Before we look at the benefits of MariaDB, let’s take a quick look at what MariaDB is. MariaDB is an open source (OS) database management system (DBMS) that is MySQL-based. It is a development derivative or fork of MySQL and it can replace MySQL exceedingly well. MariaDB was developed after the world’s most popular open-source database, MySQL, and Oracle Corporation later acquired it. 

One of the biggest advantages of MariaDB is increased focussed on security for the database with the MariaDB team working all round to find and fix security issues for both MariaDB as well as MySQL. As for compatibility, MariaDB is to be created as a database solution which enables one to move a MySQL database right into the MariaDB system conveniently. This brings us to the question why enterprises choose MariaDB over others, which is what the blog will cover:

1. MariaDB supports numerous engines: Aria, SphinxSE, TokuDB, FederatedX, ScaleDB, Spider, etc, in comparison to MySQL, perhaps even more than the common InnoDB to xtraDB, which is nearly equal to InnoDB, but comparatively powerful.
2. MariaDB is growing aggressively and continuously in comparison to MySQL. This is partly due to the fact that it is open source. Updates are sent out to end users faster compared to MySQL. 
3. MariaDB, for commercial use, provides a cluster database which also brings about multi-master replication. One can make use of it freely and doesn’t have to rely on MySQL Enterprise system for it.
4. MariaDB is optimized for superior performance and displays powerful features than MySQL for voluminous data sets. Effortless migration from other DBMS to MariaDB is another key advantage. Also, switching to MariaDB is a cinch.
5. Warnings and bugs are fewer in number with a gamut of extensions. The creators of MariaDB wanted its code to be maintained open source.
6. MariaDB versions are identical to that of MySQL via version 5.5. It lends almost all the features of the MySQL 5.5 features. After MySQL 5.5, MariaDB version begins at 10. This is an indication that not every feature from MySQL or future releases would be imported. The present stable release of MariaDB (at the time of writing this blog) is 10.2. There have been MySQL improvements before and will continue so such that MariaDB will never steamroll them. As for now, they are somewhat compatible at the storage level; however, with time, they will show up more diverse functionalities.  
7. With various performance enhancements, MariaDB has improved query performance, multi-source replication and parallel replication.
8. MariaDB displays much of an open-source attitude. Implementing Galera is better in the case of MariaDB. 
9. It also comes as a default option in a number of hosting environments such as RackSpace Cloud and some distro such as the Red Hat series.