How to Choose MariaDB over ParadeDB in PostgreSQL Workflows

Why would I pick MariaDB instead of ParadeDB?

MariaDB shines for OLTP, strong ACID guarantees, rich SQL, and mature tooling. ParadeDB (a Postgres fork for vector search) targets AI/ML similarity search. If you mostly run row-based transactions, need cross-engine replication, or rely on MySQL-compatible drivers, MariaDB is the pragmatic choice.

When does ParadeDB excel?

ParadeDB excels at high-dimensional vector operations, ANN indexes (HNSW/IVF), and tight Postgres extension compatibility. Choose it for recommendation engines or hybrid search when vector performance outranks classic SQL workloads.

How do I migrate ecommerce data from ParadeDB to MariaDB?

Dump ParadeDB with pg_dump, convert types (e.g., bytea → BLOB), then load into MariaDB via mysql CLI or LOAD DATA INFILE. Verify foreign keys and replace vector columns with JSON or external embedding store.

What MariaDB syntax replaces ParadeDB features?

Use CREATE TABLE, PRIMARY KEY, and INDEX for standard relations. Swap ParadeDB’s HNSW index with MariaDB’s SPATIAL INDEX or manage vectors in a service like Pinecone.

Example: creating core ecommerce tables

CREATE TABLE Customers (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE,
created_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

CREATE TABLE Orders (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
customer_id INT NOT NULL,
order_date DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
total_amount DECIMAL(12,2),
FOREIGN KEY (customer_id) REFERENCES Customers(id)
);

CREATE TABLE Products (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(255),
price DECIMAL(10,2),
stock INT
);

CREATE TABLE OrderItems (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
order_id INT,
product_id INT,
quantity INT,
FOREIGN KEY (order_id) REFERENCES Orders(id),
FOREIGN KEY (product_id) REFERENCES Products(id)
);


How do I verify performance gains?

Benchmark with sysbench oltp_read_write, compare TPS and latency. MariaDB’s XtraDB and thread pool usually surpass ParadeDB for small row reads/writes.

Best practices after migration

Enable innodb_buffer_pool_size ≈70% RAM, add proper secondary indexes, and use EXPLAIN to optimize queries. Schedule ANALYZE TABLE to keep statistics fresh.