How to Migrate from Postgres to MariaDB in PostgreSQL

How do I migrate a PostgreSQL database to MariaDB?

Migration combines pg_dump export, SQL conversion, and MySQL-compatible import so PostgreSQL data lands safely in MariaDB.

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Description

Why migrate from Postgres to MariaDB?

Teams switch to MariaDB when they need MySQL compatibility, easier replication, or lower license costs while keeping open-source benefits.

What tools simplify migration?

pg_dump produces portable data, pgloader auto-converts types, and the mariadb client imports the final SQL into the target database.

How do I map PostgreSQL types to MariaDB?

INTEGER ➜ INT, SERIAL ➜ INT AUTO_INCREMENT, BOOLEAN ➜ TINYINT(1), TIMESTAMPTZ ➜ DATETIME, JSONB ➜ JSON or TEXT depending on features needed.

Step-by-step migration walkthrough

1.Export schema with pg_dump

Create a schema-only file so MariaDB gets tables but no data collisions.

pg_dump -h localhost -U postgres -d shopdb \ --schema-only --no-owner --no-acl \ --file=shopdb_schema.sql

2. Convert PostgreSQL-specific syntax

Search & replace SERIAL, JSONB, and ARRAY columns, or let pgloader handle them automatically.

3. Export data with column inserts

pg_dump -h localhost -U postgres -d shopdb \ --data-only --column-inserts \ --file=shopdb_data.sql

4. Create target database

CREATE DATABASE shopdb;

5.Import into MariaDB

mariadb -u root -p shopdb < shopdb_schema.sql mariadb -u root -p shopdb < shopdb_data.sql

How to verify migrated data?

Run row counts on key tables like Customers and Orders in both databases and compare results; any mismatch flags issues fast.

Best practices for large datasets?

Disable foreign keys during bulk load, chunk data per table, and run imports during low-traffic windows to reduce downtime.

Why How to Migrate from Postgres to MariaDB in PostgreSQL is important

How to Migrate from Postgres to MariaDB in PostgreSQL Example Usage


-- After migration, verify totals match
-- PostgreSQL source
SELECT COUNT(*) AS total_customers FROM Customers;
SELECT SUM(total_amount) AS total_sales FROM Orders;

-- MariaDB target
SELECT COUNT(*) AS total_customers FROM Customers;
SELECT SUM(total_amount) AS total_sales FROM Orders;

How to Migrate from Postgres to MariaDB in PostgreSQL Syntax


# Export PostgreSQL schema only
pg_dump [connection-options] --schema-only --no-owner --no-acl \
        --file=schema.sql

# Export PostgreSQL data with INSERT statements
pg_dump [connection-options] --data-only --column-inserts \
        --file=data.sql

# Sample connection options
-h localhost -U postgres -d shopdb -n public

# Import into MariaDB
mariadb -u <user> -p<password> shopdb < schema.sql
mariadb -u <user> -p<password> shopdb < data.sql

# Example: migrate Customers & Orders tables only
pg_dump -h localhost -U postgres -d shopdb \
        -t customers -t orders --column-inserts \
        --file=cust_orders.sql
mariadb -u root -p shopdb < cust_orders.sql

Common Mistakes

Using pg_dump without --column-inserts. Plain COPY statements rely on PostgreSQL syntax and will fail in MariaDB. Always export with INSERTs or use pgloader.
Leaving SERIAL columns unchanged. MariaDB lacks SERIAL, so you must convert to INT AUTO_INCREMENT or you will hit syntax errors during import.