At a glance
| Supported databases | MySQL 5.7 to 9.x, Percona Server, MariaDB, Galera/PXC, Group Replication, Aurora and RDS; PostgreSQL 13 to 18; ClickHouse over the MySQL protocol |
| Pooling modes | Connection pooling with multiplexing of client connections onto backend connections |
| Routing and read/write splitting | Query rules route statements to hostgroups; read/write split by rule; query rewrite, cache and mirroring |
| Load balancing and failover | Traffic spread across the servers in a hostgroup; monitors detect topology changes in Galera, Group Replication and Aurora; AWS RDS Blue/Green monitoring (3.0.10) |
| Authentication and TLS | Users defined in the proxy; PostgreSQL plain text, MD5 and SCRAM-SHA-256; SSL configuration documented |
| High availability of the proxy | ProxySQL Cluster syncs configuration (including PostgreSQL tables since 3.0.8) between nodes |
| Release tiers | 3.0.x Stable, 3.1.x Innovative, 4.0.x Plugin Chassis / AI; 2.7 LTS security fixes only |
| Deployment | Packages for Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL family, Amazon Linux, OpenSUSE and FreeBSD; tarballs for amd64 and arm64; Docker images |
| Licensing | GPL v3, free; paid support by quote |
ProxySQL is the most configurable open source proxy for MySQL-family databases: you route each query with rules, multiplex many client connections onto fewer backend connections and follow failovers in Galera, Group Replication or Aurora. It now covers PostgreSQL too, but the newest PostgreSQL work (native backend, LISTEN/NOTIFY) lives in the Innovative tier, so check which tier a feature ships in before you rely on it.
Overview
ProxySQL sits between applications and database servers and speaks the database wire protocol on both sides. Backends are grouped into hostgroups (for example writers and readers), and query rules match statements by pattern, user or schema and send them to a hostgroup, rewrite them, cache the result or block them. Configuration lives in an in-memory admin database that you change with SQL and then load to runtime and save to disk, which is how changes apply without a restart. A ProxySQL Cluster mode syncs configuration between several proxy nodes.
MySQL support covers MySQL 5.7 to 9.x, Percona Server, MariaDB and managed services such as Aurora and RDS, with documented monitors for Galera, Group Replication and Aurora topologies. PostgreSQL support arrived with the 3.0 line, using separate pgsql_servers, pgsql_users and pgsql_query_rules tables and its own admin port; the home page lists PostgreSQL 13 to 18. Releases now ship as three tiers: 3.0.x Stable, 3.1.x Innovative (for example the native PostgreSQL backend in 3.1.12) and 4.0.x, which adds plugins such as a MySQL Router compatibility plugin that reads InnoDB Cluster metadata (source builds only in 4.0.12).
Key features
- Query rules that route, rewrite, cache, mirror or block statements by pattern, user or schema
- Backend hostgroups (for example writers and readers) with a documented read/write split pattern
- Connection multiplexing, sharing a smaller pool of backend connections among many client connections
- Built-in monitoring and failover handling for Galera / Percona XtraDB Cluster, Group Replication and Amazon Aurora
- SQL-driven admin interface with runtime reconfiguration, plus ProxySQL Cluster for configuration sync across nodes
- Firewall whitelisting and SSL/TLS configuration
- PostgreSQL proxying in the 3.x line with MD5 and SCRAM-SHA-256 authentication and its own query rules
Integrations and ecosystem
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very fine-grained, rule-based routing that changes at runtime without restarts
- Documented support for the main MySQL HA topologies and managed MySQL services
- One proxy for MySQL and PostgreSQL estates in the 3.x line
- Open source under GPL v3, with commercial support available
Cons
- Configuration model (admin tables, load to runtime, save to disk) has a learning curve
- Several newer PostgreSQL features are in the Innovative tier, and some 4.0 plugins need source builds
- No published prices for support plans or ProxySQL.Cloud
- The project notes a documentation refresh in progress, so some guides may lag the code
Pricing
ProxySQL itself is free, open source software under GPL v3, and the home page describes the Community plan as always open source. ProxySQL also sells Professional support (24x7 support, priority bug fixes, architecture help and an administration web UI), Enterprise support (SLAs, health monitoring and alerting, custom feature development) and professional services; no prices are published, so these are by quote. ProxySQL.Cloud, a SaaS control plane announced on 1 September 2026, was in preview with no published pricing.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
MySQL or MariaDB teams with replicas or clusters who want rule-based read/write splitting, connection multiplexing and failover handling in one open source proxy.
Typical use cases
- Sending reads to replicas and writes to the primary without changing application code
- Absorbing many short-lived application connections with multiplexing
- Keeping applications connected through Galera, Group Replication or Aurora failovers
- Blocking or rewriting a problem query at the proxy during an incident
- Mirroring production traffic to a test server before an upgrade
Who should look elsewhere
- Teams standardised on MySQL InnoDB Cluster that only need routing to follow the primary: MySQL Router is the bundled option.
- PostgreSQL-only shops that need just connection pooling: see PgBouncer.
Verdict
ProxySQL is a strong default for self-managed MySQL-family estates that need read/write splitting and multiplexing under their own control, and its PostgreSQL support makes a single proxy layer possible. Expect to invest time in its configuration model, and pick the release tier deliberately: Stable for production, Innovative only for features you need.
Frequently asked questions
Does ProxySQL support PostgreSQL?
Yes. PostgreSQL support arrived with the 3.0 line and uses separate pgsql_* configuration tables; the home page lists PostgreSQL 13 to 18. Newer work such as the native PostgreSQL backend and LISTEN/NOTIFY forwarding is in the 3.1 Innovative and 4.0 tiers (3.1.12, November 2026).
Is ProxySQL free?
Yes. It is open source under GPL v3. ProxySQL sells Professional and Enterprise support plans and services, with no published prices.
Which ProxySQL version should I run?
The project ships 3.0.x as the Stable tier, 3.1.x as Innovative and 4.0.x as the plugin / AI tier, released together. The 2.7 line is an LTS series that only receives security and severe bug fixes.
ProxySQL or MySQL Router?
MySQL Router is Oracle's router for InnoDB Cluster and ClusterSet and reads their metadata to follow the primary. ProxySQL is a general rule-based proxy for many MySQL topologies and PostgreSQL. ProxySQL 4.0.12 also adds a MySQL Router compatibility plugin for InnoDB Cluster (source builds only).
Sources
- ProxySQL home page
- ProxySQL documentation
- ProxySQL documentation: PostgreSQL configuration
- Announcing ProxySQL 3.0.12, 3.1.12 and 4.0.12
- Announcing ProxySQL 2.7.4
- ProxySQL GitHub repository (GPL v3)
- ProxySQL releases
Checked November 2026.
Listed in: Database Proxy & Connection Pooling.
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