SkySQL is a fully managed, multi-cloud database service that empowers MariaDB and MySQL users to scale with confidence. Trusted by a global customer base for handling mission-critical workloads, SkySQL delivers unmatched performance, flexibility and resiliency across 40+ global regions on Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re optimizing for high availability, seamless scaling, or advanced security, SkySQL provides the tools and infrastructure to ensure your databases perform at their peak.
With Azure phasing out its own managed MariaDB service by September 2025, SkySQL presents the best alternative for existing users looking for continuity, enhanced features and performance. Existing Azure MariaDB customers can migrate to SkySQL with zero downtime and no application-level changes. Not ready to handle the migration on your own? Our expert cloud engineers and database administrators will help you plan and migrate to SkySQL at no additional cost.
Continue reading to learn about SkySQL’s unique capabilities compared to Azure Databases and a full-featured, no cost trial.
SkySQL’s Unique Features
SkySQL goes beyond traditional database management to deliver a truly next-generation cloud database experience:
1. Unmatched Scalability and Performance: SkySQL’s autonomous scaling dynamically adjusts database instances, both horizontally and vertically, ensuring the best performance while avoiding under or over provisioning. SkySQL can predict sustained patterns of concurrent sessions and CPU utilization to make intelligent scaling decisions. SkySQL’s automated optimizations at database and infrastructure level deliver a superior price-performance. In a recent benchmark test, SkySQL delivered up to 7.5x price-performance compared to Amazon Aurora.
2. Continuous Availability and Instant Failover: Azure Cloud Databases, AWS RDS and Google Cloud SQL all rely on a failover to a standby replica for high availability. While this DNS-based failover typically results in a few minutes of downtime, SkySQL’s intelligent proxy performs a sub-second failover including replaying transactions requested by the client during the switch. This makes the failover automatic, instant and completely transparent to the client. It is important to note that the standby instance used by cloud vendors’ native services cannot actively be used for client requests, but keeps incurring charges. SkySQL through its intelligent proxy, on the other hand, uses an active replica both for load balancing as well as failover. 
3. Disaster Recovery Across Regions and Clouds: For customers with a multi-cloud strategy, SkySQL offers a consistent experience across multiple cloud platforms. SkySQL’s replication can not only replicate data across regions, but also across cloud providers as well as to a self-managed environment providing robust disaster recovery options.
4. SkyDBA, our Fractional DBA Service: Customers of native cloud database services often complain to us about minimal customer support and lack of proactive assistance. SkySQL’s SkyDBA service provides access to expert database administrators at a fraction of the cost of employing a full-time administrator. SkyDBAs will proactively analyze customer workloads and provide timely guidance on database management and performance optimization.
5. Self-healing and Resiliency: As a Kubernetes-native solution, SkySQL uses an advanced operator to perform self-healing when cloud resources fail. SkySQL can recover from a failed database instance instantaneously by attaching the failed instance’s disk. In case of a zonal failure, SkySQL operator can create a new instance in a different zone. Combined with our intelligent proxy and its unique failover handling, SkySQL provides advanced resiliency compared to cloud vendors’ database services.
6. Actionable Observability: SkySQL offers comprehensive observability features that provide deep insights into database performance and health. Through an integrated monitoring dashboard, users can track real-time metrics like query performance, resource usage, and operational status across multiple environments. Advanced logging and telemetry allow for granular visibility into transactions, making it easier to troubleshoot issues and optimize performance. With automated alerts and customizable thresholds, SkySQL ensures that administrators are informed of potential problems before they impact operations, promoting proactive management and high availability.
SkySQL on Azure
SkySQL is available across 10+ Azure global regions, enabling you to deploy your databases closer to your users for lower latency and enhanced performance. We can also enable additional regions on demand.
SkySQL databases on Azure run on high-performance compute nodes and Premium SSDs to meet the needs of most IO-intensive applications improving IOPS and throughput for critical database operations.
SkySQL also supports Azure Private Link, allowing you to connect to SkySQL services on Azure in a private and secure manner keeping traffic within Azure’s private network.
Procure through Azure Marketplace
Customers can procure SkySQL directly through the Azure Marketplace, simplifying the purchasing and deployment process. This integration offers a seamless experience for organizations already leveraging Azure’s ecosystem through existing commitments, while providing the full benefits of SkySQL.
Ready to Get Started?
Experience the power of SkySQL on Microsoft Azure today. With advanced features, expanded regional availability, and the ability to migrate from Azure’s managed MariaDB service without downtime, now is the perfect time to make the switch.
Sign up for SkySQL and launch your database in Microsoft Azure. There is not credit card required to start and new users receive $100 in free credits.
For more information, sign up for a free trial, or to request a demo, visit skysql.com.
