PostgreSQL vs. MySQL in speed and reliability

PostgreSQL: Why PostgreSQL Instead of MySQL: Comparing Reliability and Speed in 2007

For years, the common industry perception has been that MySQL is faster and easier to use than PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL is perceived as more powerful, more focused on data integrity, and stricter at complying with SQL specifications, but correspondingly slower and more complicated to use.

Like many perceptions formed in the past, these things aren’t as true with the current generation of releases as they used to be. Both systems have evolved with landmark releases that make comparing the two a lot more complicated.