MySQL and PostgreSQL both store spatial and geometric data, but they take fundamentally different approaches. While MySQL bakes spatial support directly into its engine, PostgreSQL separates two ecosystems: native geometric types (built-in, flat-plane, non-geographic), and PostGIS (a full GIS extension with coordinate systems, projections, and hundreds of spatial functions).
For most real-world location-aware applications — GPS tracking, geofencing, distance queries — PostGIS is the more powerful option, though MySQL 8.0 closed the gap considerably for common use cases. This guide compares their architectures, data types, indexing strategies, spatial functions, and what to watch out for if you’re migrating between