> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ngquct-feat-ai-sql-walkthroughs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MariaDB

> Connect to MariaDB 10.x and later through the bundled MySQL driver

# MariaDB

TablePro supports MariaDB 10.x and later. MariaDB connections use the bundled MySQL driver, built on MariaDB Connector/C 3.4.8. Pick **MySQL** or **MariaDB** in the connection form; both route to the same driver. Connection fields, [AWS IAM](/databases/aws-iam), SSL/TLS, and every feature match MySQL, so [MySQL](/databases/mysql) covers them.

## Connection URL

Both schemes open a connection; `mariadb://` creates a MariaDB connection, `mysql://` a MySQL one:

```
mariadb://user:password@host:3306/database
```

See [Connection URL Reference](/databases/connection-urls).

## Differences from MySQL

* The default authentication plugin is `mysql_native_password`; MySQL 8 defaults to `caching_sha2_password`. Both work.
* MariaDB stores JSON columns as LONGTEXT. TablePro reads MariaDB's extended field attributes (`MARIADB_FIELD_ATTR_FORMAT_NAME`) to recognize those columns as JSON, so values open in the JSON editor instead of plain text.

<Frame caption="JSON stored in a MariaDB LONGTEXT column opens in the JSON editor">
  <img className="block dark:hidden" src="https://mintcdn.com/ngquct-feat-ai-sql-walkthroughs/REI9tfF_TGivM099/images/json-editor-popover.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=REI9tfF_TGivM099&q=85&s=9aa611a08bbcc1f1faf42653d090b234" alt="JSON cell editor popover" width="3024" height="1722" data-path="images/json-editor-popover.png" />

  <img className="hidden dark:block" src="https://mintcdn.com/ngquct-feat-ai-sql-walkthroughs/REI9tfF_TGivM099/images/json-editor-popover-dark.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=REI9tfF_TGivM099&q=85&s=b1d788b3b7c80346f9785d3ec7857fdc" alt="JSON cell editor popover" width="3024" height="1722" data-path="images/json-editor-popover-dark.png" />
</Frame>

## See Also

* [MySQL](/databases/mysql): setup, connection fields, SSL/TLS, troubleshooting
* [SSH Tunneling](/databases/ssh-tunneling)