MariaDB MaxScale vs PgBouncer

MMMariaDB MaxScale9.3Visit PgBouncer8.9Visit

Higher score MM MariaDB MaxScale #1 in Database Connection Pooling Software 9.3/10 Pricing on request · 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 1 features Visit MariaDB

vs

PgBouncer #3 in Database Connection Pooling Software 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 1 features Visit PgBouncer

• MariaDB MaxScale fits best

  Enterprise MariaDB/MySQL connection routing and pooling

• PgBouncer fits best

  Mature PostgreSQL pooling deployments

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Side by side

Feature	MMMariaDB MaxScale 9.3/10 Visit ↗	PgBouncer 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.9
Ranking	#1 in Database Connection Pooling Software	#3 in Database Connection Pooling Software
Best for	Enterprise MariaDB/MySQL connection routing and pooling	Mature PostgreSQL pooling deployments
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	Pricing on request · 30-day trial	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Linux	Windows, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Features MariaDB MaxScale 0/1 · PgBouncer 0/1
Transaction pooling	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Pooling modes	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Deployment model	Both	Not checked yet
Supported databases	MariaDB Server, MySQL-compatible servers, ColumnStore, Enterprise Cluster, MongoDB protocol	PostgreSQL
Connection limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Protocol support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Combines backend connection pooling with SQL-aware read/write routing. Supports load balancing, automatic failover, connection migration and transaction replay. Offers GUI, REST API and command-line administration with MariaDB ecosystem integrations.	Offers session, transaction, and statement pooling modes Supports configurable authentication, TLS, and connection limits Includes backend host round-robin selection and an admin console
Cons	Production use requires an enterprise subscription and contact with sales. Its focus is MariaDB and MySQL-compatible backends, not a general database proxy. Administration and routing capabilities may exceed the needs of simpler pooling setups.	Supports PostgreSQL only Does not provide internal failover-host configuration or detection Host balancing selects connection destinations, not SQL query routes
Our verdict	MariaDB MaxScale sits between applications and backend databases as a database proxy, combining connection pooling with SQL-aware query routing. It is aimed at mid-market and enterprise teams running production MariaDB or MySQL-compatible… Read the review →	PgBouncer is an open-source, self-hosted connection pooler for developers and database administrators operating PostgreSQL infrastructure. It accepts client connections and reuses connections to PostgreSQL servers, helping reduce the… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• MariaDB MaxScale — where it wins

  • Combines backend connection pooling with SQL-aware read/write routing.
  • Supports load balancing, automatic failover, connection migration and transaction replay.
  • Offers GUI, REST API and command-line administration with MariaDB ecosystem integrations.

  Where it doesn't

  • Production use requires an enterprise subscription and contact with sales.
  • Its focus is MariaDB and MySQL-compatible backends, not a general database proxy.
  • Administration and routing capabilities may exceed the needs of simpler pooling setups.

• PgBouncer — where it wins

  • Offers session, transaction, and statement pooling modes
  • Supports configurable authentication, TLS, and connection limits
  • Includes backend host round-robin selection and an admin console

  Where it doesn't

  • Supports PostgreSQL only
  • Does not provide internal failover-host configuration or detection
  • Host balancing selects connection destinations, not SQL query routes

• MMMariaDB MaxScale9.3/10 · Pricing on request · 30-day trial

  SQL-aware pooling and routing for MariaDB and MySQL-compatible production environments.

  Visit MariaDBFull verdict →
• PgBouncer8.9/10 · Free plan

  A self-hosted PostgreSQL pooler with flexible modes and connection controls, but no built-in failover.

  Visit PgBouncerFull verdict →