MySQL development.
Proven relational storage, done right.
MySQL remains a dependable choice for structured, relational data, especially on PHP and Laravel stacks where it's the traditional default. We maintain, extend, and optimise MySQL databases as part of existing projects, and we'll tell you honestly when a new project should use it versus PostgreSQL.
MySQL, where it's the right foundation
We use MySQL where it's already the right fit: existing Laravel/PHP applications, hosting environments built around it, or teams who already know it well.
Laravel & PHP Applications
MySQL is Laravel's traditional default. For existing Laravel codebases, or new ones built on shared hosting, it's the pragmatic choice with mature tooling.
Legacy Database Maintenance
Taking over an existing MySQL database, cleaning up schema debt, fixing slow queries, and extending it safely without a risky rewrite.
Structured Business Data
Customer records, orders, and reporting data with clear relationships, exactly what relational databases are built for.
Performance & Query Optimisation
Indexing strategy, slow-query analysis, and schema normalisation for MySQL databases that have grown past their original design.
A dependable default, not our first choice for greenfield work.
We won't oversell MySQL. For a brand-new project with no constraints, we'd usually recommend PostgreSQL. MySQL earns its place when the environment already calls for it.
Mature, well-understood tooling
Decades of production use, wide hosting support, and mature ORMs (Eloquent, Entity Framework) make MySQL a low-risk, well-documented choice for standard relational data.
The Laravel-native default
If you're on Laravel and don't have a specific reason to move away from MySQL, staying on it usually means less friction, Laravel's tooling assumes it by default.
Fast reads on straightforward schemas
For read-heavy applications with relatively simple queries, MySQL performs reliably without much tuning, a genuine advantage for content-driven and CRUD-heavy applications.
Where PostgreSQL usually wins instead
For complex queries, advanced data types (JSONB, arrays), or heavier analytical workloads, PostgreSQL is generally the stronger choice, we'll say so rather than defaulting to MySQL out of habit.
Should your next project use MySQL?
A genuine technical tradeoff, not a sales pitch. Here's how we think about it.
MySQL makes sense when
- You're building on or extending an existing Laravel/PHP app
- Your hosting environment is already tuned around it
- Your team already has deep MySQL experience
- Your queries are mostly simple, read-heavy CRUD
Consider PostgreSQL/MongoDB when
- You need advanced data types (JSONB, arrays, full-text search)
- Your workload involves complex analytical queries
- Your records vary significantly in structure
- You're starting completely from scratch with no constraints
Hire a MySQL Developer
Skip the full build. Get a vetted MySQL developer working inside your existing team, on your stand-ups and your roadmap.
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AI features need a data layer designed for them. We model your schema so retrieval, embeddings, and agent access fit in without a bolt-on system later. It is how our own products, Tully AI and Mebag, were built.
Vector or full-text retrieval stored next to the rest of your data, so it stays consistent.
Row-level or query-level permissions so an agent can read your data without reaching past its scope.
Triggers and replication that keep a downstream index current without a nightly export.
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Common questions about MySQL development
Straight answers on stack fit, working in your codebase, cost, and how we start.
Do you still recommend MySQL, or do you default to PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL is our default for new projects, it's what we reach for unless there's a specific reason not to. MySQL is still a solid, well-understood relational database, and we use it where a project already runs on it (common in existing PHP/Laravel or WordPress-adjacent codebases) or where a client's hosting environment specifically requires it. We won't migrate a working MySQL database to PostgreSQL just for the sake of it.
Can you take over or maintain an existing MySQL database?
Yes. We start with a structural review, indexes, query performance, normalization, backup strategy, before touching anything, then agree on a plan. Most of our MySQL work is maintaining and extending databases that already exist rather than building new ones from scratch.
Is MySQL a good choice for a new project?
It's a reasonable choice if you're building on Laravel, WordPress, or a hosting stack that's already tuned for MySQL, or if your team already knows it well. For a genuinely new project with no existing constraints, we'd more often default to PostgreSQL for its stronger native support for complex queries and data types, we'll tell you honestly which fits before you commit either way.
What frameworks do you typically pair MySQL with?
Most commonly PHP with Laravel, since MySQL has been Laravel's traditional default and the tooling (migrations, Eloquent ORM) is mature. We've also paired it with .NET applications where a client's existing infrastructure already runs MySQL.
Hire MySQL Developers
Need MySQL engineers embedded in your team rather than a full project handoff? Our MySQL Developers join your existing workflow (your tools, your stand-ups, your roadmap) while we handle employment, payroll, and HR. Add one developer or a full team, scale up before a release and back down after, and keep everything they build.
Have an existing MySQL database?
Let's talk about maintaining or extending it.
Taking over a database, fixing performance issues, or building new features on top of it, tell us what you're working with.