Open Source Databases are on the Rise, But Oracle Still Commands Top Popularity

In case you are unfamiliar with it, the DB-Engines Ranking is a list of database systems  ranked by their current popularity. According to newly released year-end share numbers, while the rise of open source databases has been pronounced, proprietary systems are still most popular.

NoSQL open source databases, including MongoDB, Cassandra, and Redis contnue to dominate DB-Engines’ listings of the fastest growing database technologies in the world, but closed-source databases such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL, and IBM DB2 are still tops in popularity.

As Market Realist notes:

"Except for Oracle’s relational databases, all other databases—especially MySQL—are losing to NoSQL databases. NoSQL incorporates different database technologies, implemented in response to the SMAC revolution (or social, mobile, analytics, and cloud), and it caters to the huge volume of data stored and accessed. It also addresses related performance and processing requirements."

Although Microsoft SQL Server and IBM DB2 are still among the most highly ranked databases on DB-Engines, both lost a little share year-over-year. But, the open source NoSQL databases MongoDB and Cassandra, came in second and third. Oracle however, is still the most popular of all databases.

You can access all the complete numbers, including graphics, at the DB-Engines ranking site. For now, proprietary systems attract the most users, but don't count the NoSQL open source databases out.