Database development software is the toolset required to build, design, and manage database based websites and systems. Database development software is a core component of the data management process; including the capture and reporting of business, marketing, financial, and operational data.

Developing a database applications can be a daunting task, particularly if you’re doing it yourself. After having gone through the same process myself, I have some good news: you don’t have to do everything alone! Instead, there are a number of modern tools available which will make your life much easier and save you hundreds of hours. They aren’t necessarily easy to use and require a small amount of programming knowledge, but their functionality is like nothing else we’ve seen before.

Best Software For Database Development

Data and information are a pivotal part of any application, no matter who the audience is or what the purpose of that app may be. For example, a database is just as important for a financial program as it is for a video game, even though they store different information. Choosing the right database software is often thought of as a concern for a database administrator or DBA, but it can be equally important of a decision for developers, whose programs will be interacting with the database software.

Security and privacy are crucial elements in a database and, as such, choosing a database that is well-known, has community support, and is trusted by a large userbase is important. In this article, we will look at some of the best database software for developers and discuss the benefits of each database for programmers.

How to Choose the Right Database for Software Development

Choosing the right database is never a cookie-cutter answer. A lot of developers tend to stick with the same database they have used time and time again, and, while there is some comfort to that, in truth, it may not always be the best decision. While a programmer might know the ends and outs of a given piece of database software, the truth is that each development project has its own needs and requirements that not every database is suitable for.

For that reason, answering the question “how to choose the right database” is not as cut and dry as you might think. While the database requirements will change from software development project to project, there are some common features every programmer should look at when choosing the right database software. When making a database choice, ask yourself – or your development team – the following questions:

What are the data requirements for the software you are developing?
How much space does your program require?
What is the maximum number of users that will be able to use your application at the same time?
How frequently will your database schema change?
How important is availability to your application? How much availability does your app need?
What will be the scalability needs of the software you create?
Is your userbase local or globally distributed?
What current – and future – programming languages will you be developing your software in?
Will your software require online transaction processing (OLTP) or analytic queries (OLAP)?
What read/write ratio do you anticipate your software will have?
What security feature do you anticipate your application will require? What are the security features of the database software you are considering?
What third-party vendor integration do you want or need for your application? Does the database support third-party integration?
Does the database have add-ons, plugins, or libraries that extend its functionality?
What is your budget for database software, licenses, and support?

Database Software Features To Look For

Other than the common features to look for in database software listed above, there are a few other DB features to look for if you are a software developer. One of the most important database features is vendor support. The level and degree of support your database application or server needs will vary from project to project. It will also depend upon the members of the development team, the level of experience in-house, and whether or not you have a dedicated database admin or DBA. In some situations, your development team may only require the base basics of support. In other situations, you may need help setting up, configuring, deploying, and maintaining the database during production and after launch.

Security is a huge necessity for any database and so it should be a top priority when not only scouting a new database platform but also when plotting out your software project in general. Configuring your database with the right security features is pivotal, so if you do not have a database administrator on staff, consider outsourcing the role.

The Data Model – or database schema – is something else you will need to determine before your begin developing your software. What tables and columns will your database need? What relationships will your data need if you are going to be implementing a relational database or RDBMS?

Top Database Software

Below we will look at some of the top database software for developers in 2021. If you have done any research on databases, then most of these names will not come as a surprise to you – and that is a good thing. As stated earlier, you want a database that is well-known amongst the developer community.

A side note – while not a direct influence on the databases listed in this article, it is interesting to note the ranking of the top databases according to the PYPL Index, which looks at Google Trends data to see what the most search database names are in an effort to gain insight into the most used database software.

One final note: the database suggestions in this article are not listed in any particular order or implied ranking.

MySQL

MySQL is one of the most popular relational database systems (RDBMS) on the market. Originally part of Sun Microsystems, it is now helmed by Oracle. The database was written using the C and C++ programming languages and uses a structured query language (SQL) for its queries. It is in its eighth iteration, known as MySQL 8.0.

Below are some of the benefits of MySQL for developers:

MySQL is platform-independent, meaning it can run on all of the popular Operating Systems (OS), including Windows, OSX, Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD.
Features support for some of the major programming languages, including C, C++, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, and Tcl.
Robust table size – up to 50 million rows per table.

MySQL is used by some pretty large corporations, including heavyweights like FaceBook, Twitter, Verizon, and Booking.com.

PostgreSQL

Another popular database choice for programmers is PostgreSQL. It is an open-source database that falls into the category of Object-Relational DBMS. Like Oracle’s MySQL, PostgreSQL was written in C. It is a popular choice in the game development community, partially thanks to its high scalability and support for building fault-tolerant environments. It is used by a number of industry leaders, including Apple, Skype, IMDB, and Cisco.

Below are some of the benefits of PostgreSQL for Developers:

Allows developers to create either Object-Relational DBMS or NoSQL databases.
Highly scalable.
Supports JSON and many popular programming languages.
Built-in security features, including disaster recovery for enhanced data integrity.
Highly extensible, thanks to programming language support, foreign data wrappers, and stored functions.
Lets developers create custom data types, query methods, stored procedures, joins, triggers, views, and tablespaces.
Supports major Operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD

Oracle RDBMS

Also from Oracle, is Oracle Database. It is currently in version 19c. Despite this, a lot of companies rely on older, legacy versions, so always be certain to check that the version you choose is still patched and supported if you go with an earlier option. The database is a relational database that was written using the C-family of programming languages – namely, C, C++, and Java. It runs on 20 networking protocols and over 100 hardware platforms, making it incredibly portable.

