In today’s world, where technology is constantly making great progress with each passing day, new tools are arriving on the market like a flood. Most of these new tools are so efficient that they are quickly replacing their old counterparts. It is true in the cases of SQL databases and MongoDB as well. The rapid increase in the popularity of MongoDB among people has led us to wonder whether it will end up replacing the ever-popular SQL. In this article, we will discuss SQL vs. MongoDB so that you get a good idea about which one is better for your needs.
What is SQL?
Before we get into the details of SQL vs. MongoDB, it’s important to understand what they are. The term “SQL” stands for “Structured Query Language.” It is a common language used to access and manipulate databases. SQL executes queries in order to retrieve or manipulate data. SQL databases are databases that use SQL. SQL is capable of selecting, inserting, updating, and removing records from a database by using a simple syntax.
This is nothing other than a clear-cut approach in SQL that is uncomplicated yet effective. Apart from being able to execute these tasks, SQL also empowers its users to construct new DBs, tables, views, and so on. One could also specify permissions for such tables, views, etc. SQL DBs are known for using these operations and providing top-notch performance and helping users effectively manage their databases.
What is MongoDB?
MongoDB is one of the most popular and rapidly developing NoSQL databases. MongoDB stores information in the form of a BSON structure or a document-type model. It is also well-known for providing outstanding performance, availability, and scalability in order to manage databases with ease.
This document-type model is ideal for data storage and retrieval. One of the primary reasons for its increased popularity is the excellent user experience it provides, as well as its data representation, which employs natural clusters in a variety of ways bit by bit. MongoDB is also open-source. As a result, it opens the door to rapid development.
Now, you might wonder what NoSQL is. Well, don’t worry. Let us give you a brief to help you understand better.
SQL vs. NoSQL
As we mentioned before, in SQL databases, the data being managed happens to be structured by utilizing views, tables, and so on. In NoSQL, however, the data remains unstructured and huge. You won’t find any tables, views, or any kind of structure here. Despite this dissimilarity, both databases are similar so long as their purpose is concerned, that is, data management.
SQL vs. MongoDB – The benefits and drawbacks:
SQL
Benefits
- In SQL, writing is very easy. The basic keywords are SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, etc., which are pretty straightforward.
- Here, huge amounts of data are retrieved quickly and with efficacy.
- SQL is a mature technology with amazing support and user experience.
Drawbacks
- In SQL, scaling is a bit difficult.
- Sometimes, the prospect of retrieving data can be a little limited.
- Modifying the structure may give rise to confusion.
MongoDB
Benefits
- In MongoDB, data is stored in multiple ways, including column-oriented, document-oriented format, etc.
- Here, one can construct documents without possessing a defined structure.
- MongoDB possesses massive scalability that makes it more robust.
Drawbacks
- MongoDB does not support any other transactions than ACID transactions when it comes to a single document.
- In relational database management systems, there is the awesome facility of triggers that have been a savior of many people numerous times. Unfortunately, in MongoDB, this facility is not present.
- It does not possess any joining facilities.
Now that you have acquired some basic knowledge about these two popular DBs, it’s time to start discussing their dissimilarities.
SQL vs. MongoDB – Key differences
- Relational Database Management Systems like MySQL utilize SQL, or Structured Query Language, for entry purposes. On the other hand, MongoDB makes use of MQL, or MongoDB Query Language, that developers created to make things more convenient.
- SQL is well-known for supporting drivers such as Java, PHP,.NET, Python, and many others, whereas MongoDB supports Java, JavaScript, DART, and others.
- SQL stores structured data by utilizing tables, while MongoDB has its use in storing unstructured data in BSON format.
- A schema database is a structural frame that is responsible for representing the logical view of a whole database. The schemas in SQL databases are not that flexible. They are permanent. On the contrary, in MongoDB databases, schemas are very flexible.
- SQL databases allow joins and thus contain foreign keys. On the other hand, MongoDB databases don’t permit joins, and as a consequence, they don’t possess any concept of foreign keys.
- The SQL database is commercial, while MongoDB is open-source.
- SQL servers are only compatible with Windows PCs. Contrarily, MongoDB servers go well with machines running on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
- Queries in SQL are way slower when compared to MongoDB as well as other NoSQL databases, because queries for a single data point or object may require joins to occur. This could be quite costly with huge amounts of data in databases.
Conclusion
As you can see from our SQL vs. MongoDB comparison, both SQL and MongoDB have their advantages and disadvantages. They are not without flaws. As a result, declaring a clear winner of this battle will be inappropriate. They are both one-of-a-kinds in their own way. It is now a fact that whether you should use SQL or MongoDB is entirely dependent on your requirements and preferences.
For example, if you want to create a portal for your organization that only its members can access, using a SQL database for storing and retrieving data would be the best option. This is due to SQL’s ease of use and effectiveness. However, if we are talking about developing an internet-based app, MongoDB would be preferable because it is capable of storing massive amounts of data in a fast and efficient manner by utilizing BSON.
Therefore, you have to understand that no matter how developed or advanced MongoDB becomes, it will never fully replace SQL. Both have their particular features and uses, and you should pick the one that best suits your needs.