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It's a split decision.
Choose DuckDB for embedded SQL analytics, local data wrangling, and work across CSV, JSON, Parquet, or Iceberg. Its MIT licence and published free model avoid database licence fees, with APIs for Python, Go, Java, Node.js, and Rust. Choose MySQL for application workloads that need its Community, Enterprise, Cluster, or HeatWave options, or OEM embedding. MySQL paid licences are priced per server by socket band; neither product is a universal substitute for the other.
01Side by side
| DuckDB | MySQL | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free MIT project; no paid plans listed | Free Community; paid editions licensed annually per server |
| Free tier | Commercial use permitted; no usage limits listed | Community Edition free under GPL |
| Open source and licence | MIT-licensed; governed by DuckDB Foundation | Community GPL; Enterprise and Cluster also offered |
| Self-hosting | Self-hostable on Windows, macOS, and Linux | Self-hostable; HeatWave also runs as a cloud service |
| Integrations | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL | HeatWave supports app deployment across cloud providers |
| Deployment model | In-process; edge devices through servers with hundreds of cores | Application, embedded, Cluster, and HeatWave cloud offerings |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Web |
| Limits and scaling | No usage limits listed; runs on servers with hundreds of cores | Cluster targets scalable web, cloud, and communications services |
DuckDB Choose DuckDB if
- Choose DuckDB if you need an in-process analytics database.
- Choose DuckDB if your workflow uses CSV, JSON, Parquet, or Iceberg.
- Choose DuckDB if you want an MIT-licensed database with language APIs.
MySQL Choose MySQL if
- Choose MySQL if you need its Community, Enterprise, or Cluster editions.
- Choose MySQL if you want HeatWave's cloud service for transactions and analytics.
- Choose MySQL if you are embedding a database in an OEM or ISV product.
02Pricing at real usage
DuckDB is MIT-licensed and free for personal and commercial use; its pricing page lists no paid plans or usage limits. Database licensing cost therefore does not rise with query volume in the published model, though infrastructure costs still depend on where you run it.
MySQL Community Edition is free under GPL. Paid server licences are annual: Standard costs $2,140 per server for 1–4 sockets and $4,280 for 5+; Enterprise costs $5,350 and $10,700 for those same socket bands. Those prices are per server, not per query or seat. Cluster Carrier Grade Edition costs $10,700 per server yearly for 1–4 sockets; 5+ socket pricing is not published. Enterprise includes a 30-day trial. The listed monthly price is not published; the pricing page gives annual list prices.
03API, SDKs and integration
DuckDB is primarily an in-process SQL database: embed it in an application, then use its native APIs. The homepage lists clients for Python, Go, Java, Node.js, and Rust, plus ODBC and a command-line client. It links to documentation and lists an install command for the CLI; its SQL is PostgreSQL-inspired. Extensions can add functions and format support. DuckDB reads and writes CSV, JSON, Parquet, and Iceberg locally or in object storage. Listed integrations include AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.
MySQL is positioned as an application database with Community, Enterprise, Cluster, and HeatWave offerings. The homepage describes HeatWave as a cloud service for transactions and lakehouse-scale analytics, and says apps can be deployed with a choice of cloud providers. It also identifies OEM, ISV, and VAR embedding. The homepage does not name language SDKs or a CLI, so confirm client support against the documentation for your application stack.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
DuckDB and MySQL Community are open source, but use different licences: DuckDB and related projects are MIT-licensed; MySQL Community Edition is GPL. Both are self-hostable. DuckDB lists Windows, macOS, and Linux, and describes deployment from edge devices to servers with hundreds of cores. MySQL offers separate Enterprise, Cluster, and HeatWave products; MySQL Classic is available only through OEM or embedded licensing.
DuckDB can read and write CSV, JSON, Parquet, and Iceberg, giving teams explicit file and lakehouse-format paths for moving data. That does not guarantee a drop-in migration of schemas, SQL, or application behavior. MySQL's homepage emphasizes database editions and embedded use but does not specify export formats. Validate schema and query compatibility and define an export path before switching; format support alone does not remove application-level lock-in.
Questions people ask
Can DuckDB read SQLite?
DuckDB's homepage lists SQLite as an integration, but that does not establish direct SQLite file-reading behavior. Its stated format support includes CSV, JSON, Parquet, and Iceberg. If your workflow depends on opening SQLite database files, check DuckDB's documentation for the relevant connector and verify schema and type handling before relying on it.
Which is better for analytics?
DuckDB is explicitly an analytical SQL database for data wrangling. MySQL also offers analytics through HeatWave, which the homepage describes as combining transactions and lakehouse-scale analytics in a cloud service. Choose based on whether you need an in-process database or MySQL's cloud and application database options.
Is DuckDB faster than MySQL?
The product pages do not provide a comparative benchmark, so we can't name a faster database from these claims. DuckDB is presented as an analytical database; MySQL covers transactions and analytics, including HeatWave. Performance depends on workload and deployment. Compare representative queries, data sizes, concurrency, and hardware before selecting.
Can DuckDB replace MySQL?
Not as a direct, workload-independent replacement. DuckDB targets in-process analytics and data wrangling, while MySQL offers application, embedded, Cluster, Enterprise, and HeatWave options. DuckDB's supported file formats can help move data, but they do not guarantee compatibility for schemas, SQL, or application behavior.