21/06/2023, 12:14 MySQL vs. SQLite.

As a change of pace, I decided to take… | by Mike Wolfe | Towards Data Science

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MySQL vs. SQLite

Exploring the differences between two popular databases.

Mike Wolfe · Follow

Published in Towards Data Science
6 min read · Apr 25, 2021

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Photo by Javardh on Unsplash

As a change of pace, I decided to take a trip back to Databases. This time though, I
wanted to do a little comparison instead of another tutorial-style post. Thinking
about my time in college, I remember a particular class where we discussed using
either MySQL or SQLite. In the end, we used SQLite due to the portability, but this
got me thinking. The conversation would suggest that MySQL and SQLite were very
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21/06/2023, 12:14 MySQL vs. SQLite. As a change of pace, I decided to take… | by Mike Wolfe | Towards Data Science

similar, however, I know that is not the case. So how are they different? And are
there any areas they are very similar? So in this post, we will be discussing just that.
How different are MySQL and SQLite? And which is better to use for your project?

A Quick Look At Comparisons

Both MySQL and SQLite are forms of a Relational Database Management System
(RDBMS). These are based on the Structured Query Language (SQL). In addition, the
syntax of each can be similar, and, in my opinion, it is not too difficult to learn one
after the other. That being said, even though this may sound like a very similar
background, this is where our similarities end.

A Look At The Background Details

First, to get a start we should look at the background code for each. For both MySQL
and SQLite, C is used as the development language. That being said, only MySQL
was also developed using C++. Both are also open-sourced. While MySQL is
managed by Oracle, SQLite’s code is available for both personal and commercial use
in the public domain.

Next, we can take a look at how it runs or what it runs on. MySQL uses a database
server to run on a network, which can then be accessed by the client. SQLite,
however, is what is known as an embedded database. This means that the structure
is stored on the application itself. By storing on the application, SQLite is portable
and easy to move, as all table information is located in the file. That being said, it
also means that no other application on a network has access to the database.

Being SQLite is portable, it must then also be very lightweight. In fact, the required
space, although depending on the system, can be less than 600 KiB. SQLite also
requires no prior installation nor setup. Additionally, it is also entirely self-
contained and therefore has no external dependencies. SQLite is also sometimes
referred to as an “out-of-the-box” RDBMS, as it does not require configuration such
as starting or stopping the program. MySQL, on the other hand, does require
installation. It also runs much heavier. The required space to function is around 600
Mb. That being said, MySQL also supports replication and scalability.

But What About Datatypes?

Supported datatypes is a large difference between MySQL and SQLite. MySQL
supports a wide variety of data types, including different numeric types, date and
time types, and string types. This allows for most data to be stored safely inside the

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correct type if selected well. On the other hand, SQLite does not support nearly as
many types. In fact, SQLite supports only NULL, integer, real, text, and blob. As you
can see, data may not always find the best fit within one of these types. Such a
setback is required to keep SQLite so beginner-friendly and lightweight.

Scalability And Other Important Features

As already touched on earlier, connectivity in a network is one difference between
MySQL and SQLite. With SQLite being self-contained, other clients on a network
would not have access to the database unlike with MySQL. This is also extended to
multi-user capabilities. MySQL is able to handle many connections at the same
time. However, SQLite is only able to handle one connection. In addition, with
MySQL, different users may be created with a range of different permissions, while
with SQLite user management is not a capability and therefore not supported.

In terms of scalability, there are a few different factors to consider. First, MySQL is
able to handle a large volume of data. This could be in having a large variety of
tables, or it could be having many entries for each table. With SQLite, it is built to
run lightweight and small, and so the more data is stored the less efficient and the
worse performance is. One small feature that MySQL contains that SQLite does not
is the support of XML format. Another very large factor is the matter of
authentication. With MySQL, users with permissions may be created, which means
those users need to be authenticated. One such form would be usernames and
passwords. This is to prevent outside users from being able to either alter or access
any information within the database. In SQLite, however, there is no built-in
authentication that is supported. This means that not only can anyone access the
database, but that entries or even entire tables may be added, updated, or removed
by anyone.

Although multi-user accessibility may not be supported by SQLite, there is some

very limited concurrency. This means that multiple processes are able to access the
database at the same time, but making changes at the same time is not something
supported. However, with MySQL concurrency is much more possible. That being
said, making changes at the same time could still pose issues, which would make
these issues in RDBMS similar.

Security is a large, and important, feature of MySQL. Because it is server-side,

MySQL has built-in features to keep unwanted people from easily accessing data.
Although not perfect, it provides a world of difference when compared to SQLite.

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This is because SQLite is embedded, and therefore does not have the same bug
prevention other important security features that MySQL has as a server-side
database.

How And When To Choose

In large, MySQL is used when transactions are more frequent. It is commonly used
on web and desktop applications. MySQL should also be selected if network
capabilities are a must. It would also be the choice if multiple users are needed, if
stronger security is required, or if authentication is involved. If a large amount of
data is needed to be stored, MySQL would also be the choice for the job.

SQLite is more commonly used when data is predefined and used on applications
such as on mobile. For such applications, being confined in the files of the device is
not a problem, and a network is not needed. That being said, there are times where
SQLite may be the choice. Such a time is if a small amount of space remains, or if
small amounts of data need to be stored for an application that will minimally
access the database and not require heavy calculations. I know when I was making
small projects in college, SQLite was a good way to get a database created quickly.
Those little stand-alone applications may not need users, or even the ability for
more than the application to reach the database, which is when SQLite may be the
decision for you.

All-in-all, it really comes down to what you’re comfortable using, and what you
think seems like the better fit. After all, no one will know your project as well as you
do.

Conclusion
As a change of pace, I thought comparing two different RDBMS, MySQL and SQLite,
was an interesting dive. It gave not only a little background on each but more of an
understanding of how each worked. We also looked at a few major differences
between the two, and that they really are less similar than what you may be lead to
believe. In the end, we took a short look at when you may want to use one over the
other, although that is more up to the user and your particular project. I hope you
learned something from this, and that you found the information useful. I know I
found it interesting. Until next time, cheers!

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