud database service (MySQL HeatWave) on OCI and AWS, integrated AI/ML capabilities via MySQL AI, and embedded OEM/ISV licensing for over 2,000 third-party products. Support, training, certification, and a broad connector/tool ecosystem (Workbench, Shell, Router) round out the platform.

Product overview

MySQL is a comprehensive database platform consisting of both open-source and commercial offerings. The core MySQL Community Edition provides the free, open-source database licensed under GPL. The commercial portfolio includes MySQL Enterprise Edition as the flagship enterprise product with advanced security, backup, scalability, and management features; MySQL Standard Edition for scalable OLTP applications; MySQL Classic Edition for embedded read-intensive use cases; and MySQL NDB Cluster CGE for distributed real-time high-availability deployments. The MySQL HeatWave cloud service (available on OCI and AWS) extends the platform with integrated transaction processing, analytics, and machine learning capabilities. MySQL AI provides automated ML and generative AI capabilities including AutoML, in-database LLMs, vector store for RAG, and natural language to SQL conversion. The ecosystem includes MySQL Workbench for visual database administration, MySQL Shell for command-line interface, MySQL Router for connection routing, and MySQL Connectors for application development across multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

MySQL HeatWave: A fully managed OLTP MySQL cloud service built on MySQL Enterprise Edition with integrated generative AI and machine learning capabilities for transactions and lakehouse scale analytics.
MySQL AI
MySQL Enterprise Edition
MySQL Standard Edition
MySQL Classic Edition
MySQL NDB Cluster CGE

Products and services

MySQL HeatWave

Quantifiable outcome

BSE Mumbai Stock Exchange meets 900% trading growth by scaling with MySQL Enterprise Edition
+9 more outcomes

Companies that use MySQL

Customer profile

Named customers22 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

MySQL technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: Yes
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability10 records

Feature14 records

MySQL partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Oracle Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOracle Partner Network provides MySQL channel partners including resellers, ISVs, and OEMs. Partners can resell MySQL Standard and Enterprise Edition through Oracle 1-Click Ordering process with zero barriers, no accreditations, and no program fees. Partners can sell 1, 2, or 3-year subscriptions.
Oracle 1-Click ProgramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorValue Added Distributors (VADs) can resell MySQL through Oracle 1-Click Ordering process. Enables rapid partner onboarding with zero barriers to reselling MySQL subscriptions.
MySQL and HeatWave ISV Catalog PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMySQL and HeatWave ISV Catalog enables ISVs and OEMs to join the ecosystem, get listed in the catalog, and gain visibility for their MySQL-based solutions.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

MySQL competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Google Cloud SQL for MySQL: Google Cloud's managed MySQL service. Direct competition to HeatWave MySQL on OCI and a deployment option for MySQL users on Google Cloud Platform.
PostgreSQL: Open-source relational database widely considered MySQL's primary open-source competitor. Comparable RDBMS offering with strong developer mindshare, making it the most direct substitute for MySQL in new application development.
MariaDB: Open-source RDBMS created by MySQL's original founder as a community fork after Oracle's acquisition. Offers MySQL wire-compatible protocol and is the most direct derivative competitor targeting former MySQL users.
Microsoft SQL Server: Commercial RDBMS directly competing with MySQL Enterprise Edition for enterprise OLTP workloads. MySQL positions itself as up to 90% cheaper for embedded deployments compared to SQL Server.
Amazon Aurora (MySQL-compatible): Cloud-native MySQL-compatible database from AWS offering managed relational performance at scale. Direct competition to HeatWave in the cloud DBaaS market.

Emerging players

CockroachDB: Distributed SQL (NewSQL) database offering PostgreSQL compatibility with horizontal scalability. Emerging direct competition to MySQL's NDB Cluster CGE and cloud-native database aspirations.
MongoDB: Leading document NoSQL database competing in modern application workloads where MySQL also has JSON and document store capabilities. Indirect overlap in web-scale application use cases.
SQLite: Embedded SQL database engine widely used in mobile and embedded applications. Partial overlap with MySQL Classic Edition in embedded/OEM scenarios with limited administration requirements.

Broad incumbents

Oracle Database: Oracle's flagship commercial RDBMS, now the parent product of MySQL. Competes at the high end of enterprise database market while MySQL targets broader web/cloud/embedded segments.
Snowflake: Cloud data platform with independent storage and compute architecture. Competes with HeatWave's analytics and lakehouse capabilities for cloud analytics workloads.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

MySQL compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance7 records

MySQL financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

MySQL leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

MySQL funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

MySQL M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MySQL

What does MySQL do?

Is MySQL a public or private company?

MySQL is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was MySQL founded?

MySQL was founded in 1995. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.

Where is MySQL based?

MySQL is headquartered in Cupertino, United States, in the North America region.

How does MySQL make money?

Six revenue lines are on record. MySQL Enterprise Edition Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are mySQL HeatWave Cloud Service, mySQL Embedded (OEM/ISV) Licensing, mySQL Community Edition, mySQL Training and Certification and oracle Premier Support for MySQL.

Who are MySQL's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Google Cloud SQL for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server and Amazon Aurora (MySQL-compatible). Emerging players are CockroachDB, MongoDB and SQLite. Broad incumbents are Oracle Database and Snowflake.

Does MySQL have an API?

Yes. MySQL Server REST Service enables developers to interact with MySQL databases via REST APIs. The service allows building RESTful applications and is part of MySQL 9.7 LTS features. MySQL Shell provides multi-language API supporting Python, JavaScript, and SQL modes for database administration, development, and scripting. The product also offers MySQL Connectors for various programming languages to enable application connectivity.

What industry is MySQL in?

MySQL's product category is Open-Source Relational Database. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAAAA, Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS), with a secondary code of HDAEAAAN, Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7372.