Differences Between Relational and Non-Relational Database

There are two main types of databases used in web development: relational and non-relational. The main difference between them is the type of used structure.

A relational database is the one that stores data in tables. It can also be called a relational database management system (RDBMS) or a SQL database. The relationship between tables and field types, called a schema, for relational databases is always clearly defined.

Examples of relational databases:

• MySQL;
• Microsoft SQL Server;
• Oracle Database;
• IBM DB2.

A non-relational, or NoSQL database, works differently. It has to deal with semi-structured data. It looks like a folder with files rather than a table. Its storage model is optimized for the type of data it’s storing. A non-relational database stores data without explicit and structured mechanisms to link data from different tables (or buckets) to one another.

Examples of non-relational databases:

• MongoDB;
• DocumentDB;
• Cassandra.

We have prepared a first-hand article profoundly introducing the difference between relational and non-relational databases and how to choose one.

https://jelvix.com/blog/relational-vs-non-relational-database