The most popular DBMS (database management systems) in the world in 2020

There are official ratings and other analytical data that show DBMS popularity.

Some ratings are based on the frequency of reference in search engine queries, ie, if people are more often looking for information on the database on the Internet, then we can conclude that this database is popular. And some focus on the number of questions asked about a particular database in specialized forums, ie, if more questions are asked about working with a particular database, it means it is used by many people, and it is popular.

On which this rating is based

In any case, such ratings, as well as programming language ratings, do not reflect the exact actual popularity of a particular DBMS, as they are based on a single indicator. And as a result, the ratings simply contradict each other.

However, if we analyze all the sources, we can identify several databases that are most often found in the top of each rating, especially since the composition of the top databases in all ratings is approximately the same, only the DBMS places are different.

On the basis of all these sources, we can conclude that certain databases are really popular for all indicators, not just for one.

Thus, to simplify your task in analyzing all the necessary information, this material presents the TOP 5 DBMS, which is based on all popular official ratings and indicators for the previous year.

Data sources (official indicators and DBMS ratings):

1. PYPL (PopularitY of Programming Language) – rating is based on Google search engine data;
2. Stack Overflow – based on the number of questions related to the database;
3. DB-Engines – this rating is based on many indicators:

• Data from Google, Bing and Yandex search engines;
• Number of questions on Stack Overflow and DBA Stack Exchange;
• Number of job offers on Indeed and Simply Hired that mention the system;
• Number of profiles on LinkedIn and Upwork professional networks that mention the system;
• Number of mentions on Twitter.

MySQL

MySQL is a free relational database management system. MySQL development and support is provided by Oracle. MySQL is widely spread on the Internet as a system of data storage at sites, in other words, the vast majority of sites store their data in a database MySQL. Therefore, it is not surprising that MySQL takes the leading position in our ranking.

In the Stack Overflow rating MySQL takes the first place, i.e. programmers most often ask questions related to MySQL.

In all other ratings MySQL confidently takes second place, and this is one of the most stable results among all our participants today. That is why MySQL takes the first place in the rating of the most popular DBMS.

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. It is actively used in the corporate sector, especially in large companies. And it is not just a DBMS – it is a whole complex of applications that allows not only to store and modify data, but also to analyze them, to secure this data and much more.

Microsoft SQL Server confidently takes the third line in the rating, so we give the second line of our rating to this DBMS.

Oracle

Oracle Database is a database management system from Oracle. This DBMS is also actively used by large companies and costs a lot of money, but in return it provides huge functionality and reliability. Therefore, Oracle Database and Microsoft SQL Server are serious competitors to each other.

The results of Oracle in the ratings are not so clear, for example, according to PYPL and DB-Engines, Oracle Database takes first place, according to Stack Overflow Oracle is on the eighth position, according to polls of software companies Oracle on the fourth place in popularity.

If we take into account only a couple of ratings, Oracle can be placed even on the first place, but if we take into account all the results, Oracle cannot be placed on the first place, so this DBMS ranks third in our rating.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a free relational database management system. It is actively used on UNIX-like platforms, to implement both small and medium, and large projects.

The best result of PostgreSQL in the ratings of Stack Overflow, where it ranks second after MySQL.

PYPL and DB-Engines put PostgreSQL in fourth place, surveys show that PostgreSQL is in third place in popularity, so PostgreSQL confidently takes fourth place in our ranking.

MongoDB

MongoDB is a document-based open source database management system that does not require a table schema description. MongoDB – is classified as NoSQL and uses JSON-like documents and database schema.

If all four previous DBMS on hearing at the majority of IT experts, about MongoDB heard not many. But it confidently takes 5th line in almost all ratings.

The Most Popular Database (TOPDB Index) 2004 – 2019