ProxySQL vs ShardingSphere-Proxy

ProxySQL9.2Visit ShardingSphere-Proxy9.0Visit

Higher score ProxySQL #2 in Database Proxy Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit ProxySQL

vs

ShardingSphere-Proxy #3 in Database Proxy Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit ShardingSphere

• ProxySQL fits best

  Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying

• ShardingSphere-Proxy fits best

  Open-source multi-database proxy deployments

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Side by side

Feature	ProxySQL 9.2/10 Visit ↗	ShardingSphere-Proxy 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	9.0
Ranking	#2 in Database Proxy Software	#3 in Database Proxy Software
Best for	Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying	Open-source multi-database proxy deployments
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Linux	Linux, Windows, macOS
Support	Email, Community, Docs · 24/7	Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ProxySQL 4/4 · ShardingSphere-Proxy 4/4
Connection pooling	✓	✓
Query routing	✓	✓
Load balancing	✓	✓
Automatic failover	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Supported databases	MySQL protocol, PostgreSQL protocol, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Percona Server for MySQL, ClickHouse	MySQL, PostgreSQL, openGauss, Firebird
Maximum connections	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included	Combines sharding, routing, pooling, and read/write splitting Supports failover, load balancing, migration, and distributed transactions Runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS with four protocol options
Cons	Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs	Self-hosted deployment requires teams to operate the proxy No commercial paid tiers for teams seeking a managed plan Protocol access centers on MySQL, PostgreSQL, openGauss, and Firebird
Our verdict	ProxySQL is an open-source, protocol-aware database proxy for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and compatible systems. It provides a single database endpoint while handling connection multiplexing, pooling, query routing, read/write splitting, load… Read the review →	ShardingSphere-Proxy is a self-hosted transparent database proxy in the Apache ShardingSphere ecosystem. It provides a common proxy endpoint for applications and database tools while applying rules for sharding, query routing, read/write… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ProxySQL — where it wins

  • Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting
  • Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support
  • Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software
  • Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based
  • Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs

• ShardingSphere-Proxy — where it wins

  • Combines sharding, routing, pooling, and read/write splitting
  • Supports failover, load balancing, migration, and distributed transactions
  • Runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS with four protocol options

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires teams to operate the proxy
  • No commercial paid tiers for teams seeking a managed plan
  • Protocol access centers on MySQL, PostgreSQL, openGauss, and Firebird

• ProxySQL9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source proxy for routing, pooling, balancing, and managing database traffic.

  Visit ProxySQLFull verdict →
• ShardingSphere-Proxy9.0/10 · Free plan

  A self-hosted proxy for routing, scaling, and high availability across four database protocols.

  Visit ShardingSphereFull verdict →