Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
MongoDB Database
3.
SQL Database
4.
MongoDB vs SQL
5.
Frequently Asked Questions
5.1.
What is the main difference between MongoDB vs SQL?
5.2.
What are the different use cases for MongoDB and SQL?
5.3.
Which one out of MongoDB and SQL is easier to learn for a beginner?
6.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
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MongoDB vs SQL

Author Aayush Sharma
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Introduction

Database refers to a structured and organized collection of data. Two of the most popular databases in modern applications include MongoDB and SQL. In this article, we will compare MongoDB vs SQL based on differences in their data models, schema design, query language, and other key factors.

mongodb vs sql

The databases are mainly divided into two categories SQL and NoSQL databases. SQL databases are relational databases that store information in specified tables.

On the other hand, NoSQL databases are databases that do not require predefined schema but use non-tabular data models. One such NoSQL database is MongoDB. This article will discuss the critical differences between MongoDB and SQL. But first, let us study briefly about each of them in detail.

MongoDB Database

Mongodb is a popular NoSQL database management system. Unlike standard relational databases, MongoDB stores data as JSON-like documents rather than tables. Each document in a collection can have a different structure which allows the more accessible storage of data that has varying formats.

mongodb logo

One of the important advantages of MongoDB is its ability to scale efficiently. In MongoDB, we can add more servers to handle traffic or large data volumes easily. MongoDB uses a sharding architecture to distribute data across multiple servers, ensuring high availability and increased database fault tolerance.

 

Sharding is a strategy to store data across multiple servers instead of a single server to improve scalability and higher fault tolerance. The data is divided into smaller portions called shards stored on separate servers. Sharding allows to increase the scalability and increase fault tolerance.

sharding in mongodb

 

Some of the promising features of MongoDB are given below.

  • Flexibility - MongoDB stores data in a JSON-like structure, increasing the data's flexibility. The data's design can be changed dynamically whenever required.
     
  • Open Source and Free to use - MongoDB server can be downloaded on any local system for free. Moreover, we can also deploy it on the cloud using MongoDB Atlas. MongoDB provides essential storage of 500 MB, which students can use freely.
     
  • Horizontal Scalability - As discussed in the previous section, MongoDB provides horizontal scaling. This means that we can use multiple servers to handle large amounts of traffic and increase the fault tolerance of a system.
     
  • Security Features - MongoDB provides users with many security features like authentication, authorization, encryption, etc., to protect the data from unauthorized access. 
     
  • Community - MongoDB is a popular database with a large user community, making resolving queries for new people easy. It also provides many other features like MongoDB Atlas, Compass, etc.

SQL Database

SQL databases store and manipulate data using the SQL (Structured Query Language).

sql database

These databases are made up of tables consisting of rows and columns. The tables are then connected with the relationships established between them using their keys. Keys are used in SQL to manage relationships between different tables in the database. Some of the most popular types of Sql databases include MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL etc.

structure of SQL server

 SQL databases offer several benefits over their NoSQL counterparts. SQL databases provide consistent structuring to the data. This makes it easy to perform queries on data and ensures the consistency and accuracy of the database. SQL also provides transaction support which allows multiple operations to be performed together.
 

Some of the features of the SQL are given below.

  • Data consistency - SQL databases have data validation rules to ensure the data remains consistent even after performing queries. This helps to avoid data corruption and avoid errors.
     
  • Scalability - SQL databases support horizontal and vertical scaling, which helps increase the system's scalability.
     
  • Security - SQL databases offer many security features to protect the data from unauthorized access. These include authentication, row-level security, backup, and data recovery.
     
  • Performance - SQL databases provide faster responses to queries with optimizations like caching, indexing, etc.
     
  • Learning Ease - SQL is a comparatively more straightforward language with an easy-to-understand syntax. This makes SQL easy to learn for newer users.
     
  • Backup and recovery - SQL also allows the users to back up their data. This ensures that data remains safe if anything happens and the data gets lost.

MongoDB vs SQL

So now that we have discussed MongoDB and SQL in detail, we can now compare MongoDB vs SQL.

MongoDB

SQL

MongoDB is a NoSQL type of database that uses a document-oriented model.

SQL uses a table-based data model.

In MongoDB, data is stored in a JSON-type format.

In SQL, data is stored in a table-based structure with fixed columns.

MongoDB uses horizontal scaling to distribute data among multiple servers.

SQL databases are primarily designed to support vertical scaling.

MongoDB databases are more flexible and allow the use of unstructured data objects.

SQL uses structured databases, which provide rigidness and structure to the data.

Each record in MongoDB is kept as a separate document.

Each entry in SQL is saved as a particular row in the table.

MongoDB provides a large amount of scaling to the database.

The amount of scaling SQL provides is comparatively less as compared to MongoDB.

MongoDB does not provide full transaction support across multiple documents.

SQL can provide full transaction support to users.

Must Read SQL Clauses

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between MongoDB vs SQL?

MongoDB is a document-oriented database that stores data in a JSON-type format. On the other hand, SQL is a relational database that stores data in tables and connects them with the help of relations.

What are the different use cases for MongoDB and SQL?

MongoDB is used in cases where large volumes of unstructured data are required to be stored with real-time analytics, whereas SQL is used whenever the database needs to store structured data and perform complex queries on it.

Which one out of MongoDB and SQL is easier to learn for a beginner?

Out of the two, MongoDB SQL's structure and syntax are easier to understand for a beginner. On the other hand, a beginner might find it challenging to grasp the structure of MongoDB in the beginning.

Conclusion

In this article, we compared MongoDB vs SQL based on their data models, schema design, query language etc. In the end we conclude by highlighting the key differences between MongoDBand SQL. So now that you have learned about the difference between MongoDB and SQL, you can also refer to similar articles.

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