What is the best web database service out there?

[Unity+]

Recently, I have been working on a project that requires the use of a database for many features I am implementing into it. Currently I am using MySQL as the database service. However, I have searched on the web about databases and their uses, advantages, and disadvantages.

 

Here are a list of database services that I know of used on the Internet:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_relational_database_management_systems

 

And, as far as I know, the two biggest competitors are MySQL and Oracle. I have looked at arguments from mainly the MySQL and Oracle perspectives and the main differences in both is MySQL is a fast solution, but very low feature wise while Oracle is more complex in its structure and comes with many more features of control, but again is more complex and requires intense experience.

 

So, what database management service do you recommend?

[Sato]

What is it that you are working on? Most likely, if you can conceptualize your data being stored as tables/rows, MySQL is just as capable as any other relational database system, and heavily documented to boot. You could also take a look at some NoSQL/non-relational databases, e.g, MongoDB which I've had a good experience with in the past and have heard performs faster than MySQL (note I did not benchmark myself).

[Strange]

I have only ever used MySQL and it has been good enough for all of the projects I have needed to do. It is also free.

[timo]

A hype term I recently hear very often in relation to databases are graph databases (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graph_database), a particular case of the already-mentioned NoSQL databases (which are a similar hype term). A somewhat well-known incarnation of this is Neo4J. Depending on other details of your project you may also consider if there are standard database-like solutions relating to the technology stack you already use or plan to use. For example, for one of our Java projects one consultant recommended using JPA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Persistence_API) - we did go for a custom-made solution, though. For relational databases my gut feeling mixed with some limited experience tells me MySQL should be fine.

 

EDIT: Please assume that when writing the above I was not aware of the contraint "web" in your thread title. You'll have to check to what extend solutions proposed match this criterion.

Edited August 20, 2014 by timo

[iNow]

Like Oracle, depending on what specific objective you have, SAP might do it, too, but it's more of a business software suite.

[Unity+]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I might stick with MySQL since it provides decent services.

[fiveworlds]

Your own database is best most databases have hackable exploits.