Overview
MySQL and MariaDB have two main formats to store databases in, MyISAM and InnoDB. MyISAM is the older and more basic format, which has a number of limitations compared to the newer and more feature complete InnoDB format.
To determine what format your website is using, you can follow our article on determining what database format your website is using.
Comparison
| MyISAM | InnoDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional support | No | Yes |
| Locking mechanism | Table level | Row level (better) |
| Full ACID support | No | Yes |
| Read performance | Excellent | Good-Excellent |
| Write performance | Good | Excellent |
| Referential integrity | No | Yes |
| FULLTEXT support | Yes | Yes (5.6 and above) |
| Crash recovery | Ok | Good |
In nearly all instances, we recommend the use of InnoDB. This is due to the better data integrity through transactional support and ACID compliance and referential integrity.
Conetix can provide assistance with the conversion of older databases from MyISAM to InnoDB or we have an article on converting MyISAM to InnoDB for you to follow as well.