MySQL vs SQLite for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

MySQL Overview

MySQL is a client-server database. It runs as a separate process on your machine or server, accepts connections over a network, handles concurrent users, and manages its own data files. You install it, configure it, create databases and users, and then your application connects to it through a driver.

Every hosting provider supports MySQL. Frameworks like Laravel, Rails, and Django work seamlessly with it. It scales to handle millions of rows and thousands of concurrent connections. For traditional web applications, especially in the PHP ecosystem, MySQL is the default choice.

The operational overhead is the tradeoff. You need to install MySQL, manage the server process, configure users and permissions, handle backups, and ensure it stays running. For production deployments, you also think about replication, connection pooling, and security hardening.

SQLite Overview

SQLite is a database engine embedded directly into your application. There is no server process, no network connections, no configuration files. Your entire database is a single file on disk. You add a library to your project, point it at a file path, and you have a fully functional relational database.

This simplicity is not a weakness. SQLite is the most widely deployed database in the world. It runs on every smartphone (iOS and Android both use it extensively), in every web browser, and in countless desktop applications. It is tested with billions of deployments.

For a solo developer, SQLite means zero configuration. No Docker containers for your database, no background processes, no connection strings with passwords. You git clone your project, run it, and the database is just there. For prototyping, side projects, and applications with moderate traffic, this simplicity is a superpower.

Key Differences

Architecture is the fundamental difference. MySQL runs as a separate server that handles connections from multiple clients simultaneously. SQLite is a library linked into your application that reads and writes a file. This affects everything: deployment, concurrency, backups, and scaling.

Concurrency is where MySQL wins clearly. MySQL handles thousands of concurrent read and write operations from different connections. SQLite allows multiple concurrent readers but only one writer at a time. If two requests try to write simultaneously, one waits. For a blog, a personal project, or an app with moderate traffic, this is fine. For a high-traffic API with many concurrent writes, it becomes a bottleneck.

Deployment with SQLite is trivially simple. Deploy your application, and the database is a file sitting next to it. Need a backup? Copy the file (or use the .backup command). Need to inspect the data? Open the file with any SQLite client. MySQL deployments require ensuring the database server is running, configured, and accessible from your application.

Testing is dramatically easier with SQLite. Create a fresh database for each test run by using an in-memory database or a temporary file. No test database configuration, no cleanup scripts, no shared state between tests. This makes your development cycle faster and your tests more reliable.

Feature set favors MySQL for advanced use cases. MySQL supports stored procedures, triggers, events, full-text search, spatial data, and user management. SQLite is intentionally minimal. No stored procedures, limited ALTER TABLE support, no user-level access control, and no native date/time types. For most CRUD applications, SQLite's features are sufficient. For complex database logic, MySQL offers more.

The SQLite renaissance is real. Tools like Litestream (real-time replication), LiteFS (distributed SQLite), Turso (edge SQLite), and the general movement toward simpler infrastructure have made SQLite viable for production web applications. Frameworks like Laravel and Rails support SQLite as a production database. This was not the case a few years ago.

When to Choose MySQL

• Your application needs high write concurrency from many simultaneous users
• You need database-level user management and access control
• You are deploying to shared hosting that only supports MySQL
• You need stored procedures or complex database-level logic
• You are building a WordPress site

When to Choose SQLite

• You are prototyping or building a side project
• You want zero-configuration database setup
• Your application has low to moderate traffic (most solo projects)
• You are building a desktop or mobile application
• You want the simplest possible deployment
• You value easy testing with disposable databases

The Verdict

SQLite deserves more respect than it gets. For solo developers, the 9/10 vs 7/10 rating reflects a simple truth: most projects do not need a client-server database, and SQLite's simplicity removes an entire category of operational complexity. No Docker database container, no connection strings, no server management.

If your application needs concurrent writes from many users or you are deploying to an environment that specifically requires MySQL, use MySQL. But for prototypes, side projects, blogs, personal tools, and applications with moderate traffic, SQLite is not just "good enough." It is genuinely better because it removes complexity without sacrificing functionality. Try it for your next project. You might be surprised how far a single file gets you.