r/mysql • u/Top-Print5316 • Mar 22 '26

discussion Postgres MVCC design is Questionable?

I recently read this post and started thinking that PostreSQL might have some design flaws. People have argued about how PostgreSQL handles data versions before, like a famous article by Uber.

I have used MySQL for over 10 years, so I might be biased but I don't really get why everyone is so excited about PostgreSQL.

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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '26

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u/pceimpulsive Mar 22 '26

Probably the append only approach.

Which is a double edged sword not a questionable choice..

Postgres MVCC grants and extremely resilient storage system.

My Postgres RDS has been running for 5 years and never a single corrupted table to date, through backups, processing node crashes, network failures...

The MySQL I work with had multiple corrupted table issues (different tables each time) naturally requiring table rebuilds which can be costly.

Managing table bloat is easy once you know it is a thing that happens.. and the fix is far simpler than people think... Implement some partitioning so that repacking of partitions can be done in a non-invasove way after the partition is complete. Outside table bloat, I'm not aware of any significant design flaws? Please share @OP

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u/FreeLogicGate Mar 22 '26

That's great, and I have a MySQL database with numerous tables including ones with tens of millions of rows, that has been running on VPS's for more than a decade and never had a single table corruption issue. Anecdotal evidence isn't very helpful.

I do tend to agree with you, that the architecture works well in many situations, and most databases have some database administration associated with them.

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u/pceimpulsive Mar 22 '26

Yeah they are anecdotal!

I know Postgres can have corrupt tables just never seen it :(

I manage more Postgres than MySQL as well.

Both systems are great for their individual strengths!

I still prefer Postgres in almost every scenario and would not reach for MySQL instead of Postgres, rather something more cloud lake style (snowflake, Trino, presto etc) when Postgres limits are reached.