The biggest and most obvious difference is undoubtedly how they work. MySQL takes a relational approach. To do this, all data is stored in tables containing columns and rows. They are then linked together by a key via a query. In contrast, MongoDB is an object or document oriented system. In doing so, the data is stored in BSON format, which is similar to JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). They can then be combined as needed in what are called “Collections”. In the MySQL vs MongoDB comparison, documents do not have to adhere to a fixed schema, while tables are always structured identically.
Query procedures also take different forms for MySQL and MongoDB. While MySQL relies entirely on SQL as a query language and uses the join function to retrieve data by interacting with other tables, MongoDB takes a different approach. MQL (Mongo Query Language) is a separate language that is dedicated to data processing. It offers many CRUD functions (“Create, Read, Update, Delete” for creating, reading, updating and deleting).