PostgreSQL or MySQL? How I Actually Decide

Both are mature, both are free, both will handle the vast majority of projects without complaint. The choice usually comes down to a few concrete questions rather than benchmarks.

Do I need real JSON querying?

MySQL's JSON support has improved, but PostgreSQL's jsonb with indexable operators is still the more comfortable place to store semi-structured data you'll actually query into, not just store and retrieve whole.

SELECT * FROM events WHERE payload @> '{"type": "login"}';

Is the hosting/tooling ecosystem already decided?

If the stack is Laravel + a managed MySQL instance the team already knows how to operate, that operational familiarity usually outweighs a marginal feature advantage elsewhere. I don't fight the ecosystem just to use my preferred database.

Do I need advanced extensions?

PostgreSQL's extension ecosystem — PostGIS for geo, pg_trgm for fuzzy search, full text search built in — covers use cases that would otherwise mean bolting on a separate service. If I know a project needs one of these later, I pick Postgres up front.

The honest default

For a new greenfield backend project with no constraints, I reach for PostgreSQL first. For anything joining an existing Laravel/MySQL shop, I use what's already there. Neither choice is a mistake — the mistake is spending a week benchmarking when the real answer was "whatever your team already operates well."