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MariaDB MaxScale

Paid#6 of 31 in Database Proxy SoftwareDatabase Connection Pooling Software

MariaDB MaxScale: A feature-rich MariaDB proxy for routing, failover and production database operations. Ranked #6 of 31 in Database Proxy Software by our editors (8.6/10); pricing: Pricing on request · 30-day trial; best for enterprise MariaDB proxy operations.

8.6/10★★★★☆Editor score

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At a glance

• Editor score
  8.6 / 10
• Pricing
  Pricing on request · 30-day trial
• Best for
  Enterprise MariaDB proxy operations
• Free plan
  No
• Deployment model
  Both
• Facts checked
  20 Sep 2026

• 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

Our verdict on MariaDB MaxScale

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, connection management and database administration. The product supports MariaDB Server, MySQL-compatible servers, MariaDB ColumnStore and MariaDB Enterprise Cluster. It can run on Linux, in cloud or on-premises environments, and as a self-hosted deployment. Its intended audience is teams operating MariaDB infrastructure that need traffic control and high-availability features in a dedicated proxy layer.

The feature set covers both routine traffic management and failure handling. Connection-based and query-based load balancing can distribute traffic, while automatic failover supports MariaDB replication. Connection migration and transaction replay address continuity during backend changes. Backend connection pooling and connection sharing can manage application-to-database connections, and query result caching adds another option for repeated reads. Query logging, filtering and firewall controls extend the proxy into database traffic governance. Administration is available through a web GUI, REST API and command line, giving teams several operational interfaces.

MaxScale also fits environments that span more than standard MariaDB servers. It supports MariaDB Enterprise Cluster and ColumnStore, can work with MongoDB clients through wire protocol conversion to SQL, and streams changes to Apache Kafka. Redis and Memcached are also listed integrations. Pricing follows a contact-sales model, with a 30-day trial and an enterprise subscription required for production use. Choose MaxScale when routing, failover, pooling, caching and protocol or streaming requirements justify a broad proxy layer. Teams seeking a free plan or a simpler, narrowly focused database proxy should look elsewhere.

Questions about MariaDB MaxScale

Is there a free trial of MariaDB MaxScale? Yes: a 30-day free trial.

What does MariaDB MaxScale run on? Web and Linux. It runs in the cloud, self-hosted and as a browser extension.

What does MariaDB MaxScale integrate with? 8 integrations, including MariaDB Server, MySQL-compatible servers, MariaDB ColumnStore, MariaDB Enterprise Cluster and MongoDB clients.

Who is MariaDB MaxScale built for? Enterprises and mid-market companies (our editorial estimate).

Your product? Our editors can test MariaDB MaxScale in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

MariaDB MaxScale pricing

MariaDB MaxScale fact sheet

MariaDB MaxScale integrations

MariaDB MaxScale lists 8 integrations on its own site.

• MariaDB Server
• MySQL-compatible servers
• MariaDB ColumnStore
• MariaDB Enterprise Cluster
• MongoDB clients
• Apache Kafka
• Redis
• Memcached

Alternatives to MariaDB MaxScale

• Heimdall Database ProxyA broad database proxy with pooling, routing, analytics, security, and failover.9.4
• ProxySQLA free, open-source proxy for routing, pooling, balancing, and managing database traffic.9.2
• ShardingSphere-ProxyA self-hosted proxy for routing, scaling, and high availability across four database protocols.9.0

See all MariaDB MaxScale alternatives →

MariaDB MaxScale vs the competition

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• MMMariaDB MaxScale vs Cloudflare Hyperdrive

Compare MariaDB MaxScale with any tool side by side →

Also Ranked In

MariaDB MaxScale is ranked in 2 of our directories.

• #1Database Connection Pooling Software29 tools ranked→

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Featured on iTechGuides

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026

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Last updated 14 Nov 2026 · How we research and update