Free DataBases comparison. Important!!

I have to choose a free database to start a DB server. For now it seems to be a choosing between PostgreSQL and MySQL. As far as I understand, the differences are:

1) MySQL has no transactions (rollbacks) - very unpleasant; it has no views, no triggers, no procedural languages - not very bad, but does a ittle headache sometimes.
2) MySQL is more fast, easy to install/manage, more reliable, but less secure.

Is the above info right? is there anything esli I didn't mention?

The second question here is if there's a feature letting acess to the server and to the local database copy be the same.
I mean, ususally you have to write different code for working with a DB server and local DB copy. Is there any features fixing it up in Postgre or MySQL?

I have found the d/l version of MySQL for Window, but not PostgreSQL. Will be grateful for any links.

Thanks in advance!

As for comparisons, that has been discussed many times. See several threads on MySQL/PostgreSQL right in this forum. Also read my comments at the end of the PHP isn't an enterprise solution post. (it is, by the way).

Also browse the PostgreSQL forum, and you will find plenty of comparisons.

To put it in a nutshell, MySQL is getting more 'relational' features, such as transactions and foreign key constraints, but still doesn't have views, triggers, or procedures. And that's just the beginning. Really, there is no comparison to the sophisticated things PostgreSQL is capable of.

I'm not sure I understand your second question, but both MySQL and PostgreSQL have replication capabilities. The PostgreSQL one is here.

MySQL's replication solution is not quite as robust as PostgreSQL's, but it is already at a production stage, while the PostgreSQL replication system is still in Beta.

There is no binary download of PostgreSQL for Windows at the moment. Some people have managed to compile PostgreSQL from the source code with Visual C++, but the easier way is to use Cygwin, which gives your Windows machine a Unix-compatible shell, and includes a copy of PostgreSQL. There is a project to make a more Windows-compatible version of PostgreSQL, but it will probably take a few months.

Really, I don't recommend using PostgreSQL on Windows. Have a Linux or Unix server, and use the ODBC client for Windows desktops to access the database. If a Windows server is required, then you are better off using MySQL, for now.

This discussion should cover most of your question (and avoid ANOTHER PostgreSQL vs. MySQL discussion) see http://forums.devshed.com/showthrea...ostgresql+mysql

Your replies were really helpful!