What are the most popular database programs?

The most popular software for databases can be divided into two categories: commercial and open source. Within the commercial category, you will find products like Oracle, IBM DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server. Products within the open-source category include MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB and SQLite. These tools are used by millions of businesses around the world because they have been designed to support a variety of critical tasks such as data storage, data backup and recovery, reporting and analytics. In addition to these benefits common to all databases, each tool has its own advantages as well as particular uses that it performs better than its competitors.

For example, many users say that Oracle’s reliability and scalability make it a popular choice for large-scale data warehouses. MySQL has a reputation as being an easy-to-use, fast and reliable database commonly used for web applications. MariaDB is often seen as extremely similar to MySQL with the added benefit of being free. If you want to take advantage of SQLite’s simplicity without giving up certain features such as ACID compliance, then SQLite may be a good choice.

We’ve compiled this list of the most popular databases on the market according to industry analyst reports, independent analyst reports and real-world usage. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it includes many of the top database management systems available for commercial use today.

Oracle Database

Who makes it: Oracle was founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, Robert Miner and Ed Oates. Today, Oracle is the world’s second-largest software maker by revenue after Microsoft with 53 billion U.S dollars in 2014. What products / markets does it serve: Oracle serves businesses worldwide with a full range of software applications for ERP (enterprise resource planning), CRM (customer relationship management), EIM (enterprise information management), SCM (supply chain management), SRM (social value creation) and HCM (human capital management). Oracle also provides specific solutions for industries including insurance, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail distribution and telecommunications. Best known for: Being used by some of the world’s largest organizations to manage their most important data sets. Typical users: Smaller companies that have deployed Oracle applications for ERP or CRM tend to have fewer employees. Larger businesses often have
more resources available making them better able to commit to a database system with higher levels of redundancy and availability. When was it released: 1977.

What makes it special

Oracle has the second-largest market share in the industry with its most recent quarterly report showing growth of 2.6% and a record-high revenue for the year of 10.8 billion U.S dollars. It is commonly used as an enterprise database and has achieved widespread adoption due to its reputation for high performance, reliability and scalability.

Microsoft SQL

Server Who Makes it: Microsoft purchased DATAllegro in 2008 and turned it into what is now recognized as one of the industry’s leaders among relational database management systems (RDBMS). What products / markets does it serve: According to DB-Engines , Microsoft SQL Server is most often used by large enterprises for transactional data storage, reporting, analytics and application development. Best known for: Being the most popular RDBMS on theWindows platform. Typical users: Organizations that are already running other Windows applications, or who have in-house development resources that would only need to learn a new system rather than new programming languages. When was it released: 1979.
What makes it special
Microsoft products are often some of the most pervasive in the world with Microsoft SQL Server being no exception as some have estimated its market penetration at 80%, higher than any other competing product on this list. In addition to these impressive market numbers, many reviewers cite the quality of support and documentation as what sets Microsoft apart from competitors.

IBM DB2

Who Makes it: A subsidiary of IBM Corporation , IBM’s DB2 has been around since 1990 when it was first introduced as a real-time data server. What products / markets does it serve: IBM DB2 is a fully integrated database environment that supports transaction management, data management, concurrency control, indexing and recovery. Unlike other databases on this list, DB2 can be deployed either as software or via cloud services offered by IBM. Best known for: being the leading RDBMS for mainframes with an estimated market share of approximately 57%. Typical users: organizations who are running mission-critical systems requiring high uptime and data security. When was it released: 1990.

What makes it special

At 18 years old, DB2 outpaces even Oracle’s age by 10 years. Though not necessarily the latest product on the market in terms of innovation, many have cited its longevity as one of its greatest strengths. In addition to its market recognition and exceptional performance, many have said that its ability to integrate with other IBM software is an unrivaled benefit in terms of management and productivity.