In this article, you will learn about upgrading the MySQL database to MariaDB using the Cloudways Platform. Click here if you want to know why Cloudways moved to MariaDB and view the drop-in replacements of specific MySQL versions.

Important

Once you upgrade the older database version to the newer version, you can not revert to the older version. For instance, if you upgrade MariaDB 10.4 to MariaDB 10.6, you can not revert to MariaDB 10.4.

Supported Database Versions

Cloudways currently has MySQL 5.5, MySQL 5.6, MySQL 5.7, MariaDB 10.0, MariaDB 10.1, MariaDB 10.2, MariaDB 10.3, MariaDB 10.4, MariaDB 10.5, and MariaDB 10.6 supported. However, newer servers and servers deployed after January 12th, 2022, are available with Debian 10 distribution and MariaDB 10.4 as a default database. You can always upgrade to the latest database version, e.g., MariaDB 10.6, as per your requirements. If you have a Debian 8 with MySQL database and want to upgrade to MariaDB, continue reading this article.

There is a certain limitation: if you use the specific MySQL version, you can only upgrade to specific MySQL and MariaDB versions using the Cloudways Platform. We have explained the same in the below table.

Database Version	Upgradable to
MySQL 5.5	MySQL 5.6, MySQL 5.7, MariaDB 10.0, MariaDB 10.1, MariaDB 10.2, and MariaDB 10.3.
MySQL 5.6	MySQL 5.7, MariaDB 10.1, MariaDB 10.2, and MariaDB 10.3.
MySQL 5.7	MariaDB 10.2 and MariaDB 10.3.
MariaDB 10.0	MariaDB 10.1, MariaDB 10.2, and MariaDB 10.3.
MariaDB 10.1	MariaDB 10.2 and MariaDB 10.3.
MariaDB 10.2	MariaDB 10.3 and newer
MariaDB 10.3	MariaDB 10.4 and newer
MariaDB 10.4	MariaDB 10.5 and newer
MariaDB 10.5	MariaDB 10.6 and newer
MariaDB 10.6	It will be upgradeable to any new MariaDB version once available on the Cloudways Platform.

Precautionary Measures Before Upgrading the Database

It is recommended that you upgrade your database when you have less load on the server or during off-peak hours. Also, you need to ensure that all your applications on the server are compatible with the newer version of the database that you are upgrading. We have extracted the information about the recommended database versions from the concerned Content Management Systems (CMS) itself so that you can use this list for reference:

Web Application Names with Versions	Recommended Database Version
WordPress 5.2.x	MySQL 5.6 or greater or MariaDB 10.1 or greater
WordPress 5.2.x with WooCommerce 3.6.x	MySQL 5.6 or greater or MariaDB 10.0 or greater
Laravel 5.x	MySQL 5.6 or greater or MariaDB 10.0 or greater
Magento 1.9.x.x	MySQL 5.6 or greater or MariaDB 10.1 or greater
Magento 2.3.x	MySQL 5.6 or greater or MariaDB 10.1 or greater
Drupal 7.6.x	MySQL 5.0 or greater or MariaDB 5.1 or greater
Drupal 8.6.x	MySQL 5.5 or greater or MariaDB 5.5 or greater
OpenCart 3.0.x.x	MySQL 5.6 or greater or MariaDB 10.1 or greater
PrestaShop 1.7.x.x	MySQL 5.6 or greater or MariaDB 10.1 or greater
Joomla 3.8.xx	MySQL 5.5 or greater or MariaDB 5.5 or greater

How to Upgrade MySQL Database to MariaDB Database

Here are some simple steps to upgrade the MySQL database to the MariaDB database. In this example, we are upgrading MySQL 5.5 to MariaDB 10.4.

Step# 1

Next, select the Settings & Packages option from the left menu bar and click on the Packages tab.

Step# 2

Here, you can upgrade your database version by clicking on the edit button in front of the MySQL option.

Then, choose the newer version from the given choices and hit Save Changes. In this example, we are upgrading to MariaDB 10.4.

You will also get a notification once the database version is successfully upgraded.

Did you know you can manage your databases using the Cloudways Database Manager?

That’s it! We hope this article was helpful. If you need any help, then feel free to search your query on Cloudways Support Center or contact us via chat (Need a Hand > Send us a Message). Alternatively, you can also create a support ticket.