CrateDB gets two major advantages from the NoSQL side. One is support for unstructured data via JSON documents and BLOB storage, with JSON data queryable through SQL as well.

These days, SQL is being pushed out of the limelight by concepts like NoSQL, which is not confined by the rows and tables paradigm of the RDBMS.

Since MariaDB is a fork from MySQL, the syntax is similar, but MariaDB has several additional features. Basic SQL syntax remains the same, but MariaDB handles data storage and functions differently.

Looking to use an open source general-purpose database? This extensive comparison of MySQL vs. PostgreSQL explores the strengths and weaknesses of each.