# Database Comparison

Enhance supports MySQL and MariaDB. It is possible to run different database kinds on each server in your Enhance cluster.

Key differences:

MySQL MariaDB
Json Stores JSON reports as binary objects. Stores JSON reports in strings. MariaDB’s JSON data type is an alias for LONGTEXT.
Oracle database compatability Has a high level of compatibility, but does not support PL/SQL. Has a high level of compatibility and supports PL/SQL since version 10.3.
Speed and performance Slightly slower than MariaDB in replication and querying. Slightly faster than MySQL in replication and querying.
Functionality Supports super read-only function, dynamic columns, and data masking. Supports invisible columns and temporary table space.
Authentication Has the validate_password component. Has three password validator plugins.
Encryption Uses InnoDB and AES to encrypt data at rest. Supports temporary log encryption and binary log encryption.
Storage engines Has fewer storage engines than MariaDB. Has more storage engines than MySQL and can use multiple engines in one table.
Thread pooling Has thread pooling in its Enterprise Edition. Can manage over 200,000 connections at once, which is more than MySQL.