Below are some of the benefits of Oracle RDBMS for developers:

Support for managing multiple databases on a single server via Instance Caging, which basically lets you allocate CPU resources for different database instances within a server.
Updateable Editions, meaning you can start off with a free version and ramp-up to a premium version after setup and learning the ropes.
High data availability thanks to Real Application Clusters (RAC).
Support for PL/SQL for procedural programming.
RMAN failure recovery with continuous archiving.

MS SQL Server or Microsoft SQL Server

For .Net and Microsoft-related developers (and even non-MSFT developers), Microsoft SQL Server is a highly popular database software choice. It is arguably the most popular relational database management system in the world. Like others on this list, it was written using the C and C++ programming language. It offers support for structure query language (SQL) as you might expect. Though it is made by Microsoft, it does support Linux as well as Windows.

Some of the benefits of MS SQL Server for developers include:

Integrates with non-relational solutions, including Hadoop.
Integrates perfectly with Microsoft products and tools.
Simple installation and configuration through a setup wizard.
Encryption and data security do not need to be handled on the program or coding side; permission management tools within MS SQL Server handle encryption for developers.
Low cost of ownership versus other database options, thanks to data mining and data management tools that are built into the software.
Code-free designing, table creation, and views.

MongoDB

MongoDB is a NoSQL database solution for developers. It was developed using C, C++, and JavaScript. It is a popular option for mobile app developers and embedded programmers that are interested in the Internet of Things (IoT) or smart devices and appliances. It is known for its high speed and performance, thanks largely to the way that it stores data: in JSON-type documents. It also relies on internal memory for data storage, which adds to its performance abilities.

best sql database management software

Every business needs a well-designed database management tool. Finding a well-organized, functional system that allows your team to perform data-related tasks with ease is crucial to the success of your business.

There are countless tools, frameworks and platforms to help your company manage its data, and finding the right one for your company can prove to be challenging. To help you, we asked the members of Forbes Technology Council which database management tool or framework is most useful to their business. Here’s what they had to say.

1. MySQL

One of the most useful database management tools is MySQL. MySQL is used by top companies like Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, PayPal and Twitter, just to name a few. This open-source relational database is easy to use and it’s already included in a number of popular web applications like WordPress. If you have to learn just one database, MySQL is a good choice because of its popularity and ease of use alone. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

PROMOTED

2. SQL Server Management Studio

If we are talking about database management tools, the best choice is SQL Server Management Studio. It combines a powerful set of user-friendly graphical tools and variety of script editors to provide access and management for SQL Server. It includes an all-in-one solution to profile and tune database performance. SSMS can be used by developers and database administrators of all skill levels. – Dennis Turpitka, Apriorit

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?

3. Oracle RDBMS

The Oracle database is the most widely used object-relational database management software. The latest version of the tool incorporates cloud computing and it supports multiple Windows, Linux and UNIX versions. It is secure, supports large databases, occupies less space and reduces CPU time to process data. – Ankit Sharma, Inventive Byte

4. Salesforce

I’ve built a business implementing database solutions on the Salesforce platform because I believe it is the most useful database management tool on the market. As a career software developer and technology professional, I value that the basic build of a database structure is inherently completed for you within Salesforce and solutions can be built based on business and workflow requirements. – Tammy Hawes, Virsys12

5. DevOps

The most useful database management framework is DevOps. The database is known today for heavyweight processes that hinder performance, such as manual reviews and ticketing. Applying DevOps principles to the database involves using tools that automate these processes in order to increase software delivery speed and stability. This improves productivity and reduces employee burnout. – Robert Reeves, Datical

6. Visual Studio Code

While I truly love SQL Server Management Studio, which can manage the heck out of MS SQL while allowing for Linked Server connections to many other databases, I am tempted to give this to the new kid: Visual Studio Code. VS Code has it all—connections to most database types, really good Intellisense, incredibly easy formatting, cross-OS support, customizable layouts, dark mode and built-in Git! – Timothy McGuire, J.S. Held

7. ESM Tools

I believe we have to think beyond simple databases. ESM tools offer the best way to manage data as they typically take into account not just the database itself, but the workflow, the reporting and the process automation around that data. There are many low-code or no-code frameworks out there that even allow nondevelopers to effectively manage and actually use their data effectively. – Josh Caid, Cherwell Software

8. PhpMyAdmin

A good tool is one that allows non-tech operators to do their job well without constantly pinging database admins (DBAs). Tools can vary depending on the size of the company and phpMyAdmin can work well for small organizations. For large ones, enterprise solutions could be better. Tools are not a replacement for DBAs. Find and automate the tasks that waste DBA time. – Ivailo Nikolov, SiteGround

9. Tools That Provide Sufficient Access

The practical benefits of data depend on one thing: access. Do employees have easy access to the data they need? Do working groups properly share data? Is your data able to be leveraged to drive change? No single framework is best for all applications. Try to find a balance between company-wide, open data-sharing and a restrictive, siloed data security approach, but put the emphasis on sharing. – Ron Cogburn, Exela Technologies

10. Frameworks That Let You Consume, Query And Analyze Data Sources

The most useful database management framework provides the ability to consume a variety of data sources with the ability to easily query and analyze the data across a variety of different dimensions. Databases are used for different purposes, such as storing streamed data, time series data and configuration data. All this data must be easily imported and exported through APIs to add real value. – Abe Ankumah, Nyansa