Best MariaDB MaxScale Alternatives in 2026
The top MariaDB MaxScale alternatives are Heimdall Database Proxy, ProxySQL and ShardingSphere-Proxy: 15 database proxy software our editors would look at instead of MariaDB MaxScale, in our ranking order.
MariaDB MaxScale: A feature-rich MariaDB proxy for routing, failover and production database operations. Where it falls short: production use requires an enterprise subscription.
Switching from MariaDB MaxScale? For most database proxy software buyers the best MariaDB MaxScale alternative is Heimdall Database Proxy, built for broad, enterprise-grade database proxying. Cloudflare Hyperdrive offers the most maximum connections (100 connections).
Why People Look for a MariaDB MaxScale Alternative
- Production use requires an enterprise subscription
- Pricing uses a contact-sales model
- No free plan is available
- No free plan — 10 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallHeimdall Database Proxy9.4
Broad, enterprise-grade database proxying
Visit Heimdall Database Proxy - Best free optionHeimdall Database Proxy9.4
Has a free plan (MariaDB MaxScale has none)
Visit Heimdall Database Proxy - Most maximum connectionsCloudflare Hyperdrive8.5
100 connections
Visit Cloudflare Hyperdrive
All 15 MariaDB MaxScale Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forBroad, enterprise-grade database proxying
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.6
A broad database proxy with pooling, routing, analytics, security, and failover.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Heimdall Data -
Best forFree, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.6
A free, open-source proxy for routing, pooling, balancing, and managing database traffic.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
9.2/10★★★★★Visit ProxySQL -
Best forOpen-source multi-database proxy deployments
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.6
A self-hosted proxy for routing, scaling, and high availability across four database protocols.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit ShardingSphere -
Best forModern MySQL/PostgreSQL proxy teams
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.6
A self-hosted Rust proxy for pooling, routing, failover, consistency, and database visibility.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit TurbineProxy -
Best forAdvanced PostgreSQL proxy engineering
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.6
A deep self-hosted PostgreSQL proxy for teams building advanced traffic and failover control.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit HeliosProxy -
Best forManaged edge database connectivity
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
A managed edge proxy for Workers applications connecting to existing databases.
- Automatic failover
- Connection pooling
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Cloudflare -
Best forFree PostgreSQL pooling and sharding
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
A free PostgreSQL proxy with pooling, routing, replica balancing, and sharding.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit PgDog -
Best forPostgreSQL HA and replication proxying
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
A feature-rich PostgreSQL proxy for teams running their own database clusters.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Pgpool-II -
Best forFree PostgreSQL pooling with sharding
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
A focused, free PostgreSQL proxy for pooling, routing, failover, and sharding.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit PgCat -
Best forMySQL sharding and distributed transactions
A focused Linux proxy for MySQL sharding, routing, pooling, and distributed transactions.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit DBLE -
Best forManaged MySQL proxying on Alibaba Cloud
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
A focused managed proxy for MySQL workloads needing routing, pooling, and failover support.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forFocused PostgreSQL pooling and routing
A focused self-hosted proxy for PostgreSQL pooling, routing, balancing, and observability.
- Automatic failover
- Query routing
- Load balancing
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Odyssey -
Best forMulti-tenant PostgreSQL pooling
Open-source PostgreSQL pooling with multi-tenancy, routing, metrics, and cluster resilience.
- Query routing
- Load balancing
- Connection pooling
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Supavisor -
Best forMature, free PostgreSQL connection pooling
- Better than MariaDB MaxScale:
- Free plan
A mature, free PostgreSQL pooler for self-hosted infrastructure.
- Load balancing
- Connection pooling
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit PgBouncer -
Best forPostgreSQL pooling with Patroni
A focused PostgreSQL pooler for teams that need Patroni-aware fallback and routing.
- Automatic failover
- Load balancing
- Connection pooling
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit PgDoorman
MariaDB MaxScale Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to MariaDB MaxScale?
Heimdall Database Proxy: #1 in our Database Proxy Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A broad database proxy with pooling, routing, analytics, security, and failover.
Is there a free alternative to MariaDB MaxScale?
Yes. Heimdall Database Proxy, ProxySQL, ShardingSphere-Proxy, TurbineProxy and HeliosProxy have a free plan or a free tier (15 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for MariaDB MaxScale alternatives?
Production use requires an enterprise subscription; Pricing uses a contact-sales model; No free plan is available.
Which MariaDB MaxScale alternative has the most maximum connections?
Cloudflare Hyperdrive, with 100 connections.
How do I switch from MariaDB MaxScale?
Export your data from MariaDB MaxScale (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel MariaDB MaxScale.
How to Switch from MariaDB MaxScale
- Export your data from MariaDB MaxScale (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel MariaDB MaxScale.
MariaDB MaxScale vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Connection pooling | Query routing | Load balancing | Supported databases | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | MariaDB MaxScale | No | Both | Yes | Yes | Yes | MariaDB Server, MySQL-compatible servers, ColumnStore, Enterprise Cluster, MongoDB protocol | 8.6 | |
| 1 | Heimdall Database Proxy | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | Yes | MySQL, PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS, Oracle, SQL Server, MariaDB, DB2, Greenplum, Redshift | 9.4 | |
| 2 | ProxySQL | Yes | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | MySQL protocol, PostgreSQL protocol, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Percona Server for MySQL, ClickHouse | 9.2 |
| 3 | ShardingSphere-Proxy | Yes | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | MySQL, PostgreSQL, openGauss, Firebird | 9.0 |
| 4 | TurbineProxy | Yes | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | MySQL, PostgreSQL | 8.8 |
| 5 | HeliosProxy | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | PostgreSQL-compatible databases | 8.7 | |
| 6 | Cloudflare Hyperdrive | Yes | Managed | Yes | PostgreSQL 9.0–17.x; MySQL 5.7–8.x; MariaDB; PostgreSQL- and MySQL-compatible providers | 8.5 | |||
| 7 | PgDog | Yes | Free | Both | Yes | Yes | Yes | PostgreSQL | 8.4 |
| 8 | Pgpool-II | Yes | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | PostgreSQL | 8.3 |
| 9 | PgCat | Yes | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | PostgreSQL | 8.2 |
| 10 | DBLE | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | MySQL, ClickHouse | 8.1 | |
| 11 | ApsaraDB RDS Database Proxy | Yes | Managed | Yes | Yes | Yes | MySQL | 8.0 | |
| 12 | Odyssey | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | PostgreSQL | 7.9 | |
| 13 | Supavisor | Free | Both | Yes | Yes | Yes | PostgreSQL | 7.8 | |
| 14 | PgBouncer | Yes | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | No | Yes | PostgreSQL | 7.7 |
| 15 | PgDoorman | Free | Self-hosted | Yes | No | Yes | PostgreSQL 10+ | 7.6 |
Head-to-Head
- MariaDB MaxScale vs Heimdall Database Proxy
- MariaDB MaxScale vs ProxySQL
- MariaDB MaxScale vs ShardingSphere-Proxy
- MariaDB MaxScale vs TurbineProxy
- MariaDB MaxScale vs HeliosProxy
- MariaDB MaxScale vs Cloudflare Hyperdrive
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Last updated · How we research and update