MariaDB MaxScale vs ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy

MMMariaDB MaxScale8.6Visit ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy8.0Visit

Higher score MM MariaDB MaxScale #6 in Database Proxy Software 8.6/10 Pricing on request · 30-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit MariaDB

vs

ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy #12 in Database Proxy Software 8.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Alibaba Cloud

• MariaDB MaxScale fits best

  Enterprise MariaDB proxy operations

• ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy fits best

  Managed MySQL proxying on Alibaba Cloud

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Side by side

Feature	MMMariaDB MaxScale 8.6/10 Visit ↗	ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.0
Ranking	#6 in Database Proxy Software	#12 in Database Proxy Software
Best for	Enterprise MariaDB proxy operations	Managed MySQL proxying on Alibaba Cloud
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Pricing on request · 30-day trial	—
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Linux	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Live chat, Tickets, Docs · 24/7
Built for	Enterprise, Mid-market	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features MariaDB MaxScale 4/4 · ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy 4/4
Connection pooling	✓	✓
Query routing	✓	✓
Load balancing	✓	✓
Automatic failover	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Both	Managed
Supported databases	MariaDB Server, MySQL-compatible servers, ColumnStore, Enterprise Cluster, MongoDB protocol	MySQL
Maximum connections	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	SQL-aware routing, read/write splitting and load balancing Automatic failover with connection migration and transaction replay Firewalling, caching, streaming and multiple administration interfaces	Automatic read/write and transaction splitting Connection pooling with persistent connections during failover SSL endpoints with single-zone or dual-zone deployment
Cons	Production use requires an enterprise subscription Pricing uses a contact-sales model No free plan is available	Designed specifically for Alibaba Cloud RDS for MySQL Dedicated proxies use pay-as-you-go pricing Does not cover databases outside MySQL
Our verdict	MariaDB MaxScale is a database proxy and intelligent query router for production and mission-critical MariaDB environments. It sits between applications and backend databases, handling SQL-aware query routing, read/write splitting,… Read the review →	ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy is a managed network proxy for Alibaba Cloud RDS for MySQL. It sits between applications and database instances, forwarding requests through proxy endpoints. The service is suited to workloads with high… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• MariaDB MaxScale — where it wins

  • SQL-aware routing, read/write splitting and load balancing
  • Automatic failover with connection migration and transaction replay
  • Firewalling, caching, streaming and multiple administration interfaces

  Where it doesn't

  • Production use requires an enterprise subscription
  • Pricing uses a contact-sales model
  • No free plan is available

• ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy — where it wins

  • Automatic read/write and transaction splitting
  • Connection pooling with persistent connections during failover
  • SSL endpoints with single-zone or dual-zone deployment

  Where it doesn't

  • Designed specifically for Alibaba Cloud RDS for MySQL
  • Dedicated proxies use pay-as-you-go pricing
  • Does not cover databases outside MySQL

• MMMariaDB MaxScale8.6/10 · Pricing on request · 30-day trial

  A feature-rich MariaDB proxy for routing, failover and production database operations.

  Visit MariaDBFull verdict →
• ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy8.0/10 · Free plan

  A focused managed proxy for MySQL workloads needing routing, pooling, and failover support.

  Visit Alibaba CloudFull verdict →