Postgres founder says Oracle’s MySQL move boosted PostgreSQL’s global rise

Michael Stonebraker, the original architect of Postgres, told one outlet that Oracle’s purchase of Sun Microsystems and its decision to retain MySQL unintentionally spurred a migration to PostgreSQL. Users, wary of Oracle’s control over MySQL, turned to the open-source alternative, accelerating PostgreSQL’s adoption. Since its 30-year anniversary this summer, the database has seen rapid growth, topping developer preference surveys in 2023.

Cloud giants Microsoft, Amazon and Google, along with vendors like CockroachDB and YugabyteDB, now build services around PostgreSQL’s wire-format compatibility. Stonebraker warned that MySQL is losing ground, especially after Oracle’s widespread layoffs of its core MySQL developers last September. He also highlighted his ongoing work with DBOS, a startup he co-founded, which leverages PostgreSQL-compatible technology for AI-driven workflows.