What is a MySQL Database?

A MySQL database is a system for storing and managing data in a structured way. It's the most widely used database software for websites and web applications worldwide. Nearly every WordPress website, webshop, or online application uses MySQL to store content, user data, orders, and other information.

MySQL is a relational database, which means data is stored in tables with rows and columns. These tables can be linked together through relationships, allowing you to organize complex data efficiently. For a WordPress site, this means separate tables for posts, users, comments, and settings that are intelligently connected to each other.

How a MySQL Database Works

A MySQL database consists of one or more tables where you store data. Each table has columns that define the data type, such as text, numbers, or dates. The rows contain the actual data. For a webshop, you could have a 'products' table with columns for name, price, description, and stock.

You communicate with MySQL via SQL queries (Structured Query Language). These are commands to retrieve, add, modify, or delete data. A simple query like SELECT * FROM products WHERE price < 50 retrieves all products costing less than 50 euros.

The database runs as a service on your web server and listens for requests from your website. When someone visits your website, your PHP code sends queries to the database to fetch the required information. This data is then processed and displayed to the visitor as HTML.

MySQL also offers advanced features like indexing for faster searches, transactions for data security, and user permissions to control access. You can create a database user who can only read data but not modify it, which is safe for certain applications.

Benefits of MySQL

The biggest advantages of MySQL are speed and reliability. The software is optimized for web applications and can process thousands of queries per second. For most websites, MySQL is fast enough, even with large amounts of data and many concurrent visitors.

MySQL is open source and free to use. This makes it popular with hosting providers and developers. Nearly every hosting package includes MySQL databases as standard, often unlimited or more than enough for normal websites.

Compatibility with PHP is excellent. WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and nearly every popular CMS uses MySQL as the standard database. There are extensive libraries and tools available that make working with MySQL databases easy.

MySQL has a huge community and excellent documentation. If you have a problem or want to learn something, you'll always find examples and solutions online. This makes it accessible, even for beginners.

Managing MySQL Databases

Most hosting providers offer phpMyAdmin, a web interface that lets you manage databases without command line knowledge. Through phpMyAdmin you can create tables, view and modify data, execute queries, and make backups.

For daily database management, you often use your hosting control panel. In cPanel you'll find "MySQL Databases" where you create new databases, add users, and set passwords. With Plesk and DirectAdmin, this works similarly.

It's wise to regularly back up your database. Most hosting providers automate this, but always check that the backups actually work. You can manually create a backup via phpMyAdmin by exporting a database as an SQL file.

Watch your database size. Many hosting packages have limits on database size. An average WordPress site has a database of 20-100MB. Webshops can be larger, especially with many products and orders. Monitor size regularly and optimize when necessary.

Optimizing Database Performance

A slow database makes your entire website slow. Therefore, regularly optimize your tables via phpMyAdmin. Select all tables and choose "Optimize table". This cleans up unnecessary data and restructures tables for better performance.

Indexes are crucial for fast queries. An index works like a table of contents: it helps MySQL quickly find the right data. WordPress automatically creates useful indexes, but if you have your own tables, you need to strategically apply indexes on columns you often use in WHERE clauses.

Avoid SELECT * queries where you fetch all columns when you only need a few. Specify exactly which columns you want: SELECT name, price FROM products. This saves memory and bandwidth, especially with large tables.

Use caching to reduce database load. Tools like Redis or Memcached temporarily store frequently used query results, so MySQL doesn't have to fetch the same data repeatedly.

MySQL Security

Always use strong passwords for database users. A weak database password is a huge security risk. Use at least 16 characters with letters, numbers, and special characters. Many hosting providers automatically generate secure passwords.

Give database users only the permissions they actually need. A WordPress installation needs SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE permissions, but not DROP or ALTER. You can set this precisely when creating a database user.

Keep external access to your database disabled by default. Your database only needs to be accessible from your own web server, not from the entire internet. This prevents brute force attacks on your database.

Keep your MySQL version up to date. Outdated versions have known security vulnerabilities. With managed hosting, this is done automatically, but with VPS or dedicated servers you need to monitor this yourself. Most modern servers run MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.x.

MariaDB as an Alternative

Many hosting providers now offer MariaDB instead of MySQL. MariaDB is a fork of MySQL that is fully compatible but with extra features and better performance. For virtually all applications, you can consider MariaDB and MySQL interchangeable.

MariaDB emerged when Oracle acquired MySQL and the open source community worried about the future. MariaDB is actively developed by the original MySQL developers and remains fully open source.

For your WordPress site or webshop, the difference between MySQL and MariaDB matters little. Both systems use the same SQL syntax and offer the same functionality. Many CMSs automatically detect which you're using and adapt accordingly.

Troubleshooting Database Problems

If your website shows "Error establishing database connection", first check your database credentials in the configuration. For WordPress, check wp-config.php for the correct database name, username, and password.

Too many simultaneous connections can overload your database. This often happens during traffic spikes or with poorly programmed plugins that don't cleanly close connections. Implement caching and optimize queries to prevent this.

You can repair a corrupted database table via phpMyAdmin. Select the table and choose "Repair table". WordPress also has a built-in repair function that you activate by adding define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true); to wp-config.php.

With structural performance problems, consider upgrading to a hosting package with more database resources. Check our hosting comparison for options with dedicated database servers or more CPU and RAM for better database performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does web hosting cost on average?

Web hosting costs between €3 and €15 per month for shared hosting on average. VPS hosting starts around €10-€20 per month, and dedicated servers from €50 per month.

Can I upgrade to a different package later?

Yes, with most hosting providers you can easily upgrade to a larger package when your website grows. This can usually be done without downtime.

Is Dutch hosting better than foreign hosting?

For Dutch visitors, Dutch hosting is often faster due to the shorter distance. Additionally, communication with support is easier and you comply with GDPR legislation.