Comparing the Top Open Source Databases and Data Technologies of 2023

Open source databases and data technologies play an integral role in modern IT infrastructure. And, with the amount of data being created and processed by modern applications, finding the right OSS database for your needs is more important than ever before.

In this blog, we look at the top open source databases and data technologies of 2023 -- as told by our 2023 State of Open Source Report.

• How We Looked at Databases in the 2023 State of Open Source Report
• Organizations Are Investing in Open Source Databases and Data Technologies
• Top Open Source Databases and Data Technologies
• Support Challenges With Open Source Databases and Data Technologies
• Final Thoughts

How We Looked at Databases in the 2023 State of Open Source Report

As in previous years, we devoted a section of our 2023 State of Open Source Report to one of the fastest growing areas in open source: OSS databases and data technologies. Today’s top data technologies exceed the capabilities of traditional databases, and many organizations rely on multiple technologies to stream data, create analytics, and integrate data from various sources.

With that in mind, we asked organizations to share information not only regarding their use of specific data technologies, but also in their prioritization of projects related to those technologies, and in the struggles they face as they work with OSS databases and data technologies. Keep reading for our key takeaways.

Organizations Are Investing in Databases and Data Technologies 

When we asked respondents about which types of open source software were receiving the most investment from their organizations, data technologies ranked #3 out of 18 options, behind only SDLC tools and containers.

Given that the digital economy is powered by data and data analytics, this is not surprising. The recent proliferation of AI/ML/DL applications, which require huge amounts of data for training models, also explains why organizations are investing so much in this technology area.  

Top Open Source Databases and Data Technologies  

The three most used databases of 2023 are the same three from last year — PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB — though this year Postgres surpassed MySQL for the #1 spot.  

  
 Although the licenses for Elasticsearch and CockroachDB do not meet OSI’s standard for open source software, we included them in this question. Elasticsearch usage increased by 6% in the past year, and its fork, OpenSearch (which is truly open source) also is growing in adoption. Will OpenSearch eventually surpass Elasticsearch? We’ll have to see what next year’s report reveals.   

This year, we also expanded this question to include SQLite and Timescale, and both put up impressive double-digit numbers — 22.25% and 16.63%, respectively.  

Some interesting trends emerge when we look at the preferred open source databases by organization size: 

PostgreSQL is favored by large enterprises, whereas nearly half of all respondents working for organizations with fewer than 100 employees reported using MySQL. And in some industries, like retail and healthcare/pharmaceuticals, we see NoSQL databases like Cassandra becoming more popular.   

Support Challenges with Open Source Databases and Data Technologies  

In every technology category covered in the report, we asked survey respondents about the biggest challenges they encounter in order to identify unique obstacles for each kind of software. 

Something to note here is that not enough personnel is not one of the biggest issues, but personnel experience and proficiency is, with more than half (52.64%) of respondents selecting it. When it comes to complex data technologies, you need experienced, skilled architects familiar with large-scale enterprise deployments. If one person on your team familiar with a particular technology leaves the organization, it can be challenging (and expensive) to hire a replacement.  

It's also worth mentioning that the 2nd and 3rd most significant challenges (installation, upgrades, and configuration issues; keeping up with updates and patches) would presumably be less of an issue if personnel had the necessary experience and proficiency. This skills gap is a pain point for many organizations, and why some decide to partner with a third party support provider to assist with configurations, installations, upgrades, and more.   

Learn more about open source database support from OpenLogic >>

Final Thoughts

This is an area of open source that we expect will continue to grow in the coming years, as streaming data, data analytics, and AI become increasingly integral to modern enterprise applications across virtually all industries. In our digital age, data is a hot commodity and there is high demand for technologies that can process, store, and integrate large volumes of data securely and swiftly. Those with expertise working with the top open source databases and data technologies will be in high demand for the foreseeable future. 

Want More Insights? Read the Full Report 

Get your free copy of the 2023 State of Open Source Report for more analysis on open source technologies including operating systems, SDLC tools, frameworks, programming languages and more!

Download

Or explore the history of open source adoption, as told through State of Open Source Reports from previous years. 

Additional Resources

• White Paper - Decision Maker's Guide to Open Source Databases
• Blog - PostgreSQL vs. MySQL: Key Differences and Similarities
• Blog - Pros and Cons of Open Source Databases
• Blog - MySQL vs. SQLite: Features, Use Cases, and Performance Comparison
• Guide - Intro to Open Source Databases
• Course - MySQL and PostgreSQL Training