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Top relational (SQL) database engines

5 of 23 RDBMS software ranked on evidence in the Q4 2026 edition.

Between them, the 23 RDBMS software on this page cover backup and recovery (7), multiple programming languages supported (6), performance analysis (6) and access Controls/Permissions (5). 23 of them have written a profile you can read before you get in touch.

What to look for in relational (SQL) database engines

The best choice depends on your workload, your team and your budget, not only on where an engine sits in this list. Before you shortlist the top-ranked SQL databases, check:

The SQL features your applications already rely on (stored procedures, window functions, JSON, full-text search) and how closely the engine follows the standard
The licence of the version you will run: open source, source-available or proprietary, and what a licence change would cost you
How it scales: one large server, read replicas, or distributed SQL across nodes and regions
Managed services on the clouds you use, and whether you can run the same engine yourself
Backup, point-in-time recovery, replication and failover you can test before you need them
Each version’s support life, so an upgrade is a plan rather than an emergency

How to use this ranking

Use it to build a shortlist. Read each engine’s profile for its licence, deployment options and latest release, then test the two or three that fit on your own data and queries before you commit.

TrustList ranking

Q4 2026 edition

5 of 23 RDBMS software ranked on evidence held on 12 October 2026: client reviews, vetting, awards and facts each business states on its own website, which we read and date. Nobody pays to be placed.

Positions are fixed for the quarter; the next edition is due in January 2027.

How this is ranked About this edition

All RDBMS software 5 ranked SMEs 5 ranked

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C
CockroachDB
DataBase
CockroachDB is a distributed SQL database from Cockroach Labs with a PostgreSQL-compatible interface, sold as a managed cloud service and as licensed self-managed software.
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Why #1: ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, as stated on its own website, read 5 Oct 2026
Not yet on record: client reviews, vetting.
AF
AlloyDB for PostgreSQL
DataBase
AlloyDB for PostgreSQL is a managed database from Google Cloud that is compatible with PostgreSQL.
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Why #2 (shared): 24/7 support, as stated on its own website, read 5 Oct 2026
Not yet on record: client reviews, vetting.
PS
Percona Server for MySQL
DataBase
Percona Server for MySQL is a drop-in compatible build of MySQL Community Edition with added backup, security, encryption and monitoring features, with paid support available.
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Why #2 (shared): 24/7 support, as stated on its own website, read 5 Oct 2026
Not yet on record: client reviews, vetting.
GC
Google Cloud Spanner
DataBase
Google Cloud Spanner is a managed, globally distributed relational database from Google Cloud with SQL and PostgreSQL interfaces, sold only as a cloud service.
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Why #2 (shared): 24/7 support, as stated on its own website, read 5 Oct 2026
Not yet on record: client reviews, vetting.
P
PlanetScale
DataBase
PlanetScale sells managed Postgres and Vitess-based MySQL databases with sharding, on a proprietary managed service priced per instance size on AWS.
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Why #5: 5 major incidents in 90 days (status page) · GDPR compliant, as stated on its own website, read 5 Oct 2026
Not yet on record: client reviews, vetting.
Also listed, not yet ranked. We hold nothing checkable on these yet that ranks them here: no client review, vetting, award, expert review, or fact stated on their own website (and on a place ranking, where they are based). They follow in order of their TrustList Score. How TrustList ranks · Get vetted, free
MariaDB
Multiple Programming Languages Supported · Backup and Recovery · Performance Analysis
After Oracle acquired MySQL, MariaDB grew up as the community's alternative, and it keeps that independent character today. MariaDB Server is a relational database.
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PostgreSQL
Multiple Programming Languages Supported · Backup and Recovery · Performance Analysis
More than 35 years of active development sit behind PostgreSQL, an object-relational database system with SQL support and JSON handling alongside its relational model.
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SingleStore
Multiple Programming Languages Supported · Backup and Recovery · Performance Analysis
Developed by SingleStore, this distributed SQL database handles combined transactional and analytical workloads, plus vector and multi-model data.
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SQLite
Multiple Programming Languages Supported · Backup and Recovery · DataBase
Inside the application that uses it, SQLite supplies a full SQL database engine, written as a C-language library.
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Oracle Database
Multiple Programming Languages Supported · Backup and Recovery · Performance Analysis
Enterprise workloads are the target of Oracle Database, a proprietary relational database from Oracle Corporation that also handles multi-model and vector data.
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AA
Amazon Aurora
DataBase
Amazon Aurora is a managed relational database service from Amazon Web Services, compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL and billed on instances, storage and I/O or serverless…
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EP
EDB Postgres Advanced Server
DataBase
EDB Postgres Advanced Server is EDB's commercial PostgreSQL distribution with Oracle compatibility and security features, now branded Enterprise Postgres (Oracle Compatible).
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F
Firebird
DataBase
Firebird is an open source relational database descended from InterBase source released in 2000, run as a server or embedded and developed by volunteers.
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IBM Db2
Database Conversion · DataBase · Relational
Transactional, analytical and vector workloads come together in IBM Db2, IBM's relational database.
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MA
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
DataBase
Azure SQL Database is Microsoft's managed SQL Server-engine service with General Purpose, Business Critical and Hyperscale tiers and a serverless option.
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M
MySQL
DataBase
MySQL is a relational database server owned by Oracle, available under the GPL v2 for community use and under a paid commercial licence for Enterprise and embedding.
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N
Neon
DataBase
Neon is open source serverless Postgres that separates storage from compute, with autoscaling, scale-to-zero and database branching, sold as a managed service.
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O
OceanBase
DataBase
OceanBase is a distributed relational database from Ant Group, using Paxos replication, MySQL compatible and capable of mixed transactional and analytical workloads.
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SAP Hana
Multiple Programming Languages Supported · Backup and Recovery · Performance Analysis
In-memory technology is the foundation of SAP Hana, a big data system that keeps working data in memory so it can be processed far faster than on disk-based storage.
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SQL Server
Backup and Recovery · Performance Analysis · DataBase
Microsoft ships SQL Server as a proprietary relational database server for Windows and Linux, with managed variants on Azure.
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T
TiDB
DataBase
TiDB is an open source, MySQL-compatible distributed SQL database from PingCAP that separates compute from storage for transactional and analytical workloads.
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TL
Turso / libSQL
DataBase
Turso is an SQLite-compatible database, with an in-process Rust engine and the libSQL fork, offered under the MIT licence and as the managed Turso Cloud service.
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Y
YugabyteDB
DataBase
YugabyteDB is a distributed SQL database built on a PostgreSQL fork, released under Apache-2.0 and sold with a managed cloud service and a self-managed platform.
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How is this ranking of relational (SQL) database engines worked out?

A position here is earned, never bought. It is worked out from what each listing documents and what has been verified about it: a complete, accurate profile, and the checks a vendor has passed. Client reviews count where they exist, but they are still rare across this catalogue, so today the order comes mainly from documentation and verification. A top position means best-documented, not best for your workload.

Is the top-ranked engine the best for everyone?

No. Workloads, scale, skills and budgets differ, and so does the right engine. Use the checklist above and test before you choose.

Can a vendor pay to move up?

No. Sponsored and Featured places are labelled and shown apart from the ranked list, and they never change an engine’s position in it. How rankings work

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